Flexibility and corresponding steering technologies as important elements of the energy transition: regulatory and technical solution approaches

Abstract

The integration of distributed renewable generation and new loads like electric vehicles leads the German government to implement a new technical and regulatory framework. This study focuses on flexibilities in the low-voltage network. The aim is to introduce new steering devices for managing the transition in the lower voltage areas as well contributing to the stabilisation of the energy system and enabling new future products. The authors present a steering technology which was developed further in the scope of the research consortium WindNODE, promoted by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy in the scope of the ‘Smart Energy Showcase’ (SINTEG). The new steering tool facilitates high data safety and security and can be reached via radio communication as well as via the controllable loads channel of the smart meters. The authors present the challenges and success factors when integrating the flexibility into the system and focus on how to coordinate the signals of market players such as network operators and energy suppliers. This is a complex task because the behaviour of one specific customer must be taken into account as well as the aggregated effects of groups of customers when evaluating if signals are critical for the network.