Four-Step Method to Increase Electricity Grid Flexibility
A four-step methodology has been developed as a practical guide for grid operators to implement flexibility in electricity networks. This is the key finding of a new report from Glava Energy Center, produced with support from Energiforsk. The report also reveals that the flexibility potential among electricity producers, industries, and private consumers in Värmland is higher than expected.
Glava Energy Center has conducted a pilot project investigating the potential for flexible electricity consumption and production within Värmland’s power grid. Funded by Energiforsk, one of the project's key objectives was to develop a methodology that all grid operators in Sweden could use. The methodology, presented in the report "Methodology for Flexibility in Power Grids," serves as a guidebook for grid owners, outlining a four-step approach: identifying needs, assessing potential, matching flexibility, and implementation.
– Capacity shortages in electricity grids pose a significant challenge to achieving long-term sustainable competitiveness in Sweden. Grid operators must adopt new approaches, yet methodologies have been lacking until now. In our report, we propose a clear, step-by-step method to address this issue, says David Olsson, project manager for the study.
The Four-Step Methodology
- Identify flexibility needs by analyzing data from the power grid.
- Assess potential by engaging with actors who have access to flexible resources.
- Match the flexibility needs with identified potential solutions.
- Implement flexibility based on grid conditions, for example, through local flexibility markets or conditional agreements.
Significant Flexibility Potential in Wind Power
The methodology has identified a total technical flexibility potential of over 1,000 MW within Värmland’s electricity grid, spanning sectors such as industry, electricity production, energy storage, and household resources. This technical potential represents the maximum controllable power capacity. Wind power accounts for nearly half of this capacity, approximately 500 MW. Households, including heating systems, electric vehicles, and solar power, contribute nearly one-third. Energy storage solutions, such as batteries and pumped hydro, make up just over 10% of the total flexibility potential.
Despite this substantial potential, one of the report’s key conclusions is that many resources are technically flexible but lack the necessary incentives to participate in flexibility markets.
– There is no established market, and stakeholders have no clear understanding of how they would be compensated for providing flexibility. The key questions remain: who will pay, who will be compensated, and how should the compensation model be structured? Almost everyone we have spoken with recognizes their ability to be flexible, but they are uncertain about how to make it financially viable, says David Olsson.
Värmland as a Case Study
The project used Värmland as a reference, based on findings from Glava Energy Center’s electricity and power analysis for the region, which indicates that transmission capacity in the power grid may not increase until after 2030. The study analyzed the need for flexibility based on planned grid connections and the potential for flexibility through interviews with electricity producers and major consumers. The study also tested two analytical tools, developed by tech company Endre and RISE, Research Institutes of Sweden, which can be used for demand forecasting and mapping flexible resources.
Image Caption: David Olsson, technical project manager at Glava Energy Center, and an aerial drone image of a power transmission pole with electrical lines.
Want to Know More?
The report "Methodology for Flexibility in Power Grids" was developed as part of Energiforsk’s program for sustainable technology development and digitalization in electricity grids. It was authored by David Olsson, project manager at Glava Energy Center, and senior project manager Lars Olsson, Senior IT.
What Is Flexibility?
Flexibility is essential for ensuring a stable, efficient, and sustainable power grid that can adapt to changing conditions and needs.
- It helps balance electricity supply and demand.
- It facilitates the integration of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power.
- It enables more efficient use of energy and infrastructure.
- It improves grid resilience and security in the face of disruptions or unexpected events.
Under Swedish electricity law, grid operators are now required to consider flexibility as an alternative to building new power lines in their grid development plans.