Page 38 - European Energy Innovation - Winter 2016 publication

38 Winter 2016 European Energy Innovation

SMART GRIDS

International collaboration to promote
Smart Grid as an enabler for sustainable
development
Electricity system challenges

By Karin Widegren (pictured) Adviser to the Director General at the Swedish Energy Markets Inspectorate

The transformation of our
Energy systems to the long-
term energy and climate
policy goals in the EU
and worldwide, is one of the most
challenging missions of our time. To
fulfil these goals, future electricity
systems require to be considerably
“smarter” than today, substantially
changing how electricity systems are
planned, operated and controlled.
Smart grid is a key enabler in reducing
carbon emissions and improving
energy efficiency by:

• facilitating higher penetration of
renewable (e.g. wind and solar) by
ensuring power system reliability as
uncertainty and variability increase;

• helping consumers participate in
the market not only by valuing their
flexibility and increasing energy
efficiency but also by allowing
consumers to act as producers
(prosumers) selling back their
excess electricity;

• managing challenges posed on the
distribution network e.g. by larger
shares of distributed renewable
generation and electrical vehicle
infrastructure;

• improving over-all efficiency of
the network and reducing network
power losses;

Furthermore, with the need to replace/
refurbish an increasingly ageing
electrical infrastructure, the necessity
of extensive investments in smart grids

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