Flexibility resources to provide flexibility services to the Northern Demonstrator

Cluster/ Demo areas 
Northern Cluster (Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia) 

Type of service:  The applicant should develop steerability of electric loads/generation/storage and integration of the steerability to the OneNet market framework. In various markets there are different positions available in the chain from the load until the market.  

In the Finnish market the OneNet -project has a flexibility service operator that it’s possible to collaborate with to access the markets. In the other Northern demonstrator market areas the applicant will have to cover the flexibility service provider’s market operation role. 

The demonstrated flexibility products range from long-term flexibility products (months to years ahead) to near-real-time flexibility products (15 minutes), including active and reactive power. Products are described in OneNet deliverable D2.2 chapter 6.1. The applicant should describe in the application which flexibility product the applicant is capable and interested to provide. 

The applicant will be part of the Northern Cluster Business Use Case described preliminary in OneNet deliverable D2.3 .Business Use Cases for the OneNet, in chapter 9.2.1 in the role of FSP.

Technical details:

Flexibility provider, either in a role of FSP or co-operating with FSP 

A company that can provide a technical solution for steering of appliances e.g heat pumps, electrical car chargers, boilers etc. in order to give the project a larger base of resources to steer. This could enable a commercial demonstration.   

  • The Flexibility Provider can provide their own aggregation platform  
  • The Flexibility Provider should describe the general attributes of their own platform. Steering signals can be provided directly by Flexibility Provider or via some other project partner acting in the FSP role.  
  • The Flexibility Provider should provide a technical solution for steering of electrical equipment and appliances from distributed resources and have the possibility to steer the electrical load of their end-customer resources.  
  • Depending on the Flexibility Provider capabilities some requirements for reporting back to the FSP.   
  • The Flexibility Provider should specify the type and volume of resources available for flexibility.  
  • The Flexibility Provider should provide an incentive to end-consumers for participation on the flexibility markets. 

Addressed to:  

Any party who has the possibility to steer electrical appliances or would develop a system to steer distributed resources and develop required flexibility provision. The Flexibility Provider should have resources available for steering. Flexibility Provider could be Flexibility Service Providers/electricity companies acting in Finnish, Estonian, Latvian or Lithuanian markets. 

Description of the scenario 

Initiative: Controlled steering of the flexibility resource loads or/and acting as Flexibility Service Provide in the market demonstration. The markets address the flexibility needs of the system operators 

Exact Workflow: (including the party that this toolbox will be accommodated in and/or where assessment/validation will take place within a realistic setup) 

The party has resources that they can control through an integration to a steering platform.  

FSP has a contract with the end-customer about flexibility service provision and registers the flexibility resources in the flexibility register, this includes also location of the individual resource (metering point identification). OneNet systems will perform resource and grid qualification. After qualification FSP offers the flexibility to the relevant market.  

If the flexibility is called-off on the market a steering signal regarding the activation is entered into FP’s aggregation and steering platform. The Flexibility Provider (desired Party) will then, upon the given signal, steer the right resources accordingly. The activation/steering needs to be metered and validated. Metering data will be delivered to flexibility register.   

Connections between the applicant and Northern Cluster OneNet system will be handled via REST API. 

Preferred minimum bid size of the flexibility resource in total is 100 kW but the applicant can justify also other sizes if the resources seem relevant for the future flexibility service provision. 

Expected outcome: Steering of an electricity resource in accordance with the market regulations and demand. 

Important information for applicants: 

  • The vendor should provide a technical solution for steering of electrical equipment and appliances from distributed resources and have the possibility to steer the electrical load of their end-customer resources.  
  • Depending on the vendor’s capabilities some requirements for reporting back to the FSP.   

Third Parties benefit from getting involved in the scenario: 

The applicant can develop and test technologies for steering electrical consumption/distributed production/ storage and aggregation. The applicant will gain experience for new market framework and integration to aggregation and steering platform.  

Providing flexibility services can be a new revenue stream and new business models can be developed. Companies providing e.g. renovation services for transferring heating from fossil fuels to a electricity -based solution are greatly dependent on the price of electricity vs. fossil fuels. The market for charging of electric vehicles (EV) and other flexible assets is expanding and is a potential source for flexibility on the electricity market. Adding the possibility to participate to flexibility markets can lower the electricity cost and even a small change in the cost of electricity can turn a negative business case into a positive one.  

Early experience from the evolving markets helps companies to design their steering systems to suit the market requirements regarding e.g. speed, reliability, and accountability. 

As FSP you will have the opportunity to grow your product portfolio. You will get closer to your customers, and gain knowledge and understanding of their needs and restraints. Participating in the pilot will increase the understanding of new flexibility markets and the new technologies for steering.   

Incorporation of Third Parties for network operators and household consumers: 

The applicant could target household consumers (or any other distributed flexibility resources). The demonstration enables more customer participation in the project and on the flexibility market and can provide advanced solutions to be deployed outside the project in the future.  

Added value on OneNet project: 

  1. Additional flexibility service provision. 
  2. Additional flexibility resources to steer. Better understanding of how to involve end-customers and how to aggregate small, distributed resources. Different type of resources provide additional information on how the resources are capable of providing flexibility products for various system operator needs.
  3. More diverse validation of the demonstration results.