Flexibility in Sustainable Electricity Systems: Multivector and Multisector Nexus Perspectives

Abstract

As environmental concerns increase, researchers, policy makers, and the public in general are becoming more interested in options to make energy more sustainable while at the same time ensuring that energy systems are affordable, reliable, and resilient. This dynamic is bringing about challenges across the world, as established energy systems (such as those in cities) must be enhanced to integrate large volumes of renewable energy sources (RES), while new or evolving systems (for instance, in developing economies) must be planned to manage the increasingly extreme conditions associated with climate change. In these contexts, the flexibility to intelligently use and invest in resources that go beyond the power system (e.g., other energy vectors such as heat, gas, or water dams) can be extremely valuable from the perspective of sustainable development.