The global energy system is undergoing a profound transformation from a system based mainly on fossil fuels to a low-carbon one based on variable renewable energy (VRE), such as wind power and solar power, to achieve the 2050 Paris Agreement. By 2050, solar and wind power, with more than 14,500 GW installed capacity, would account for three-fifths of global electricity generation. This transformation comes with significant challenges since high VRE shares will greatly increase system flexibility requirements for balancing supply and demand. Accordingly, all sectors of the power system need to unlock further requisite flexibility through technology, business, and policy innovations, including power supply, transmission, distribution, storage, and demand.
In general, flexibility refers to the capability of power systems to exploit various resources to respond to the variability and uncertainty that VRE generation introduces into the system operation across different time scales varying from seconds to months. It defines fundamental attributes of the future low-carbon power system and frames many of the electricity sector's major challenges and research opportunities. While the importance of flexibility in the low-carbon energy transition is generally agreed upon, views vary on how to improve power system flexibility. Collecting a broader portfolio of recent academic and industrial solutions that enhance power system flexibility and maximize VRE benefits is of great importance.
This Research Topic is to cover promising, recent, and novel research trends in planning and operation strategies for enhancing power system flexibility to address potential difficulties and challenges. Authors are encouraged to submit their original research and review articles. Research areas may include but are not limited to:
• Market design and remuneration mechanisms for power system flexibility
• Flexibility-enhancing measures for thermal power generation
• Advanced data analytics to improve grid-edge VRE models and quantify flexibility
• Interactive program design to incentivize VRE participation
• Analysis of the impacts of extreme events on power systems
• Suppression of nonlinear oscillation of low-carbon power systems
• Virtual power plant and electricity market with large-scale VRE and storage
• Strategies and techniques for flexibility planning at different time scales
The global energy system is undergoing a profound transformation from a system based mainly on fossil fuels to a low-carbon one based on variable renewable energy (VRE), such as wind power and solar power, to achieve the 2050 Paris Agreement. By 2050, solar and wind power, with more than 14,500 GW installed capacity, would account for three-fifths of global electricity generation. This transformation comes with significant challenges since high VRE shares will greatly increase system flexibility requirements for balancing supply and demand. Accordingly, all sectors of the power system need to unlock further requisite flexibility through technology, business, and policy innovations, including power supply, transmission, distribution, storage, and demand.
In general, flexibility refers to the capability of power systems to exploit various resources to respond to the variability and uncertainty that VRE generation introduces into the system operation across different time scales varying from seconds to months. It defines fundamental attributes of the future low-carbon power system and frames many of the electricity sector's major challenges and research opportunities. While the importance of flexibility in the low-carbon energy transition is generally agreed upon, views vary on how to improve power system flexibility. Collecting a broader portfolio of recent academic and industrial solutions that enhance power system flexibility and maximize VRE benefits is of great importance.
This Research Topic is to cover promising, recent, and novel research trends in planning and operation strategies for enhancing power system flexibility to address potential difficulties and challenges. Authors are encouraged to submit their original research and review articles. Research areas may include but are not limited to:
• Market design and remuneration mechanisms for power system flexibility
• Flexibility-enhancing measures for thermal power generation
• Advanced data analytics to improve grid-edge VRE models and quantify flexibility
• Interactive program design to incentivize VRE participation
• Analysis of the impacts of extreme events on power systems
• Suppression of nonlinear oscillation of low-carbon power systems
• Virtual power plant and electricity market with large-scale VRE and storage
• Strategies and techniques for flexibility planning at different time scales
