Road to flexibility - How to integrate LV and MV flexumers in Distribution Grids - Examples from Germany and Italy

The considerations are based on analyses and cross-country examples from four DSOs (Areti,

KNG, Alliander, Elvia) in the flexibility co-innovation community using comparative case studies of operational challenges and reliability trade-offs, quantitative assessments of DER growth and investment impacts, a review of regulatory instruments such as flexible connection agreements and flexibility markets, and an analysis of tools for flexible resources and grid components, including forecasting and dynamic line rating. The benefits identified in the community are higher utilization of existing assets by smoothing peaks and increasing hosting capacity, reduced investments and stranded-asset risk, as well as risk-based congestion management, allowing DSOs to operate closer to physical limits while maintaining reliability and improved customer satisfaction through faster, conditional connections, reducing waiting times from up to 10 years to about 2 years. The paper concludes with a roadmap describing concrete measures, (new) tools and techniques to implement flexibility into distribution grids.

While the implementation relies on regulative tools like flexible connection agreements, flexibility markets, and improved observability of both flexible customers and grid components, it becomes obvious that also stakeholders might have to review their current practices:

To accelerate the energy transition, DSOs should adopt a flexibility-centered strategy that couples physical reinforcement with digitalization and market-based mechanisms: A modular, interoperable grid-management architecture, supported by robust observability, predictive analytics, and well-designed implementation plan to define concrete next steps.