Flexibility Potentials and User Behavior Analysis (FlexBeAn)

As Luxembourg increases its reliance on renewable energy sources, characterised by more fluctuations than traditional sources, and is confronted with other consumption patterns due to the decarbonisation of the heating and transport sectors, its power grid must adapt. Within this research partnership with Creos Luxembourg and the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), SnT is mainly focusing on the identification of potential flexibilities in industry, the understanding and appreciation of the evolution of energy markets over the next ten years, and their implications on the electricity grids in Luxembourg. Until now, the national electricity grid has been working primarily with dispatchable technologies based on fossil fuels, and with unidirectional power flows. However, in order to achieve the targets of the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) and to become more independent from energy imports and prices, Luxembourg is transitioning towards nonflexible technologies based on renewable energies and bidirectional power flows coming from “prosumers” (producers, but also consumers). As demand is growing progressively due to the electrification of mobility and heat sectors, typical consumption patterns are shifting. If proper measures are not taken to protect the grid, network congestion and curtailments could potentially be needed. Thus, grid operators must take actions to deal with this major transition and balance the energy grid in cost-effective and secure ways. The FlexBeAn project has been established to find flexibility potentials and analyse the interrelation with users’ behaviour. The goal of the project is to assess how the Luxembourgish energy system can adapt to a more volatile and unpredictable future, and leverage flexibility to stabilise the grid. For this purpose, the project will focus on four energy-consuming sectors: industry, SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises), households, and mobility. In particular, it will analyse how each sector can support the energy transition with a more flexible energy consumption.