Linking Europe - The Role of the Swiss Electricity Transmission Grid until 2050

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the role of the Swiss electricity transmission system and the planned network extensions in the context of Central European electricity market developments and thereby the Swiss and European energy transitions. In addition, we conduct a sensitivity analysis of delayed grid investments for Swiss and European network projects, respectively. By deriving a quantification of potential costs and system stability impacts due to delayed network investments, we can identify whether the currently observed lag in many energy investments poses a threat to achieving the envisioned energy transitions

Congestion management games in electricity markets

This paper proposes a game-theoretic model to analyze the strategic behavior of incdec gaming in market-based congestion management (redispatch). We extend existing models by considering incomplete information about competitors’ costs and a finite set of providers. We find that these extensions do not dissolve inc-dec gaming, which already occurs in our setup of two regions. We also benchmark market-based redispatch against grid investment, cost-based redispatch, and the Vickrey-Clarke-Groves mechanism. The comparison highlights a significant inefficiency of market-based redispatch and inflated redispatch payments. Finally, we study seven variations of our basic model to assess whether different market fundamentals or market design changes mitigate inc-dec gaming. None of these variations eliminate inc-dec gaming entirel

Optimized market value of alpine solar photovoltaic installations

Solar photovoltaic (PV) is the most rapidly expanding renewable resource worldwide. Yet, its full potential may be hindered by mismatches with market demand and correlated production profiles. In this research, we explore a case study of innovative PV placements in alpine regions using two, soft-linked optimization models of Switzerland's electricity system. Using Swissmod, an electricity dispatch and load-flow model, and OREES, an electricity system model employing evolution strategy to optimize PV placement, we simulate market prices of optimized PV placements given multiple years of weather data, various CO2 prices, and considering future electricity infrastructure developments across Europe. Mountain placements result in higher market value and less required area relative to lower-altitude PV placement strategies. The higher market value is driven by better alignment with demand, particularly during winter when demand is highest. We found that optimized alpine placements offer revenues of panel capacity (EUR/kW/year) that are on average 20% higher than revenues from urban PV installations. Furthermore, the Swiss mountains could host more than 1 GW of capacity with even greater revenues (33%). Alpine PV installations, with their higher market values and increased value factors, can potentially be very profitable investments and are also valuable from a system perspective

Open Power System Data - Frictionless data for electricity system modelling

The quality of electricity system modelling heavily depends on the input data used. Although a lot of data is publicly available, it is often dispersed, tedious to process and partly contains errors. We argue that a central provision of input data for modelling has the character of a public good: it reduces overall societal costs for quantitative energy research as redundant work is avoided, and it improves transparency and reproducibility in electricity system modelling. This paper describes the Open Power System Data platform that aims at realising the efficiency and quality gains of centralised data provision by collecting, checking, processing, aggregating, documenting and publishing data required by most modellers. We conclude that the platform can provide substantial benefits to energy system analysis by raising efficiency of data pre-processing, providing a method for making data pre-processing for energy system modelling traceable, flexible and reproducible and improving the quality of original data published by data providers.Comment: This is the postprint version of the articl

Swissmod - a model of the Swiss electricity market

We present a bottom-up electricity market model for Switzerland called Swissmod. It includes a detailed electricity network and hydropower representation. Swissmod captures the features and restrictions of run-of-river, yearly storage and pumped-storage power plants and combines this with a network model of the river and water stream system to take the interdependence of hydraulically coupled hydropower plants into account. In addition, the Swiss electricity network is represented using the DC load flow approach, allowing for spatial market evaluations. The model is developed as a deterministic optimization problem in GAMS. It provides an hourly resolution over a one-year horizon with an approximated representation of the surrounding European electricity markets. The aim of this paper is to outline the model and calibrate it to 2012 data

Linking Europe - The Role of the Swiss Electricity Transmission Grid until 2050

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the role of the Swiss electricity transmission system and the planned network extensions in the context of Central European electricity market developments and thereby the Swiss and European energy transitions. In addition, we conduct a sensitivity analysis of delayed grid investments for Swiss and European network projects, respectively. By deriving a quantification of potential costs and system stability impacts due to delayed network investments, we can identify whether the currently observed lag in many energy investments poses a threat to achieving the envisioned energy transitions

Linking Europe - the role of the Swiss electricity transmission grid until 2050

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the role of the Swiss electricity transmission system and the planned network extensions in the context of Central European electricity market developments and thereby the Swiss and European energy transitions. In addition, we conduct a sensitivity analysis of delayed grid investments for Swiss and European network projects, respectively. By deriving a quantification of potential costs and system stability impacts due to delayed network investments, we can identify whether the currently observed lag in many energy investments poses a threat to achieving the envisioned energy transitions