1st Policy SenergyNets Policy Workshop: Enabling flexibility as a market service
District Heating and Cooling (DHC) networks, particularly when integrated into hybrid multi-energy systems, offer significant untapped potential for providing flexibility to energy markets. By utilizing technologies such as large-scale thermal storage, smart control systems, and power-to-heat solutions, DHC networks can store excess renewable energy, shift demand, and alleviate stress on both electricity and gas grids. This allows them to function as active participants in flexibility markets.
Despite this potential, current market and regulatory frameworks often fail to recognize or properly value these services. The flexibility contributions from DHC are rarely compensated, and market access for thermal storage or hybrid operators remains limited. Without adequate policy support and a clear business model, this potential will remain underutilized.
The Enabling flexibility as a market service workshop will address this issue by identifying and presenting policy frameworks that would enable the valuation and monetization of DHC flexibility services. Key topics for discussion will include:
- Dynamic and cost-reflective tariff structures that incentivize flexible consumption and generation.
- Adapted capacity mechanisms specifically designed for DHC and Combined Heat and Power (CHP) operators.
- Reduced electricity taxes for large-scale flexible assets.
- Fast-tracked grid connections for power-to-heat and storage projects.
Agenda:
- 11:00 - 11:05 Introduction: Welcome & intro, Evan Bernardi, Project Officer, Euroheat & Power
- 11:05 - 11:20 Regulation session: What challenges faced by multi-energy systems should be considered in future policies and regulations? Luca Neumann, Senior Policy Advisor, Euroheat & Power
- 11:20 - 11:35 Policy session: Supporting the deployment of the dynamic and cost-reflective tariff structures, Heide Adensam, National Expert in the Unit for Energy Efficiency, European Commission
- 11:35 - 11:50 Technology session: The potential of adapted capacity mechanisms in the evolution of DHC systems, Ivan Pavic, Market Expert, CyberGrid and Claudia Vannucchi, Research Fellow, EIFER
- 11:50 - 12:05 Case study presentation: open-source tools for DHC systems in the Milan demo case, Alessandro Cirocco, Project Engineer, A2A
- 12:05 - 12:25 Roundtable and Q&A session, Renato Luise, Project Manager, Energy Research, EIFER
- 12:25 - 12:30 Closing remarks
