On 24 November 2022, with more than 100 participants, Task Force 1 (TF1) “Active System Management” of the European Distribution System Operators’ Association for Smart Grids (E.DSO) Technology Committee successfully held a webinar to present their Grid Observability for Flexibility Report published on 20 October 2022.
José Ferrari Careto, CEO of E-REDES; Vice-Chair of E.DSO; and Chair of the E.DSO Technology and Knowledge Sharing Committee, remarked in his welcome address that flexibility is at the core of discussions aimed at relieving the massive needs for investments in the electricity distribution sector. The Go4Flex Report dived into the topic to understand the maturity of flexibility solutions and successfully bring together best practices and knowledge from different EU countries and markets.
TF1 co-chair Ewa Mataczyńska, PGE Dystrybucja, provided an overview of the Go4Flex Report by identifying different levels of flexibility in relation to DSO’s needs for maintaining stability and reliability of distribution grids. The improvement of observability at the low and medium voltage and better knowledge of the network are fundamental for the early identification of emerging stability issues, she stated.
TF1 co-chair Juan Martí Rodriguez, i-DE, highlighted the criticality of interactions across different systems and energy resources and the need for reliable and economically viable telecommunication systems. Moving to real-time data collection and elaboration to achieve full observability will introduce challenges that demand huge investments and full deployment of state-of-the-art technology.
The second part of the workshop was dedicated to the presentation of best practice Use Cases from TF1 experts:
- ANM – ADMS integration in Spain, Juan Marti Rodriguez (i-DE).
- Exploring Flexibility in LV, Tania Vazquez (E-REDES España).
- TSO-DSO-Consumer Coordination for the integration of distributed flexibility in a Market Environment, Emmanouil Voumvoulakis (HEDNO).
- Standard real-time DER interface in The Netherlands, Sjors van der Heijden (STEDIN).
- ANM implementation in Scotland, Gerard Boyd (SPEN).
These practical experiences showed how leading DSOs are working to accelerate the connection of distributed and renewable energy resources through Active Network Management, advanced grid monitoring and improved controllability. Harmonisation, cooperation with other system operators and successful integration with already established electricity markets were highlighted as keys for reliability, resilience and operational excellence of distribution grids.
With their closing remarks, Ewa Mataczyńska and Juan Martí Rodriguez looked at the future of DSOs, identifying digitalisation, automatization, cybersecurity, innovative grid modelling and closer exchange between regulators and innovation projects as next the steps on the path towards Grid Observability for Flexibility.
If you missed the webinar or would like to watch it again, here you can find the recording and the slides that were presented during the event.
