Detailed requirements and constraints for the control of flexibility

This Electra internal report includes the work of Task T6.1 describing the nature, availability and contribution of flexibility resources. This task also models the interactions across control boundaries and identifies sources of control conflicts, giving also an overview of experiences from the ELECTRA partners regarding the realization of controllers in demonstration and field test projects. The work was carried out during the period from May to December 2014. The different type of flexibility resources, their characteristics, affecting market mechanisms and potential for aggregation were researched using a survey among project partners. The parameters used to characterise flexibility include the amount of power modulation, the duration, the rate of change, the response time, the location, the availability, the controllability, etc. Views were also received how these parameters will develop until 2030 and what are the general trends for development of amount and controllability of this resource types. The parameters characterising different energy resources provide the technical requirements for their applicability to flexible operation of the grid and their suitability for frequency and voltage control now and in the future. Regarding the flexibility of electricity generation, gas turbines and other heat motors as reciprocating engines can be started quickest. The speed of power change is clearly the highest for heat motors and their minimum power is low. Also steam and combined heat and power plants can be utilised in the relatively quick increasing of the electricity generation. Slower power changes are possible also with the nuclear power but they cannot be carried out continuously. The regulation characteristics of hydro power are superb in comparison to the other electricity generation methods. Besides the sun power, wind power is increasing most quickly in the world in the comin