Napredno vodenje in načrtovanje distribucijskih elektroenergetskih omrežij z izrabo virov prožnosti

Connecting distributed energy resources and new loads to electrical power distribution networks means changing their primary use and requires new ways of managing and planning them. Flexibility is increasingly being mentioned as an alternative to traditional physical network upgrades, which usually require large amounts of funds and take a long time to implement. Flexibility in the electricity sector is defined as a change in power generation or consumption profiles in response to an external signal, resulting in a service to the power system. In this paper, we address the topic of the use of flexibility in network planning and development. The use of flexibility is the subject of various research projects, including the STREAM project, which is briefly introduced in the paper. The STREAM project is developing the so-called STREAM ecosystem of tools, of which a tool called sPLAN will be part, aimed at improving the decision-making processes of DSOs concerning the management, development and planning of power networks. In particular, the tool will enable technology-neutral network planning by comparing the costs and impacts of conventional solutions, like conventional network upgrades or reinforcements, with alternative solutions based on the usage of flexibility, including the integration of local flexibility markets. The paper presents the design of the tool and some of its functionalities.