Grid User level
The flexibility potential of electricity demand has been identified as a key to further market growth of volatile renewable energy and reduction of energy prices. With an adequate Smart Grid technology, grid users can become active players in the new energy world and adjust their use of electric energy at strategic times. They receive direct incentives to change their energy use patterns allowing a better integration of renewable energy. These may include their energy consumption, use of distributed generation and storage capacity.
Easy Smart Grid Technology supports grid users by:
- Fair customer treatment (reward flexibility),
- Autonomy and private data are fully protected,
- Use of transparent and efficient market mechanisms (minimize system cost).
System level
System operators have been forced to increase infrastructure investment and upgrade grid management to respond to RE self-generation and its higher volatility. Electricity demand flexibility of consumers can also be used to improve grid resilience, for example by shifting consumption to support frequency stability and the grid itself where the capacity is close to its limits.
Easy Smart Grid technology supports the electricity system operator by:
- Balancing supply and demand at any time,
- Minimum system and component cost,
- Resilience against disturbances (environment, failure, ageing, human interaction),
- Low system complexity (easy of operation, maintenance and emergency control),
- N-1 system security (the system continues to work in case of a single failure),
- Protection of infrastructure and users against cyber-attacks,
- High performance/cost ratio
A "white paper" describes how islands and isolated grids can reduce energy cost today