The way we generate electricity today is changing. Traditionally, the power system is established around generating electricity from large centralised power plants that is transmitted and distributed to end-users. These systems also operate only with limited system flexibility. The traditional power system is challenged by the growing demand for electricity, changing load profiles from the introduction of new technologies like electric vehicles and the rapid penetration of variable renewable sources like solar and wind.
This has resulted in the transformation of the power system in many countries already as a power system with higher shares of renewables requires a flexible system to allow the integration of variable renewable energy sources of solar and wind. Thermal generation technologies are dispatchable and electricity supply from these sources can be controlled to meet the changing demand. Generation from solar and wind fluctuates according intensity of resource availability. This requires a flexible power system to deal with variability.
A range of options exist to enable this:
- Local and distributed energy solutions
- Digital solutions that ensure the efficient use of resources and interconnectivity of systems
- Flexibility options that include strengthening of the transmission and distribution grids, flexible generation, demand side management and energy storage
- A more democratic energy system that allows consumers to make their own energy choices and own production.