Why testing five different TSO-DSO coordination schemes?
In the context of the Horizon2020 SmartNet Project Final Workshop in Arona, the FSR Director, Jean-Michel Glachant interviews Helena Gerard (Vito) on the five coordination schemes analysed by the project to learn more about the SmartNet research and its final outcomes.

The SmartNet project aimed to provide optimised instruments and modalities to improve the coordination between the grid operators at national and local level (respectively the TSOs and DSOs) and the exchange of information for monitoring and for the acquisition of ancillary services (reserve and balancing, voltage balancing control, congestion management) from subjects located in the distribution segment (flexible load and distributed generation).

For more information, please visit: http://smartnet-project.eu/

What is new about the coordination of TSO and DSO?
In the context of the Horizon2020 SmartNet Project Final Workshop in Arona, the FSR Director, Jean-Michel Glachant interviews Norela Costantinescu (ENTSOE) on the theme of TSO-DSO coordination to better understand the implications of the research results achieved by the SmartNet Project and the future steps that will be taken by the INTERRFACE project.

The SmartNet project aimed to provide optimised instruments and modalities to improve the coordination between the grid operators at national and local level (respectively the TSOs and DSOs) and the exchange of information for monitoring and for the acquisition of ancillary services (reserve and balancing, voltage balancing control, congestion management) from subjects located in the distribution segment (flexible load and distributed generation).

For more information, please visit: http://smartnet-project.eu/

The EU-funded SmartNet project http://fsr.eui.eu/event/smartnet-workshop-series/ organised in Florence (24 to 26 October) aimed to present the recent development of this research project and get feedback from different participants (TSOs/DSOs, regulators and utilities) on topics related to the coordination between TSOs and DSOs for the access to flexibility services.
In this podcast, Athir Nouicer (FSR) interviews David Ziegler from Germany, a participant of the first day of the workshop, to share with you some insights from the project and also how the project could feed the EU regulations; Clean Energy Package and Network Codes.
Different TSO-DSO coordination schemes were compared with reference to three national cases (Italian, Danish, and Spanish) against a set of metrics: mFRR, aFRR cost and ICT cost as well as CO2 emissions and unexpected congestions. This aims to reduce the project complexity and provide a straightforward cost-benefit analysis (CBA) of the different alternatives.
In addition, three physical pilots were implemented to demonstrate the modalities for exchanging monitoring and control signals between TSOs, DSOs and flexibility providers.

The EU-funded SmartNet project is attracting interest from Europe and beyond.
Professor Luis Ochoa (https://bit.ly/2Pj4pRa), from the University of Melbourne (Australia), joined the workshop http://fsr.eui.eu/event/smartnet-workshop-series/ organised in Florence to explore the latest novelties on related topics with a global relevance: the integration of the growing number of distributed energy resources (DER) and the coordination of transmission and distribution electricity systems. In this podcasts with Nicolò Rossetto (FSR), Professor Ochoa reflects on the difficulty of addressing the issue, especially considering the growing expectation to use DER not only to supply flexibility to the transmission system, but also to provide flexibility to the local grid. Market-based integration of DER requires coordination of the market at the local level with the market at the transmission (wholesale) level, taking into account the numerous issues that arise when dealing with low voltages and radial grids. Australia, a country with one of the highest penetration of residential PV in the world, is particularly sensitive to this issue. Aggregators and platforms for DER to access the market are emerging, but for the moment they address only the wholesale market. “Local markets” do not yet exists.

In the context of the public workshop held on 20 June in Brussels, Nicolò Rossetto (FSR) poses several questions to Miguel Pardo (Endesa) about the pilot project being carried out in Barcelona.

Vodafone, which is among the several partners involved, owns 20 radio base stations that are used as distributed energy resources (DER). Such stations participate in a simulated local market and provide ancillary services for the efficient and secure functioning of the electricity system. According to Mr Pardo, the pilot is proving the feasibility of the concept proposed. At the same time, Vodafone is showing interest in continuing the cooperation and applying the same business model on a broader scale. Final results of the pilot will be available in the coming months.

More information on the SmartNet Project can be found at:
http://smartnet-project.eu/.

In the context of the public workshop held on 20 June in Brussels, Athir Nouicer (FSR) interviewed Dr. Tomás Gómez San Román, Professor at Comillas Pontifical University, about the impacts of the SmartNet project on the future of electricity markets.

SmartNet has three pilot projects (in Italy, Denmark and Spain) that address technical issues related to system operation and test the different TSO/DSO coordination schemes, which can be hard to assess even for regulators. Dr. Tomás Gómez highlighted the need to improve TSO/DSO cooperation to ease access to flexibility services located in distribution grids, and emphasised the challenges of integrating market and networks models in these kinds of research projects. The added value of the SmartNet project is providing insights for the development of a legal framework in Europe.

More information on the SmartNet Project can be found at: http://smartnet-project.eu/.

Before the start of the SmartNet workshop in Brussels on the 20 June, Nicolò Rossetto (FSR) had the opportunity to talk with Gianluigi Migliavacca (RSE) about the importance of the project and the insights that it is expected to provide to policy-makers, regulators, network companies, and market players.

SmartNet is testing different coordination mechanisms for the efficient and secure management of distributed energy resources as providers of ancillary services to the electricity system. Three pilot projects are underway, respectively in Italy, Spain and Denmark, with the involvement of TSOs, DSOs, aggregators, research institutes, energy consumers, etc. Next October, detailed results on the pilot projects and the research promoted within SmartNet will be presented in Florence.

More information on the SmartNet Project can be found at: http://smartnet-project.eu/.

In the context of the public workshop held on 20 June in Brussels, N. Rossetto (FSR) interviewed SmartNet team member H. Madsen (DTU) to discuss the importance and impact of SmartNet pilot project B.

The pilot is based in Denmark, where the abundance of wind energy requires a smart approach to achieve decarbonisation of the power sector efficiently. In such a context, the electricity load from final customers must contribute and provide flexibility to the system. As a part of the pilot, the heated swimming pools of thirty summerhouses are managed so that they can provide ancillary services when the electricity grid faces difficulties in dealing with renewable production. Active participation of the demand side is key to foster the energy transition and can lead to significant savings for the final customer. However, in order for this to happen, policy-makers and regulators need to act: smart behaviours by network operators and market actors may not materialise without proper network tariffs and energy taxation.

More information on the SmartNet Project can be found at: http://smartnet-project.eu/

In the context of the public workshop held on 20 June in Brussels, Athir Nouicer (FSR) interviewed Helena Gerard, Senior Researcher at VITO/EnergyVille, for insight on the five TSO-DSO coordination schemes analysed by the SmartNet Project.

A Horizon 2020 funded project, SmartNet attempts to find answers and propose new practical solutions to the integration of growing renewable energy sources (RES) in the existing European electricity network. The project aims to provide optimised instruments and modalities to improve the coordination between grid operators at national and local level, and to advance the exchange of information for monitoring the acquisition of ancillary services from resources located in the distribution grids. With the development of renewables and the electrification of energy end-uses, the electricity system requires more flexibility. At the same time, more flexible resources are available at the local level. As argued in the interview, a smart allocation of these flexibility resources between the system operators will be essential for the achievement of the European energy policy goals.

More information on the SmartNet Project can be found at: http://smartnet-project.eu/

What lessons from the SmartNet Project? Interviews with the stakeholders #1: Andrew Burgess (CEER, OFGEM)
‘What is interesting of the SmartNet project is that it’s looking at difficult issues in detail and it’s trialling them to see what works’
Highlights from the SmartNet Project Advisory Board (Glasgow – February 2018)

The EU Horizon2020 funded SmartNet project arises from the need to find answers and propose new practical solutions to the increasing integration of Renewable Energy Sources in the existing electricity transmission network. http://smartnet-project.eu/

These are exciting times in the role of energy, the way people produce and consume is changing in front of our eyes…” and that’s where Lynne Mc Donald (UK Power Networks), who joined the Advisory Board of the SmartNet Project in Glasgow, sees the benefit of the SmartNet project.
The SmartNet project arises from the need to find answers and propose new practical solutions to the increasing integration of Renewable Energy Sources in the existing electricity transmission network. The subsequent technological (r)evolution is not only affecting the structure of the electricity markets, but also the interactions between TSOs and DSOs.
Learn more on the project here: http://smartnet-project.eu

During the Smartnet Advisory meeting held in Glasgow in January 2018, we had the chance to interview Steven Atkins from the Scottish & Southern Electricity Networks and exchange ideas on the key aspects and links between our project and the SSEN initiatives in the same field.

For more information on the SmartNet Project:
http://smartnet-project.eu/