EPIMES - Enhancing wind Power Integration through optimal use of cross-sectoral flexibility in an integrated Multi-Energy System

The system impacts of wind power integration are highly variable, primarily depending on wind penetration, existing electrical infrastructure capacity and system operating flexibility. Given a global context within which the development of wind power is typically faster than the development of electrical infrastructure, integrating significant amounts of wind generation presents a unique challenge to the power system, requiring additional flexibility, i.e. the ability of the system to respond to variability and uncertainty at different time scales and different locations. To address these challenges, the research groups in China and Denmark of the “EPIMES” project consortium, will generate a well-integrated scientific and technical solution at different power system conditions by using a multi-disciplinary approach, i.e. to optimally use the cross-sectoral flexibility in an electricity-heat-gas system from an integrated energy system perspective. This objective will be achieved by (i) identifying the cross-sectoral flexibility through thorough characterization of the unique features of any sub-energy system and of each flexibility enabling solutions, such as Power-to-Heat (PtH) and Power-to-Gas (PtG); (ii) developing cross-sectoral flexibility enabling solutions with prototyped energy conversion technologies and optimal control policies; (iii) exploring innovative design and operation philosophies for integrated management of the cross-sectoral flexibility based on an optimal value-based mapping between cross-sectoral flexibility options and wind power challenges perceived in different energy systems conditions; (iv)developing operational model-based analytical toolsets to support the prior investigations; and (v)  investigating business models and technical and policy roadmap analysis for the developed solutions. Finally, prototyped cross-sectoral flexibility enabling solutions for PtH and PtG etc., with equipment development will be tested in SYSLAB/PowerLabDK and Beijing, China.