The European Commission’s Task Force Smart Grids Expert Group has published recommendations for removing regulatory barriers and incentivising the uptake of flexibility from distributed resources. These recommendations towards the Commission, member states and national regulatory authorities are the result of a one-year process bringing together the main stakeholders and experts in the field of flexibility and demand-side response, among them EURELECTRIC. The report focuses on flexibility from distributed resources, including demand side participation, and seeks to identify flexibility services, relevant value chains, but also the necessary commercial and market arrangements. It also investigates how different actors can be incentivised in a non-distortive way to provide and use flexibility.
The report outlines different possible uses of flexibility services. These can help suppliers to optimise their portfolios, network operators to delay or avoid network reinforcement, and system operators to balance the system and manage constraints cost-efficiently. On the other hand customers, as providers of this flexibility, can benefit through direct payments or savings on their energy bills. Consumers’ empowerment is key as they will engage in flexibility services only when the offers are simple and they directly benefit from them.