DSO

Electricity market liberalization and private sector development of solar and energy storage in Cyprus continue to be delayed. pv magazine’s Ilias Tsagas looks at why independent power producers are frustrated by electricity curtailment and a lack of market reform.

Distribution system operators have their work cut out for them, as they are tasked with the ever-increasing challenge of managing their networks at times of increasing EV penetration, the electrification of heat, and distributed behind-the-meter generation and storage. As transmission system operator markets have opened to demand-side flexibility across Europe and beyond, we now see a trend of DSOs at the very early stages of a similar transition, writes Philippa Hardy, principal analyst at Delta-EE. DSOs are now starting to call on behind-the-meter assets to support local network management and balancing. This provides cost savings for DSOs, while offering opportunities for DSF providers and asset owners.

According to a new report from the Council of European Energy Regulators (CEER), distribution system operators should own and operate storage systems only when market-related entities are unable to provide flexibility in accordance with energy regulations.

A much talked about concept, but the final step into market operationality has not been done – yet. Nissan, The Mobility House, and Enervie have joined forces to allow Nissan Leaf’s to provide frequency control to a distribution grid in Germany. The concept has received permission to pursue its plans, and for corporate customers it will be ready for adoption as of 2019.

Looking at a scenario, in which the Spanish residential solar market is booming again, energy consultancy, ecoSynergies finds that the energy system could save billions, both in terms of CO2, and fuel and grid costs. Additionally, introducing the EU’s suggestion to fairly compensate prosumers for their surplus energy, would allow households to slash payback times for their solar systems by more than a half. In some cases, the amortization period could go down from 25 to seven years.

More than 100 free storage systems will given to residential and commercial users to maximize utilization rates of storage systems while reducing costs for grid operators. The algorithms behind the technology would improve the supply situation and shave peak demand.

The first round of Ireland’s newly introduced Enduring Connection Policy – 1 (ECP-1), introduced at the beginning of the year, has resulted in considerable success for solar PV and battery storage, with the technologies clearly outcompeting various forms of gas-fired generation, biomass, and wind energy.