The flexibility of power systems, i.e. their capability to safely and efficiently cope with variability in energy production and demand, is essential to transition to increasingly sustainable energy generation models. Leveraging such flexibility is key to transforming the energy system and ensuring its efficiency. Within this context, the European project FEVER aims to provide solutions for the optimal management of electricity grids and renewable-based markets by flexibilising energy production, demand and storage.

The project is funded by the research and innovation programme Horizon 2020 with an overall budget of almost 10 million euros and will be developed over the next three and a half years. It involves 17 partners from eight countries, including the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya · BarcelonaTech (UPC), through the Centre for Technological Innovation in Static Converters and Drives (CITCEA). The project at the UPC is led by the professor Andreas Sumper.

Solutions to future challenges
The European Commission promotes the development of solutions to respond to the challenges of managing the electricity distribution grids of the future renewable-based energy system. An ever-growing share of fluctuating electricity generators, such as wind and solar, makes it more difficult to calculate the loads being fed in. Constantly increasing power demand for EVs poses an additional challenge. For a secure and resilient energy supply, production and demand need to be harmonized. FEVER meets these challenges with distributed generation systems based on flexible energy production, storage and consumption.

The project encompasses technologies and techniques for extracting energy flexibility from energy storage assets. Electric vehicles are a relevant source of flexibility. In this area, the UPC will develop bidirectional V2G chargers to provide the network with capacity in this area. Another common source of flexibility are storage assets, which will be equipped with advanced features for meeting the demand for flexibility and specific services for the electricity grid. FEVER will also leverage the potential for flexibility due to the electrification of heating systems (heat pumps or district heating) and cooling systems (e.g. industrial refrigeration).

To achieve optimal flexibility orchestration, it will implement a comprehensive flexibility aggregation, management and trading solution that is capable to offer flexibility services in different markets (local and wholesale). In addition, a flexibility trading toolbox will be implemented with technology enabling autonomous peer-to-peer trading through an artificial intelligence trading platform.

FEVER will implement a set of monitoring and automated control functions and tools that empower distribution system operators (DSOs) with optimal grid management so that they can meet the system challenges. The DSO toolbox will also deploy advanced control functions for current grid status monitoring, critical event prevention and self-healing.

FEVER will carry out extensive demonstration and testing activities in multiple settings. For scalability assessment the project includes large scale simulations of novel market mechanisms for day-ahead and continuous trading of flexibility services, and simulations of wholesale-retail market coupling. These simulations will contribute to the quantification of the impact of flexibility services at the distribution grid level. FEVER’s approach will facilitate establishing and operating appropriate business models for all players in the market, thereby providing the EU with a secure, efficient and resilient electricity grid.