IEEE Power & Energy Magazine - July/August 2021 - 108

Mark McGranaghan
integrated grid flexibility
where to find it
T
108
THE GROWING PENETRATION OF
renewable generation, both at the bulk
system level and throughout the distribution
system, is inevitable and accelerating.
This imposes all kinds of
demands on the planning and operation
of the grid. Most importantly, we
will have to make sure that there are
resources to provide the flexibility
needed by the grid with high renewable
penetration: energy for periods of low
renewable generation, ramping capability
when generation levels are changing,
frequency regulation,
inertia, and so on.
This is happening at
the same time as we are
electrifying more of the
energy system, imposing
additional burdens
on the grid.
For a number of years,
the industry has been
talking about the concept
of an integrated
grid. The idea is that the
best way to plan and op -
erate a system with a
very high penetration of variable and
intermittent renewable generation is to
take advantage of flexibility resources
at all levels. This means developing
the technologies, tools, and systems
that will allow true integration (not just
accommodation) of the widely distributed
resources on the grid. I was very
excited to see that we were dedicating
an entire issue of IEEE Power & EnDigital
Object Identifier 10.1109/MPE.2021.3072822
Date of current version: 21 June 2021
ieee power & energy magazine
ergy Magazine to this very topic. Let's
take a look at why it makes so much
sense to integrate distributed resources
to help manage and optimize the grid.
As the flexibility requirements inWe
must
create the
mechanisms to
get flexibility
from all
possible
resources.
crease for the grid of the future, we must
create the mechanisms to get flexibility
from all possible resources. Generation
resources must continue to provide flexibility.
This can include renewable generation,
smart inverters on photovoltaic
systems, and advanced wind turbine
controls. We have taken advantage of
pumped storage systems
for many years, and now
we are seeing very large
battery installations providing
flexibility services.
We will definitely
need more large flexibility
resources like these
on the grid.
However, we also have
to take advantage of the
tremendous flexibility
potential of distributed
resources. This could be
the biggest opportunity
of all. What are these distributed resources?
As described by the authors
in this issue, they include distributed
generation and energy storage, flexible
electric vehicle charging, thermal
storage, and demand response. Most
importantly, these resources are local
to consumers and communities. They
have local benefits, such as providing
economic energy resources, energy efficiency,
demand management, power
quality, and reliability.
Using these resources to provide
flexibility benefits to the grid can bring
more value streams for the resource
owners and a better solution to grid
management and investment. However,
aggregating these distributed resources
to provide grid benefits without creating
new problems at the distribution level is
a challenging proposition. Different approaches
for managing resources (direct
control, customer control, price-based
management, and so on) make the problem
even more complicated.
This issue provides concrete examples
of how some of these challenges
are being addressed. It gives me confidence
that distributed resources can be
a key part of the grid flexibility solution.
First, let's consider the advantages
of getting flexibility from customer
and community resources:
✔ Local distributed resources can
provide value at all levels of
the grid. They can be aggregated
to provide system-level balancing
and flexibility as described
in these contributions. They also
can relieve capacity constraints
or voltage problems on the local
distribution system, and they can
contribute to local community and
customer energy management for
the benefit of those consumers. A
bulk system resource, like a large
battery installation, cannot participate
in all of these value streams.
✔ The combination of these value
streams can make distributed
(continued on p. 106)
july/august 2021
in my view
IEEE Power & Energy Magazine - July/August 2021

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