European Commission, ACER and ENTSO-E invited Florence School of Regulation to organise this training. Electricity markets are undergoing many changes, and it is not easy to keep up. With this training we want to make it easier for stakeholders to engage in the ongoing electricity market integration process.

This training is the successor of 3 editions of the ”EU Electricity Network Codes” course and builds on 3 edition of the “Clean Energy Package” course. In 2021, we will be running the second edition of the “Evolution of Electricity Markets” course after a successful first edition in the previous year.

In this training we provide insights on how European electricity markets have evolved from the onset of liberalisation until where we are today. Alongside the evolution of electricity markets, this online training is evolving as well. The first generation of EU electricity network codes remain an important cornerstone of this training as it has been shaping the European electricity markets as we know them today. We also cover the debate around the second generation of network codes following the adoption of the Clean Energy Package (CEP). We discuss how the CEP enhances the role of DSOs and the link between electricity markets and consumers, whether individually as prosumers, or via intermediaries such as aggregators, energy communities, or others.

In the first two weeks of the course, we cover the topics that are mainly related to the transmission level. After that we move on to topics increasingly related to the distribution level in the second two weeks. We also include a legal week shedding light onto the legal perspective of network codes and guidelines. A brand new open-access book serves as background reading material together with some of the most recent academic papers.

Welcome to the course

Live class: 21 September 2021 – 12-1pm CEST

Week 1: How to trade and transport electricity across national borders? (22 September – 28 September 2021)

This week covers three large topics. We discuss how to organise trade for electricity, we look at the European experience with the allocation of the rights to trade across borders, and we discuss how to calculate border trade constraints.

The course material covers the topics of historical privileges to trade across borders, market-based allocation of transmission rights and the evolution from explicit to implicit auctions (also ‘market-coupling’), and the implementation of market coupling in the day-ahead timeframe. The week also touches upon relevant developments in the timeframes before and after day-ahead. Furthermore, it explains why it is important to focus on border trade constraints, why trade constraints on virtual borders are calculated and who is best placed to carry out such calculations. It introduces the concept of flow-based market coupling and covers the topics of regional collaboration among TSOs and data exchange. Open issues when it comes to border trade constraints and their calculation, such as the configuration of bidding zones, are also discussed.

Live class: 28 September 2021 – 12-1pm CEST

Topics: Nominated Electricity Market Operators, Market Coupling Operator Function, EUPHEMIA, XBID, Joint Allocation Office, Financial Transmission Rights, Bidding Zones, Flow-based Market Coupling, Capacity Calculation Regions, Common Grid Model, Remaining Available Margin

Week 2: How to combine electricity trade with system security to keep the lights on? (29 September – 5 October 2021)

This week covers two large topics. We explore how system balancing is organised in Europe, and we explain why it is important to pay attention to the detailed technicalities of system operation and connection requirements.

The course material discusses how the responsibility to keep the lights on is shared between system operators and introduce the concepts of frequency containment, frequency restoration and reserve replacement. It explains balancing responsible parties and imbalance settlement, and cover the topics of balancing capacity tenders, balancing energy markets, and the related issue of scarcity pricing in balancing markets. Cross-border balancing markets and the European platforms for the exchange of balancing energy are other important topics of this week, as are open issues in the field of congestion management in balancing markets. The material also explores if and how regional system operation is organised regionally. The last part of this week are the EU connection network codes (RfG NC and DC NC) and their ongoing implementation, including the special case of energy storage.

Live class: 5 October – 12-1pm CEST

Topics: Balance Responsible Party, Balancing Service Provider, Frequency Containment Reserves, Frequency Restoration Reserves, Replacement Reserves, Gate Closure Time, Imbalance Netting, Load-Frequency Control Area, European platforms, Regional Coordination Centre, Critical Grid Situation, Power-Generating Modules, Power Park Module, Rate of Change of Frequency, Significant Grid User.

Week 3: The future of electricity markets with distribution network constraints (6 October-12 October 2021)

This week covers two large topics. We discuss distribution-related issues and we explore how best to integrate distribution network constraints into (wholesale) electricity markets.

The course material consists of recent academic papers and stakeholder contributions. Topics we will cover are distribution network issues and flexibility mechanisms and markets.

We will also discuss several tools that are currently under discussion to manage distribution network constraints and improve the coordination between TSOs and DSOs. Examples are (enhanced) network tariff design, distribution locational marginal pricing, smart connection agreements, and flexibility markets.

Live class: 12 October – 12-1pm CEST

Topics: network tariffs, DSO, flexibility mechanisms, flexibility markets, DLMP

Week 4: The new deal for consumers from communities to peer-to-peer (13 October – 19 October 2021)

This week covers two large topics. We explore how retail markets are organised in Europe and discuss the new deal that has been offered to consumers through recent legislative packages and initiatives from the Clean Energy Package to the Green Deal.

The course material consists of recent academic papers and stakeholder contributions. Electricity retail design, the evolving role of the supplier, and innovative practices in the retailing of electricity will be discussed. Other topics that will be covered are active consumers, self-consumption, energy communities, new entrants in electricity markets, independent aggregators, peer-to-peer trading, and new consumer rights.

Live class: 19 October – 12-1pm CEST

Topics: retail markets, new paradigm, consumers, peer-to-peer, new entrants, aggregators, communities, energy communities, citizen energy communities, renewable energy communities, self-consumption, active customers, dynamic pricing, data access and management, EU Green Deal

Week 5: Legal dimension of the network codes, guidelines and TCMs (20 October – 26 October 2021)

Live expert panel: 26 October – 12-1pm CET

Week 6: Buffer week to work on Mastery Challenges

27 October – 7 November 2021

Week 7 & 8: Mastery Challenges

Mastery Challenge 1: Offshore electricity grids and markets

Live expert panel: 12 November 2021 – 12-1pm CET

Mastery Challenge 2: Resource adequacy in a system with zero marginal cost

Live expert panel: 16 November 2021 – 12-1pm CET

Mastery Challenge 3: Market design and operations in a fully decentralised system

Live expert panel: 18 November 2021 – 12-1pm CET

The course is given in English and developed for: 

• Broad target group of Adult learners 

• Electricity markets experts and beginners 
• Everyone affected by the electricity market integration in Europe, including: TSOs, NRAs, Governments, European Associations, Utilities, New Energy players, Stakeholders. 

The participants can take the course on 3 different levels: 

• 1) Investigator: Learn to speak the language of the electricity markets in Europe and to understand the content of relevant legislation) 
• 2) Advocate: Learn to discuss and debate the European electricity markets with colleagues and field specialists 

• 3) Master: Learn to discuss, analyse and attempt to solve/improve a European level real life case  

The amount of time required to take this course depends on the aimed course level as well as the level of expertise in the subject prior to joining the course. For example: 

• Novice to Investigator: 4-6 hours/week 
• Novice to Advocate: 6-8 hours/week 
• Novice to Master: 8-10 hours/week 
• Expert (Advocate level understanding of the topic) to Master: 5 hours/week 

At the end of the course, the participants can earn a Certificate of Attendance, a Certificate of Completion or a Certificate of Excellence, depending of their performance and engagement throughout the course.

• General fee: 1000 €
• Students (with a certificate of current studies): 400 €
• Two free seats for FSR Energy Major Donors
• One free seat for FSR Energy Associate Donors

Paid registration fee is non-refundable. However, registrant substitution may be made up to 20 days before the start date of the course.