Accelerating low voltage flexibility participation in a grid safe manner (ALEXANDER).

The transition towards a system with high levels of renewable energy sources requires fundamental innovations to guarantee security of supply and system stability. To accelerate the participation of low voltage flexibility as an important provider of long- and short-term system services, the project will propose solutions to remove technical, operational, social and market barriers. An in-depth understanding of consumer behaviour will form the basis of new concepts for adequacy modelling and flexibility provision. The Belgian energy system is transitioning to higher levels of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) as decentralised non-synchronous generation plants (e.g. wind and solar energy) substitute traditional large centralised synchronous electricity generation plants (e.g. gas and coal power plants). This transition challenges the grid with respect to securing supply and balancing due to increased volatility and lower predictability of RES. Moreover, the changing energy mix leads to a higher proportion of flexibility connected to the distribution grid. However, this is not the only change in flexibility expected. A sharp increase of available demand flexibility is also expected in the coming years, especially connected to the Low Voltage (LV) grid, driven by the uptake of (1) smart meters, (2) roof top photovoltaic systems, (3) home batteries, (4) electric mobility and (5) heat pumps. The radical shift in the role of consumers from passive to active participants in the energy system facilitates the advent of LV flexibility. In particular, the Clean Energy Package introduces a framework for community energy ownership, by defining two concepts for collective flexibility: the Renewable Energy Community (REC) and the Citizen Energy Community (CEC). Consequently, LV flexibility will gain importance in the coming years and has the potential to play an important role, supporting an adequate and operationally stable Belgian energy system. To accelerate the inclusion of low voltage flexibility, the project will address several key research questions to unlock the true value of low voltage flexibility. It will explore the diversity of consumer behaviour, including consumer preferences and non-rational behaviour. An in-depth understanding of consumer behaviour in the context of flexibility provision, both at an individual level or within a collective setting, will lead to a better assessment of the role that low voltage flexibility has with respect to security of supply. Moreover, this improved insight will ensure that solutions developed to remove technical and operational barriers for low voltage flexibility provision are consumer-centric, supporting maximally the uptake of low voltage flexibility.

Keywords:ECONOMY AND ENVIRONMENT

Disciplines:Agricultural and natural resource economics, environmental and ecological economics

Project type:Collaboration project