FSR

Energy poverty is a widespread and even growing reality across Europe. The EU Survey on Income and Living Conditions (EU SILC) measured in 2013 shows that 10.7% of the population (approximately 54 million people) are unable to afford basic levels of energy for essential needs. Listen to Prof Pippo Ranci from FSR, and Prof Stefan Bouzarovski from Manchester University discuss; some of the EU energy poverty initiatives, challenges and ways to put the topic of energy poverty at the centre of energy policy discussions.

In the context of the public workshop held on 20 June in Brussels, Nicolò Rossetto (FSR) poses several questions to Miguel Pardo (Endesa) about the pilot project being carried out in Barcelona.

Vodafone, which is among the several partners involved, owns 20 radio base stations that are used as distributed energy resources (DER). Such stations participate in a simulated local market and provide ancillary services for the efficient and secure functioning of the electricity system. According to Mr Pardo, the pilot is proving the feasibility of the concept proposed. At the same time, Vodafone is showing interest in continuing the cooperation and applying the same business model on a broader scale. Final results of the pilot will be available in the coming months.

More information on the SmartNet Project can be found at:

http://smartnet-project.eu/.

In the context of the public workshop held on 20 June in Brussels, Athir Nouicer (FSR) interviewed Dr. Tomás Gómez San Román, Professor at Comillas Pontifical University, about the impacts of the SmartNet project on the future of electricity markets.

SmartNet has three pilot projects (in Italy, Denmark and Spain) that address technical issues related to system operation and test the different TSO/DSO coordination schemes, which can be hard to assess even for regulators. Dr. Tomás Gómez highlighted the need to improve TSO/DSO cooperation to ease access to flexibility services located in distribution grids, and emphasised the challenges of integrating market and networks models in these kinds of research projects. The added value of the SmartNet project is providing insights for the development of a legal framework in Europe.

More information on the SmartNet Project can be found at: http://smartnet-project.eu/.

Before the start of the SmartNet workshop in Brussels on the 20 June, Nicolò Rossetto (FSR) had the opportunity to talk with Gianluigi Migliavacca (RSE) about the importance of the project and the insights that it is expected to provide to policy-makers, regulators, network companies, and market players.

SmartNet is testing different coordination mechanisms for the efficient and secure management of distributed energy resources as providers of ancillary services to the electricity system. Three pilot projects are underway, respectively in Italy, Spain and Denmark, with the involvement of TSOs, DSOs, aggregators, research institutes, energy consumers, etc. Next October, detailed results on the pilot projects and the research promoted within SmartNet will be presented in Florence.

More information on the SmartNet Project can be found at: http://smartnet-project.eu/.

Listen to our interview with Tony Imaduwa, CEO of Seychelles Energy Commission, conducted during the first Regional Forum on Sustainable Energy in Mauritius from May 28-30, 2018. Tony discusses the role of the Seychelles Energy Commission, the regulatory challenges that are hindering the energy transition, and the measures that have been introduced to address these challenges.

Listen to our interview with Laurent Sam, Engineer at Public Utilities Corporation (PUC), Seychelles, at the first Regional Forum of on Sustainable Energy at Mauritius from May 28-30, 2018.

Laurent discusses the key challenges such as resource mapping, renewable energy planning, grid management and efficient use of funding while integrating renewables into the power system.

visit the Florence School of Regulation website:

fsr.eui.eu

In the context of the public workshop held on 20 June in Brussels, Athir Nouicer (FSR) interviewed Helena Gerard, Senior Researcher at VITO/EnergyVille, for insight on the five TSO-DSO coordination schemes analysed by the SmartNet Project.

A Horizon 2020 funded project, SmartNet attempts to find answers and propose new practical solutions to the integration of growing renewable energy sources (RES) in the existing European electricity network. The project aims to provide optimised instruments and modalities to improve the coordination between grid operators at national and local level, and to advance the exchange of information for monitoring the acquisition of ancillary services from resources located in the distribution grids. With the development of renewables and the electrification of energy end-uses, the electricity system requires more flexibility. At the same time, more flexible resources are available at the local level. As argued in the interview, a smart allocation of these flexibility resources between the system operators will be essential for the achievement of the European energy policy goals.

More information on the SmartNet Project can be found at: http://smartnet-project.eu/

In the context of the public workshop held on 20 June in Brussels, N. Rossetto (FSR) interviewed SmartNet team member H. Madsen (DTU) to discuss the importance and impact of SmartNet pilot project B.

The pilot is based in Denmark, where the abundance of wind energy requires a smart approach to achieve decarbonisation of the power sector efficiently. In such a context, the electricity load from final customers must contribute and provide flexibility to the system. As a part of the pilot, the heated swimming pools of thirty summerhouses are managed so that they can provide ancillary services when the electricity grid faces difficulties in dealing with renewable production. Active participation of the demand side is key to foster the energy transition and can lead to significant savings for the final customer. However, in order for this to happen, policy-makers and regulators need to act: smart behaviours by network operators and market actors may not materialise without proper network tariffs and energy taxation.

More information on the SmartNet Project can be found at: http://smartnet-project.eu/

In this podcast, Panagiotis Tsangaris, alumnus of the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, discusses the competition law and regulation issues that arise as a result of capacity withdrawals in the electricity wholesale markets, exploring the application of Article 102 TFEU and the terms of Regulation 1227/2011 (REMIT).

visit the Florence School of Regulation website:

fsr.eui.eu

In electricity wholesale markets, market power is mainly exercised either by withdrawing generation capacity (physical withdrawal) or by pricing it above competitive levels (economic withdrawal) in order to achieve a higher market price and, thereby, increase revenue. Inevitably, capacity withdrawal practices can be damaging for both the market and consumers. Thus, the ability of competent authorities to intervene against practices of physical and economic withholding of capacity is crucial. As with any other form of market abuse, the physical and economic withholding of capacity is subject to the application of competition law, in particular Article 102 TFEU. In addition, Regulation 1227/2011 on wholesale market integrity and transparency (REMIT) also enhances transparency in wholesale energy markets and prohibits any acts of market manipulation on wholesale energy markets and may be turned to in order to deal with capacity withdrawal practices. Panagiotis Tsangaris discusses the scope and application of both, as well as the roles of ACER and the NRAs in monitoring the markets, the definition and geographic delineation of the markets in an increasingly interconnected and integrated market across Europe, and the challenges of determining market dominance.

For more, you can see Panagiotis Tsangaris’ recent publication here:

https://www.springer.com/de/book/9783662555125?utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=commission_junction_authors&utm_campaign=3_nsn6445_deeplink_PID8793001&utm_content=deeplink

Malagasy regulator's view on the electrification and clean energy transition in Madagascar.

Listen to our interview with Ms Ketakandriana Rabemananjara, Director (Legal) of Office de Régulation de l'Electricité (ORE), Madagascar, at the first Regional Forum of on Sustainable Energy at Mauritius from May 28-30, 2018. Ms Ketakandriana discussed the dual challenge of electrifying while transitioning to a clean energy system. In particular how the regulator can play an active role in helping to step up the implementation.