Regulatory strategies for selected Member States (Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, the UK):IMPROGRES project

Research Project supported by the European Commission, Directorate-General for Energy and Transport, under the Energy Intelligent Europe (EIE) programmeThis Work Package 6 report of the IMPROGRES project provides an overview of regulatory strategies and incentives, conducive to (i) network integration of increasing levels of distributed generation including notably intermittent renewable technology such as wind power and solar photovoltaics (PV) as well as (ii) options for reducing impacts on surging network integration costs. Similar to the IMPROGRES project in general, this report focuses on European distribution networks. It includes specific country studies of Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK. This summary presents the main findings of this report

Media-2-Brain: Added values of a multimedia assisted universitary lecture in energy economics

Abweichender Titel laut Übersetzung der Verfasserin/des VerfassersZsfassung in engl. SpracheDas zentrale Ziel dieser Arbeit liegt in der Analyse der Akzeptanz einer durchgeführten digitalen Aufbereitung der Lehrveranstaltung "Energiewirtschaft - Vertiefung" an der TUWien. Diese alternative Art der Lehrveranstaltungsbegleitung versuchte, den Studenten die Wiederholung der Lehrinhalte sowie die Vorbereitung auf die Lehrveranstaltungsprüfung zu erleichtern. Dazu wurden die einzelnen Vorlesungsblöcke als High Definition Videos aufgezeichnet, nachbearbeitet und in Anlehnung an prüfungsrelevante Fragen aufbereitet.Für den gesamten Zeitraum der Vorlesung wurde es den Studenten in weiterer Folge ermöglicht, die relevanten Inhalte in kompakter Form als Video- und Audiodateien von der Lehrveranstaltungshomepage herunterzuladen.Weiters sah das System der Lehrveranstaltung vor, nur die Hälfte der prüfungsrelevanten Fragen als Download anzubieten, um einen Aufwandsvergleich mit einer konventionellen Prüfungsvorbereitung (selbstständiges Exzerpieren aus einer Vielzahl an Präsentationsfolien) ableiten zu können. Nach Abschluss der Lehrveranstaltung wurde neben der Zufriedenheit der Studenten auch die Anwendbarkeit der Systematik an unterschiedlichen Lehrveranstaltungsmodi(z.B. Vorlesung, Vorlesung mit Übung oder Laborübung) analysiert. Erfreulicherweise nutzten 100% der LVA Teilnehmer das Angebot der audiovisuellen Aufbereitung einzelner Prüfungsfragen. Es traten kaum Probleme in der Konzeptumsetzung auf, die Downloads seitens der Studenten funktionierten zu 90% fehlerfrei und eine Verbesserung des Lernprozesses konnte erreicht werden. Vergleicht man die Durchschnittswerte der erreichten Punkteanzahl für audiovisuell unterstützte Prüfungsfragen mit jenen der konventionell ausgearbeiteten Fragen, so kann ein deutlich besseres Abschneiden der ersten Fragengruppe beobachtet werden. Der Punktevorteil bei multimedial aufbereiteten Inhalten liegt bei etwa 0,7 Punkten je Prüfungsfrage. Auch ein Vergleich mit einer Vorjahresprüfung (2008), in der 2 Fragen eng themenverwandt zum Prüfungsstoff waren, ließ eine Verbesserung der Lehre erkennen. So konnte bei konventioneller Prüfungsvorbereitung kaum eine Erhöhung der erreichten Punkte beobachtet werden, wohingegen eine Steigerung von etwa einem Punkt bei der multimediaunterstützten Frage erreicht werden konnte.The core goal of this master thesis is to analyse the acceptance of a performed Blended-Learning approach for the lecture "Energy Economics" within Vienna University of Technology. This alternative kind of lecture style tried to enable an easier repetition of presented topics as well as to realise an efficiency increase for students with respect to test preparation. Therefore, each lecture was taped as high definition video, was reworked and processed in order to offer additional support for relevant exam questions. For the whole period of the lecture students were allowed to download the relevant contents in compact form as video- and audiofiles using the lecture's homepage. Furthermore, this was offered for only 50% of the relevant questions in order to compare exam results with a conventional way of exam preparation (excerpting from a vast number of presentations). After the end of the lecture the approach was analysed with respect to satisfaction of the students as well as its transferability to other lecture modes (e.g., lectures, lectures with exercises or laboratory tutorials). Fortunately, 100% of lecture participants accepted the offer of the audio visual processing of selected exam questions. The concept was easy to perform, the offered downloads functioned to 90% of all cases perfectly and a general improvement for the learning process could be recognised. If one compares the average values of the achieved exam results for audiovisually supported exam questions to that of conventionally prepared questions, significantly better results of the multimedia reworked questions can be observed. The advantage of multimedia processed contents lies about 0.7 points (mean value per question) above conventional lecture. Also a comparison with recent exam results (from 2008) shows an improvement of the Blended Learning concept. For conventional exam preparation almost no rise of the achieved points could be evaluated, whereas an increase of approximately one point per question was achieved implementing multimedia-supported exam questions.6

Industrial Informatics DG DemoNet-Concept- A new Algorithm for active Distribution Grid Operation facilitating high DG penetration

Abstract—While distributed generation (DG) from renewable energy resources is seen as key element of future energy supply, current electricity grids are not designed to integrate a steadily increasing share of distributed generators. The hierarchical network topology was designed for unidirectional power flows and passive operation. In order to avoid excessively expensive grid reinforcements, new solutions for active grid operation will be necessary. This paper introduces a set of innovative technical measures that allow a higher DG penetration within the grid. A new control algorithm for coordinated voltage control in an active distribution grid featuring these measures is proposed. Simulation results for an application of the algorithm in an actual Austrian distribution grid segment are presented. I

Status quo of Distributed Generation, future trends and recommendations for active Distribution Grid Operation in Austria

Abstract. While distributed generation (DG) from renewable energy resources is seen as a key element of future energy supply, current electricity grids are not designed to integrate a steadily increasing share of distributed generators. In order to avoid excessively expensive grid reinforcements, new solutions for active grid operation have to be found. Therefore, this paper introduces new promising and innovative technical solutions for active distribution grid operation combined with tailor made communication infrastructure designs. These IT-solutions evaluated (radio links and fibre optic) demonstrate in a first stage the technical and economical feasibility for a specific DG grid integration case study, which is prepared within an ongoing Austrian research project. The lessons learnt show that the high security and reliability standards set by the distribution grid operators significantly reduce the quantity of available communication options and therefore boost resulting cost to their upper limits. This work was carried out and financed within the scope of th

Market and regulatory incentives for cost efficient integration of DG in the electricity system

Research Project supported by the European Commission, Directorate-General for Energy and Transport, under the Energy Intelligent Europe (EIE) programmeAchieving the European target of 20% reduction of greenhouse gases in 2020 relies for a major part on increasing the share of renewable electricity generation, and more efficient fossil fuel based generation in combined heat and power installations. Most of these renewable and CHP generators are smaller in size than conventional power plants and are therefore usually connected to distribution grids instead of transmission grids. Different support schemes for renewable energy sources (RES) have been successfully implemented and have resulted in a rapid growth of distributed generation (DG). IMPROGRES scenario analysis shows that the installed capacity of DG in the EU-25 is expected to increase from 201 GW in 2008 to about 317 GW in 2020. A large part of this increase will be made up of more variable and less controllable renewable energy sources like wind and photovoltaics. The increase of those „intermittent? renewable energy sources does not only change the generation mix, but also influences other sectors of the electricity supply chain, especially markets and networks. There is a recent tendency towards the implementation of more market-based financial support instruments such as the feed-in premiums currently applied in Denmark, the Netherlands and Spain. Such subsidies on top of the electricity prices create an additional incentive for flexible DG units to follow demand patterns by generating electricity when prices are high. This process of market integration stimulates DG to become more responsive to the overall electricity generation and demand situation. While the process of market integration of DG has started, network integration of DG in distribution networks has not yet received sufficient attention. Integration goes beyond merely connecting new DG units, by including whenever possible the potential of DG in improving system operation by reducing network losses or preventing system peaks. Network operators also have to deal with more fluctuating power flows and frequent situations in which electricity production exceeds demand and has to be exported to other regions. These issues are likely to result in barriers for further DG development, if network integration is not improved. The EU-funded IMPROGRES project (Improvement of the Social Optimal Outcome of Market Integration of DG/RES in European Electricity Markets)1 has analysed the impacts of large-scale deployment of distributed generation for the whole electricity supply system. As the viewpoint of society is taken, impacts outside the network are also included. But the primary focus in IMPROGRES has been on the integration of distributed generation in distribution networks. All electricity generation in distribution networks is included as DG. Part of this DG consists of renewable electricity generation (RES), while the non-renewable part mainly consists of Combined Heat and Power (CHP) generation. In order to take due account of the interactions between different electricity system segments, the analysis assesses the impact on the total supply system for three distribution networks in Germany