2019 IEEE General Meeting Panel Presentation: Providing Flexibility in Power Systems with High Share Variable RES – A European Perspective

The European energy system continues to see a rapid growth of variable renewable energy resources (RES) since almost two decades now. RES, often based on power electronics, replace successively conventional power plants, which alters the system characteristics and furthermore challenges the system with respect to grid congestions, voltage stability, provision of inertia, etc.. At the same time,
the importance of sector coupling, i.e. interlinking e.g. electricity, heat, gas, transport sectors increases and provides new degrees of freedom, which need to be stronger considered during the energy system planning phase.

This session gives an overview of approaches used in European countries regarding sources of flexibility, grid planning and operational tasks for power systems with high share of RES. Optimal identification and exploitation of flexibilities, cross-sectoral energy system planning as well as operational cascades for TSO/DSO coordination are topics of the session, presenting results of different European and national projects.