22 September 2022
With more than 150 participants on web platforms, E.DSO, the European Distribution System Operators’ Association, has discussed, in collaboration with the RWTH Aachen University, on the question ‘Is Open Source the next big Thing in Electricity Distribution?’
With Antonello Monti’s, Professor at the RWTH Aachen University, opening speech, the fundamental role of open source as fast enabler of innovative solutions bringing huge corporate saving in network expansion, accelerating the flexibility market and customer engagement was underlined.
Rolf Riemenschneider, Head of Sector IoT at the European Commission, stressed European actions on the digitalisation of the energy sector in which open standards and open source contribute to accelerate the green and digital transition. Open source also drives knowledge development to ensure grid security through flexibility in an increasing electrified energy system, as Bram Sieben, Directeur Corporate & Social Affairs at Alliander, and Board Member of E.DSO stated during his intervention. Moreover, Jean-Marc Moulin, T&D Vice President at GE DIGITAL, Grid Solutions, showed how open source provides the cornerstone to the interoperability by adhering to public standards, ensuring a secure environment for customers, and creating a level playing field for all energy stakeholders.
The panel discussion concluded that momentum for collaboration between energy users and industry, under the guidelines of EU frameworks, has come and that communication among all stakeholders to nurture interoperability is at its core. TSOs an DSOs are challenged to move away from committing to single solution vendors and should become system integrators themselves. To actively involve all stakeholders, the energy system should be based on open standards and clear domain models. Knowledge panelists under E.DSO Secretary General Roberto Zangrandi’s moderation were Lucian Balea, Open Source Program Director at RTE; Erik Wolfs, Architects Lead at ENTSO-E; Giuseppe Testa, Head of Commercial Services and Operation Technology Systems at Areti, and Laurent Schmitt, Head of Utilities & European Developments at dcbel, and President of Digital4Grids.
During the event, a short video showed ‘Open source in action’ with DSOs committed to supporting research and innovation activities in the energy sector by taking part in multiple European research projects. The Platone architecture is tested and validated in three demos in Germany, Greece, and Italy. The Italian DSO Areti implements a custom Advanced Distribution Management System, a platform that leverages current and future industrial IoT digital assets in the grid in Rome. Platone builds on the Linux Foundation Sogno project and on the collaboration with EU Universal. In his closing remarks, José Ferrari Careto, CEO of E-Redes; Vice-Chair of E.DSO; and Chair of the E.DSO ‘Technology and Knowledge Sharing’ Committee, stressed again how open source has become a reality already embraced by DSOs to ensure grid management in a secure, safe, and resilient way. System Operators, industry, vendors, and all other Stakeholders have shown their willingness and capacity and are fully embracing this great journey to find common scenarios for open-source larger adoption.
You can find the slides presented during the event here and the recording of the webinar here.
