Evidence of the technico-economic impact of energy policy and European Network Codes on distribution system management

摘要

Rapid integration of renewables on the power system is being shaped by policy mechanisms, supports and incentives, market design decisions, and the implementation of European Network Codes. Though extensive macro-economic impact analyses are employed in the design of energy policy supports, the economic impact of their delivery on the distribution system is rarely characterised and considered. Measures implementing the European Network codes are to be developed by TSOs and DSOs as of 2017, underpinned by principles of cross-system cost benefit [1]-[4]. This creates an imperative to adopt robust economic means of expressing distribution impacts and risks. The heterogeneous, low redundancy nature of the distribution means its security and economics differ substantially from the transmission and generation impacts captured in contemporary transmission or generation cost benefit guidance [5], [6]. Based on evidence arising of two decades of renewables growth on the Irish distribution system, and the frameworks developed by EPRI, the European Commission Joint Research Centre and others, this paper demonstrates impacts of distributed renewables today. Section 1 presents the profile of renewables on the distribution system arising of historical policies. Section 2 addresses impacts of distributed renewables seen today. Section 3 discusses how these results must inform future energy policy development and network code implementation measures.