Energy storage and flexibility

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    SEM Focus: Day-ahead power turns negative to record low

    Last weekend saw the day-ahead power price average negative for only the second time since the new trading arrangements commenced back in October 2018. The first such negative pricing event occurred on 5 April, when the day-ahead power price averaged -€2.5/MWh. Saturday 23 May saw the power price outturn lower...

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    CRU implements COVID-19 supply suspension scheme

    On 1 May, the CRU set out the details of its decision to implement a temporary supply suspension scheme for eligible SME electricity and gas customers due to the impact of the pandemic. It said that the unique and extraordinary circumstances of the current situation require a modification to the current approach...

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    FiT costs to reach all-time high amid COVID outbreak

    Energy Third Party Charges (TPCs) have certainly been in the limelight recently, and rightly so as less consumption from non-domestic sectors is resulting in a greater recovery of money from domestic households amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Several measures have been taken to date to protect domestic suppliers and consumers from...

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    BSUoS in COVID-19

    This week National Grid Electricity System Operator (“the ESO”) released its latest forecast of Balancing Services Use of System (BSUoS) charges – levied on suppliers and large generators to recover costs incurred by the ESO in managing the system on a second by second basis. In this blog we look...

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    Tootsie slide: Demand drop

    Since both governments of Ireland have restricted movement in the light of COVID-19, we have observed changes to working patterns. This has subsequently resulted in a reduction and shift in demand profile for the island of Ireland. This week's blog looks at demand reduction since COVID-19 restrictions have been in...

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    Turn it up – responding rapidly to manage the system

    In balancing the system, we used to talk mostly about narrowing capacity margins and the need to ensure ‘headroom’. But suddenly there’s a greater need for greater consumption and the provision of ‘footroom’ during COVID-19, and potentially and also in the future. The ESO will need to procure more and...

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    The next episode: Qualification for T-4 Capacity auction

    The final qualification results for the upcoming 2023/24 T-4 Capacity Auction were published on the 3 April. In this week’s blog, we consider what these qualification results tell us. Click here to view full article

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    Changes: Demand falling in SEM

    With the unexpected arrival of coronavirus there has been significant a shift in human behaviour. We are now two weeks removed from the Irish Government’s instruction to close schools and message advising businesses to allow employees work from home where possible, we wonder what has the impact been on energy...

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    Wind Of Change: What’s this, more RESS talk!

    There’s no shortage of speculation regarding the upcoming Renewable Energy Support Scheme (RESS) auctions, however, we should spare a thought for our friends in Eirgrid who own the challenge of operating this relatively highly dominated renewable energy saturated system. This challenge is getting tougher, with the forecasted additional wind and...

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    Storage story: a regulatory run-down

    While electricity storage has long been recognised as a crucial solution to mitigating the drawbacks of some types of renewable generation, it has taken some time for the regulatory and charging framework to catch up. It has taken years, but recent progress on the licensing and exemptions from some final...

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    I can change – what’s wrong with the Capacity Market (and what we need to do to fix it)

    The return of the Capacity Market (CM) after its legal hiatus in November 2019 was a relief to many owners and developers of generating capacity in GB. But I think it’s time to ask whether it’s really the best tool to reach net zero at lowest costs to consumers. The...

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    Caught in the balance: Assessing amber alerts in the SEM

    SEMO announced on 21 January that it was issuing an amber alert. This happens when the system margin is at a level where a trip of the largest in-feed would give rise to a reasonable possibility of either a failure to meet system demand, or cause a significant deviation in system...

  • Commercial and market outlook

    Editor’s Pick | AEMC takes forward system resilience measures

    The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) issued its final report on 12 December following a black system event, setting out recommendations on measures to enhance the resilience of the power system. On 28 September 2016, there was a black system event in which around 850,000 South Australia customers lost electricity...

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    Let’s talk about flex: The flexibility dilemma

    In this week’s blog, we consider the recent refusal of planning permission for the construction of a 208MW open cycle gas turbine (OCGT) "peaker" power plant in Co Meath. While the project would assist in ensuring and maintaining the security of supply in the region, the plant was intended to...

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    In the balance: Analysing volatility in the BM

    In this week’s blog, we focus on developments for the Balancing Market (BM) in the SEM.  The BM is where the Transmission System Operator (TSO) can take actions to ensure the transmission system remains within operational parameters as supply and demand changes. Actions here ultimately determine the imbalance settlement price (ISP)...

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    Editor’s Pick | Belgian capacity support to take novel form

    This article was originally published in Issue 22 in Energy:2030. On 12 September, the Belgian Federal Commission for Electricity and Gas Regulation (CREG) issued a note on the implementation of a scarcity pricing mechanism in Belgium. Explaining that renewable generation may cause massive overcapacity in future with difficulties for generators relying...

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    A pivotal play?

    On the 4 November, EDF Renewables UK agreed to acquire Pivot Power. Pivot Power is a UK start-up which aims to build 50MW batteries connected to the Transmission Network and provide rapid Electric Vehicle (EV) charging nearby. The firm announced plans in 2018 to develop up to 2GW of batteries connected...

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    Frequency Response weekly auction trial summary report

    National Grid ESO is now in the process of trialing weekly procurement of frequency response services. Cornwall Insight will be reporting and analysing on every stage of this trial, as it highlights the potential future for the procurement of balancing services to come.  The trial will test closer to real-time...

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    Five things we learned in our new Flexible PPA Market Report

    Cornwall Insight has been examining the fast-developing market for flexible asset Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with a new report, The Flexible PPA Market Report, specifically launched to cover this. Through our leading market research and regulatory expertise, complemented by in-depth discussions with a range of market participants, the report encapsulates...

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    Is flexibility evolving? The latest from our customer flexibility event

    On Thursday 26th September, Cornwall Insight held its customer flexibility event, presenting a comprehensive overview of our research covering flexibility in the GB electricity sector. The presentations encompassed a broad spectrum of topics, ranging from analysis of recent Balancing Mechanism trends to proposed network reforms and progress under Project TERRE....

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    Frequency Response weekly auction trial summary report

    In line with National Grid ESO’s System Needs and Product Strategy (SNaPS) the ESO is now in the process of trialing weekly procurement of frequency response services. Cornwall Insight will be reporting and analysing on every stage of this trial, as it highlights the potential future for the procurement of...

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    Under the microscope: The Frequency Response auction trial

    In recent years National Grid ESO has consulted and worked with industry to identify improvements to its range of balancing services, in order to make them more applicable to the future networks challenges and opportunities. This first formed the publication of the System Needs & Product Strategy (SNaPS) document in...

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    Inertial dampeners – power system frequency management

    A challenge for a system with 70% renewable electricity, as posited in the Climate Action Plan (CAP), will be managing frequency. Recent experience of our neighbouring market, Great Britain (GB), suggests this challenge may have to be faced in the near term. GB experienced two frequency events during 11 July,...

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    Frequency Response weekly auction trial summary report

    In line with National Grid ESO’s System Needs and Product Strategy (SNaPS) the ESO is now in the process of trialing weekly procurement of frequency response services. Cornwall Insight will be reporting and analysing on every stage of this trial, as it highlights the potential future for the procurement of...

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    Tomorrow’s energy today – Renewable transition pathways

    EirGrid published its bi-annual Tomorrow's Energy Scenarios 2019 consultation on 28 June, outlining scenarios for the future development of Ireland’s electricity future, over a 20-year timeframe. It maps out three scenarios intended to outline a range of credible pathways to the renewable energy transition, and what these would mean for the transmission system...

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    Operating the 2030 system: To 90% SNSP and beyond!

    Last week the Department of Communication, Climate Action and Environment (DCCAE) published the Climate Action Plan 2019, which sets out ambitious targets for Ireland to meet its decarbonisation obligations. For the electricity sector, this means 70% of all electricity generated will come from renewable sources by 2030. In this blog, we look at what...

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    Take on me… Proposed Balancing Mods

    Since the new SEM go-live on 1 Oct 2018, a topic of heated discussion has been the volatility and extreme prices seen so far in the Balancing Market (BM) including very high prices and a greater than expected incidence of negative balancing prices. The highest prices seen in the balancing...

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    Changes in accepted BM offers: What’s the STORy?

    In August 2018 National Grid (NG) made a change to its internal processes, restricting the operational window in which its staff could engage Short Term Operating Reserve (STOR) assets from four to two hours ahead of delivery. This has contributed to a significant reduction in the number and volume of...

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    Imbalance prices turn negative for six straight hours

    Imbalance prices turned negative for 13 consecutive settlement periods on Sunday, as low electricity demand and high levels of wind output led the System Operator to reduce generation output from a variety of wind, combined cycle gas turbines (CCGT) and biomass power stations. The imbalance price dropped below zero in...

  • Energy storage and flexibility

    Tilted – high pricing in the Balancing Market

    Since the launch of the new SEM market a topic which has undergone a great deal of scrutiny, discussion and investigation (not least by Cornwall Insight Ireland) has concerned the Balancing Market, and specifically how the balancing price (aka Imbalance Settlement Price) is calculated.  The latest twist in the tale...