PLANET framework has been developed upon the energy system integration and the distribution network active management. It focused on network coupling at the level of distribution among electricity, heat and gas sectors for identifying value chains in the cross-section of these three domains. PLANET is a holistic optimization framework based on an integrated approach for short and mid-term energy grid planning. It facilitates the bridging of the three energy carriers, namely electricity, natural gas, and district heating, a broad portfolio of decentralized storage/conversion solutions capable of providing different grid services.
The PLANET solution followed three core activity lines:
i. The modelling and simulation of all three distribution grids (EL, DH, NG) and interconnected resources including energy generation, demand, storage and conversion.
ii. The development of a Decision Support System (DSS) that enables multi-grid operational planning and synergies management taking into account energy flows and network boundary conditions.
iii. Policy and market model impact assessment and exploration through a validation framework that started from use case definition, extraction of simulation scenarios, validation through PLANET DSS for proposing new policies and ad-hoc standardization applications.
Results achieved
Some of the important results regarding the flexibility potential used for reducing reverse power flows (RPF) of P2H, P2G and VES are summarised:
1. P2H connected to the DH is an effective solution to offer services to the electricity grid: the overproduction of RES can be absorbed and converted to heat. The higher the heat demand is, the higher the flexibility that is utilised from this asset.
2. P2G units have a potential to significantly reduce RFP around the year. In the analysed case studies, the RPF is reduced by 95% in winter, by 86% in summer, and by 78% during the rest of the year.
3. When there is no intervention of DH and constraints due to GN, the P2H and P2G operation are similar. However, considering the respective network constraints, the P2G facilities can work longer hours than the P2H assets because the GN can store more RES surplus than DH, especially in summer.
4. The asset efficiency plays an important role for multi-vector energy system operations. Since the efficiency of P2H is higher than the efficiency of P2G, the use of P2H facilities produces greater contributions to economic and environmental goals even if are more intermittent than the use of the P2G facilities.
5. The VES in buildings provides a comparable flexibility level to the system as the other examined technologies at significantly lower investment costs.
