• Energy Research

In accordance with legal framework developed by European Commission all EU Member States shall employ 15-minute time resolution for imbalance settlement no later than 18th of December 2020 (or 1st of January 2025 in case of derogation). This presents a unique challenge for the Baltics, currently using 60-minute imbalance settlement period, as Baltics are synchronized with Integrated Power System/ Unified Power System of Russia (IPS/UPS) synchronous area where different legal framework applies. Based on these special conditions we, firstly, define parameters directly linked with imbalance settlement period and then analyze advantages and disadvantages of alternative approaches and propose implementation model to be used as an input for national policy makers.

In accordance with legal framework developed by European Commission all EU Member States shall employ 15-minute time resolution for imbalance settlement no later than 18th of December 2020 (or 1st of January 2025 in case of derogation). This presents a unique challenge for the Baltics, currently using 60-minute imbalance settlement period, as Baltics are synchronized with Integrated Power System/ Unified Power System of Russia (IPS/UPS) synchronous area where different legal framework applies. Based on these special conditions we, firstly, define parameters directly linked with imbalance settlement period and then analyze advantages and disadvantages of alternative approaches and propose implementation model to be used as an input for national policy makers.

The synthesis of methane from hydrogen and carbon dioxide creates an energy resource that is suitable for long-term storage. Once this process is powered by renewable electricity, it produces a clean fuel for producing electricity and heat and supports large-scale renewable energy deployment, energy transition and climate change mitigation. This paper proposes a pragmatic approach to assessing the economic potential of synthetic methane-based power. Today, natural gas plays an important role in the Baltic region due to the existing infrastructure, which includes a transmission and distribution pipeline network, gas power plants and a large underground storage reservoir. Replacing natural gas with synthetic methane would fulfil carbon emission reduction ambitions. In this paper, we simulate electricity producers’ actions at market conditions and consider the generation portfolio in the Baltics and the interconnections with Scandinavia and Poland operating in the NORDPOOL electricity market. As a result of these calculations, we obtain the volume of the synthetic gas, the production costs, the volume of gas storage, the installed capacity of the gas power plant, and the investments required to ensure energy transition and system adequacy. These results are essential for the informed decisions made by policymakers, investors and system operators.

The synthesis of methane from hydrogen and carbon dioxide creates an energy resource that is suitable for long-term storage. Once this process is powered by renewable electricity, it produces a clean fuel for producing electricity and heat and supports large-scale renewable energy deployment, energy transition and climate change mitigation. This paper proposes a pragmatic approach to assessing the economic potential of synthetic methane-based power. Today, natural gas plays an important role in the Baltic region due to the existing infrastructure, which includes a transmission and distribution pipeline network, gas power plants and a large underground storage reservoir. Replacing natural gas with synthetic methane would fulfil carbon emission reduction ambitions. In this paper, we simulate electricity producers’ actions at market conditions and consider the generation portfolio in the Baltics and the interconnections with Scandinavia and Poland operating in the NORDPOOL electricity market. As a result of these calculations, we obtain the volume of the synthetic gas, the production costs, the volume of gas storage, the installed capacity of the gas power plant, and the investments required to ensure energy transition and system adequacy. These results are essential for the informed decisions made by policymakers, investors and system operators.

The number of electric vehicles (EV) in the world has been increasing and is gaining momentum. The large-scale use of EVs in public life has initiated the need to establish EV battery charging services within the power system. Currently, EVs serve as a transportation tool and also as a flexible load. This publication examines the possibility of the owner of an electric vehicle choosing a battery recharging point, as well as of the involvement of several decision makers in the selection of a charging schedule. This problem is important because we assume that a significant proportion of EVs mainly use two parking spaces, one located close to the place of residence and another close to the workplace. We accept and prove that a car charging station can be created by the employer (company) and implemented in the best interests of the employer and the employee (EV owner). For that, a coalition between the company and the EV owner has to be formed. To support rational decisions, this study solves the problem using the cooperative game theory and designs a payment distribution mechanism based on the Shapley value. The results obtained prove that the coalition is beneficial under different conditions, which depend on the capacity of the EV, the distance between the workplace and the place of residence, the difference in the electricity prices of the day, as well as the consumption of the company. In order to estimate the coalition’s gain, it is necessary to take into account the structure of the power tariff system for both the company and the EV owner. Furthermore, we prove that the presence of a coalition allows the company and the EV owner to reduce the annual fee for consumed power. The results of this analysis could be adopted by decision makers such as government agencies, companies, EV owners, and they are recommended for potential investors for the development of transport electrification and smart energy.

The number of electric vehicles (EV) in the world has been increasing and is gaining momentum. The large-scale use of EVs in public life has initiated the need to establish EV battery charging services within the power system. Currently, EVs serve as a transportation tool and also as a flexible load. This publication examines the possibility of the owner of an electric vehicle choosing a battery recharging point, as well as of the involvement of several decision makers in the selection of a charging schedule. This problem is important because we assume that a significant proportion of EVs mainly use two parking spaces, one located close to the place of residence and another close to the workplace. We accept and prove that a car charging station can be created by the employer (company) and implemented in the best interests of the employer and the employee (EV owner). For that, a coalition between the company and the EV owner has to be formed. To support rational decisions, this study solves the problem using the cooperative game theory and designs a payment distribution mechanism based on the Shapley value. The results obtained prove that the coalition is beneficial under different conditions, which depend on the capacity of the EV, the distance between the workplace and the place of residence, the difference in the electricity prices of the day, as well as the consumption of the company. In order to estimate the coalition’s gain, it is necessary to take into account the structure of the power tariff system for both the company and the EV owner. Furthermore, we prove that the presence of a coalition allows the company and the EV owner to reduce the annual fee for consumed power. The results of this analysis could be adopted by decision makers such as government agencies, companies, EV owners, and they are recommended for potential investors for the development of transport electrification and smart energy.

As distribution grids are made to accommodate significant amounts of renewable energy resources, the power system evolves from a classical producer-consumer scheme to a new one that includes individual prosumers or energy communities. This article contributes to the exploration of the solution to the dilemma of whether to be a distributed prosumer or an energy community prosumer by comparing the profitability of these two business models. To achieve this goal, a high-resolution methodology is created for measuring economic performance via proposed indices under different development scenarios of renewable proliferation and various network configurations. The developed methodology considers today’s electricity billing and renewable support scheme net metering. The results indicate that, first, the energy community is a more profitable framework than the individual distributed prosumer: avoided costs for energy community are, on average, 20% higher than for the individual, resulting in a payback period of the energy community that is about two times shorter than for owners of rooftop installations. Such promising results should encourage ordinary consumers to be members of energy communities. Second, the energy losses in the power distribution system are slightly higher for the case of energy communities rather than individual prosumers, yet the difference is insignificant, about 0.2%. Third, regulatory barriers shall be removed to enable participation of Latvian prosumers and distribution system operators to the energy communities, as it will benefit all the stakeholders and facilitate economically efficient energy transition. The results of this study could be adopted by decision-makers, such as government agencies, companies, and solar and wind turbine owners.