Transmission Capacity as a Common-Pool Resource: The Case of Gas Interconnector Capacity

We investigated the very real problem of congestion at gas interconnectors. Instead of suggesting further incremental change to the European regulation in force to remedy congestion problems, we took a step back and consider gas interconnectors as a Common-Pool Resource (CPR). We suggest to wait and see what institutions the shippers let emerge to govern and manage interconnector capacity. To explore this idea, we developed a model to simulate the possible emergence of institutions that would coordinate the shippers and help overcome congestion. We simulate 40 shippers at the Dutch and Belgian interconnectors and allow them to autonomously book capacity. Agents can learn over time to improve their behaviour and coordinate with each other to collectively define a new institution in the system. The main simulator indicators are the observed booking behaviour, agent profits and emerging institutions. We present and discuss preliminary results from a set of simulation runs

Study into the potential of UWB applications in the process industry

The advances in mobile technology, such as ultra wideband (UWB), enable the use of advanced applications in the process industry. The main challenge in the first phase of designing UWB networks and applications is getting to know what the process industry, i.e. the potential customer, wants. In this paper we present how we applied a user requirements elicitation process to get information about the expectation from the process industry regarding wireless networks and more specifically ultra wideband. We describe the design process of the balanced decisions that have to be made regarding these elements, i.e. applications as demanded by the process industry, the technology as offered by the ICT industry and the value network that has to guarantee benefits for all involved partners. The outcome of this feasibility study leads to the decision for going on with the next step, i.e. the design and building of an UWB testbed

Cost allocation in integrated community energy systems—social acceptance

Integrated community energy systems (ICESs) are a good representative of local energy systems by integrating local distributed energy resources and local communities. It is proposed that costs should be allocated in a socially acceptable manner since there is no regulation in ICESs. In this paper, social acceptance is conceptualized from the dimension of community acceptance considering procedural and distributive justice. A fair process increases the understanding and the acceptance of the cost allocation outcomes, and a fair outcome leads to the acceptance of the cost allocation procedure. This approach adopted the multi-criteria decision-making technique to evaluate social acceptance to select a cost allocation method that was socially acceptable to local community members. The results show that our approach is unique and useful when multiple decision-making groups have to decide together upon the cost allocation method. It is able to provide quantitative results and optimal decisions from a multi-group decision-making perspective. The methodology developed in this research can be applied to any local community energy system to select a cost allocation method. Furthermore, the obtained results can be used by decision-makers to support them in the decision-making process. Based on our approach, policy implications are also analyzed to support the success of cost allocation in ICESs.Energy & Industr

An approach for sizing a PV–battery–electrolyzer–fuel cell energy system: A case study at a field lab

Hydrogen is becoming increasingly popular as a clean, secure, and affordable energy source for the future. This study develops an approach for designing a PV–battery–electrolyzer–fuel cell energy system that utilizes hydrogen as a long-term storage medium and battery as a short-term storage medium. The system is designed to supply load demand primarily through direct electricity generation in the summer, and indirect electricity generation through hydrogen in the winter. The sizing of system components is based on the direct electricity and indirect hydrogen demand, with a key input parameter being the load sizing factor, which determines the extent to which hydrogen is used to meet seasonal imbalance. Technical and financial indicators are used to assess the performance of the designed system. Simulation results indicate that the energy system can effectively balance the seasonal variation of renewable generation and load demand with the use of hydrogen. Additionally, guidelines for achieving self-sufficiency and system sustainability for providing enough power in the following years are provided to determine the appropriate component size. The sensitivity analysis indicates that the energy system can achieve self-sufficiency and system sustainability with a proper load sizing factor from a technical perspective. From an economic perspective, the levelized cost of energy is relatively high because of the high costs of hydrogen-related components at this moment. However, it has great economic potential for future self-sufficient energy systems with the maturity of hydrogen technologies.</p

Aggregator's business models in residential and service sectors: A review of operational and financial aspects

Flexibility coming from consumers in residential and service sectors has received significant attention to deal with uncertainty and variability of renewable energy sources. Since these consumers are too small individually to participate in the electricity markets, their assets can be pooled by an aggregator. The aggregator can implement business models by trading flexibility obtained from these consumers’ assets in different electricity markets. However, the aggregator and the consumers are only motivated to implement a business model, if it is economically feasible. The economic feasibility of a business model depends on (1) financial aspects: how much profit the aggregator makes, and how much money the consumers save, and (2) operational aspects: how the consumers’ assets are operated to increase the financial aspects. This paper aims to provide insights in these operational and financial aspects of the aggregator's business models in residential and service sectors. For this purpose, a literature review is conducted, and a framework is presented to analyze the selected papers on these operational and financial aspects. Based on this analysis, different strategies for the aggregator to implement business models are determined. Moreover, knowledge gaps are identified and several recommendations for future research are provided.</p

Abnormal situation management in a refinery supply chain supported by an agent-based simulation model

10.1016/S1570-7946(09)70740-0Computer Aided Chemical Engineering27C2097-210

Shippers and Network Capacity Booking in the Dutch Gas Market

The main objectives of the Third Gas Directive (2009/73EC) approved by the European Union are: unbundling, creating an independent Transport Service Operator (TSO) and ensuring free access to the market. The separation of gas trading from transportation activities required new market rules and gas balancing. Thereby, the TSO's responsibilities are to maintain network pressures within acceptable bounds and to assure residual balancing whereas shippers must ensure adequate gas supplies. Each party involved in natural gas transport can contribute to maintaining the network in balance. If the pressure in the network grid fluctuates beyond certain bounds, each party is responsible for injecting/extracting gas into/out of the network to restore the pressure and keep the balance. The shippers' role is to balance the system if necessary and to ensure enough capacity booked for the natural gas transport. The booking capacity and the uncertainty in gas demand/supply due to alternative fuels, make it difficult for the shippers to deal with capacity booking management. An agent-based model (ABM) is developed for understanding the mechanisms of booking the network such that the system is in balance yet capacity is available to ensure a safe and reliable operation of the grid. It simulates and different booking strategies of shippers. ABM create a flexible environment for experimentation by transposing actors (from the real life) into agents (in the model). They present a promising modelling approach for socio-technical systems to support decision makers. The natural gas supply and demand is simulated; transactions between the parties are being done as well as the call of BPL, if needed. The simulations are used to investigate (new behavioral) strategies of the shippers regarding the network capacity booking. The paper presents the simulation results and reflects on the different strategies and their associated social costs.Infrastructures, Systems and ServicesTechnology, Policy and Managemen

Welcome from the IEEE PES ISGT Europe 2020 General Chairs

Welcome from the IEEE PES ISGT Europe 2020 General Chairs On behalf of the Organizing Committee we are very pleased to welcome you to the 10th IEEE PES Innovative Smart Grid Technologies Europe (ISGT-Europe) Conference organized by the Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands, which for more than 175 years has been one of the most prestigious public institutions both at an international and national level in education, research, technological transfer and services in all sectors of engineering. The IEEE-PES ISGT-Europe 2020 conference will stress the need for viewing the role of smart grids in future energy systems as part of the designing, managing and operating qualitatively new complex socio-technical systems. From a technical perspective, solutions to the limited ability to predict stochastic generation and demand can be found in novel technologies such as integrated communications, advanced sensing &amp; measurement technologies, advanced control methods, improved interfaces and decision support. From an economic and regulatory perspective, the challenge is to innovate and deploy new technologies within new business models and market designs, so that the objectives to contribute significantly to a sustainable world will be met. This is the first ISGT conference that is conducted in a virtual fashion. This is a challenge but also an opportunity. Although we would have preferred to welcome the ISGT community in the beautiful city of the Hague located in South-Holland, we are happy to host you virtually this time. We kept the classical format of a conference with regards to timing and content, and tried to replicate the interactive elements such as discussions or social interaction with on-line tools. Conferences are - besides learning the newest trends and developments - for meeting peers and networking after all. A clearly positive aspect of virtual conferences such as this one are reduced costs, both in conference organization (and in attendee fees ) and travel. Still, we hope that we will meet soon again face to face and enjoy a few days together. We would like to thank all the conference sponsors and everyone that supported us in setting this IEEE PES ISGT-Europe 2020 up, from IEEE PES, the Technical Review Committee to the local team at TU Delft and wish everyone a fruitful and engaging conference. We look forward to meeting you virtually at the 10th IEEE PES Innovative Smart Grid Technologies Europe (ISGT-Europe) Conference."Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository ‘You share, we take care!’ – Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public."Energy & IndustryIntelligent Electrical Power Grid