RET_2015-01-02-03-04_Flipbook

Flexibility and demand: a distribution systems operator’s perspective - Joost Gottmer, EU affairs, EDSO for
Smart Grids
2.2 Environmental and societal benefits
In addition to solving challenges at the distribution level, flexibility could also bring a
host of benefits for society and the environment. Flexibility services can facilitate the
deployment of smart grids with more extensive monitoring and ICT tools, an optimal
integration of renewable generation and electro-mobility in distribution grids – all this
while maintaining security of supply and efficiency of the system. This could result in net
environmental benefits for society as distribution grid are getting ready for the feed-in
of large shares of RES.
In addition, it can enable customers to make use of their own flexibility value which in
turn will help them reduce their energy bill or receive financial rewards. Customers’
flexibility potential could be either price-based (offering customers time-varying prices
that reflect the value and cost of electricity in different time periods) or incentive-based
(customers receive a reward to change their consumption due to a network constraint).
The overall cost savings achieved by preventing expensive network reinforcements and
upgrades, which would otherwise be spread amongst the regulated networks’ customer
base, can bring further economic gains.
Table 1: Potential costs vs. benefits of developing smarts grids & flexibility
Revue E Tijdschrift – 131 ste jaargang/131 e année – n° 1-2-3-4-2015 (publication mars/publicatie maart 2017)
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