The future is flexible
In Amsterdam, on June 27-28th, 2022, FLEXCON will bring together organizations from small startups to major global players and independent energy experts who share a common interest in energy flexibility.
Flexibility allows us to achieve decarbonization faster and at a lower cost. As Europe transitions to a low-carbon energy system, we need to increase the use of renewable energy resources, which requires building flexibility into our energy system.
FLEXCON aims to facilitate strategic discussions on new smart energy services, business models, solutions in flexibility, grid management, and consumer incentives.
What is energy flexibility?
Flexibility is defined as modifying the generation or consumption of energy in reaction to an external signal, such as a change in price. For example, an EV driver could use an app to monitor the price of electricity and schedule the charging of their electric vehicle when the demand is lowest.
What are the benefits of flexibility?
As the largest carbon-emitting sector in Europe, transportation is at a critical juncture. In the United States, the transportation sector emits more carbon than any other sector. CO2 emissions from transportation must be reduced by 45% by 2030 to limit global temperature rise to 1.5C.
Electric vehicles can help decrease emissions, but the significant increase in EVs means more demand on the electric grid and thus more power sector carbon emissions. With energy flexibility, this need not be the case.
A flexible energy system allows us to adapt to changes in energy demand, ensuring our system can accommodate the increased electricity demand that will come from the transition to electric vehicles.
The challenge governments and businesses are facing now is how to create and manage an energy system, using storage, demand-side response, smart meters, and data to ensure the grid’s stability, reliability, and the benefits to multiple actors in the energy system.
Energy flexibility offers the following benefits:
- Network operators can reduce or postpone network upgrades as generation and demand can be better matched to reduce peaks in demand
- Greater use of renewable generation capacity can shift not only demand but also store power generated by renewables
- Energy utilities can take advantage of low-cost times of day and encourage EV drivers to shift charging to these times
- Reduced emissions associated with driving and charging EVs
Optimizing Work and Home Charging: Now vs. What it could be
Alexander Petkov, AMPECO’S Business Development Manager, took the opportunity to present “Optimizing Work and Home Charging: Now vs. What it could be.” The presentation reviewed the opportunities for optimizing charging in relation to building grid capacity, demand response, utility prices, fleet needs, solar production, and battery management in a broader context. Alex showcased the portfolio of solutions related to energy needs, cost optimization in the fleet scenario, and how consumer behavior will change regarding energy consumption.
AMPECO at FLEXCON
At AMPECO we welcome a collaborative approach to gain a deeper understanding of how systems can interact to provide increased flexibility across the whole energy system and what new business models are required to facilitate flexibility and achieve net-zero targets.
We look forward to building new partnerships and exchanging ideas with companies influencing change across the energy sector. Connect with Alex via Linkedin to arrange a meeting during the event and explore how AMPECO can help to further unlock business opportunities from energy flexibility.
