Households’ contribution to flexibility in the electricity system Challenges and potential support from aggregators
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Typ
Examensarbete för masterexamen
Master's Thesis
Master's Thesis
Program
Quality and operations management (MPQOM), MSc
Publicerad
2023
Författare
Strand, Carl
Dahlberg, Anton
Modellbyggare
Tidskriftstitel
ISSN
Volymtitel
Utgivare
Sammanfattning
The journey towards renewable energy sources is accelerating, increasing the number of
intermittent energy sources like wind and solar power. In turn, this has resulted in a more
fragile electricity network since the intermittent energy sources are dependent on the weather
to produce electricity, meaning that power peaks and shortages are more likely to occur. To
address this issue, the utilization of flexibility resources in households, including EV chargers,
solar PVs, heat pumps, and water heaters, has been identified as a potential solution.
However, many challenges can be found in utilizing the flexibility of resources in households,
underlining the necessity for an actor to guide and manage these resources. In this study, it
has been shown that the aggregator function has the potential in supporting households and
their challenges of delivering demand side flexibility (DSF). Therefore, the aim of this thesis
was to understand what challenges exist in households delivering flexibility, and what the
aggregator function may do to support households in their challenges.
This thesis has covered two research questions, which have both been answered. Research
question one refers to what challenges that are found in households delivering flexibility.
Research question two, has in turn answered the question of how the aggregator function may
support households in delivering flexibility. To find the answers to the questions, a literature
review, semi-structured interviews with households and aggregators, and exploratory
interviews with employees from an established utility, have been performed.
The findings of this thesis indicate that households experience challenges in the four systemic
areas of market, infrastructure, institution, and economy & finance. The different challenges
connect mainly to aspects of awareness, interest, simplicity, understanding, guidance,
comfort, adaptability, and economic viability. In turn, aggregators were found to be able to
provide support to households in the four systemic areas. Important supportive measures that
the aggregator function could perform were related to aspects of information, expertise,
collaboration, infrastructure adaptability and simplicity, regulatory responsibility and, reducing
costs. In addition, the thesis has also identified gaps between the challenges of households
and the supportive ability of the aggregator. These gaps were found in handling households
of varying interest levels, limited household markets, low awareness and understanding of
DSF, and economic uncertainties.
Beskrivning
Ämne/nyckelord
demand side flexibility , aggregators , households , innovation systems , transitions , intermediary , challenges , support