| dc.description.abstract | The energy system is in transition from a centralised demand driven system to a decentralised supply driven system due to an increasing penetration of renewable energy sources (RES). This increasing share of RES results in more fluctuations at the supply side, while less conventional power plants will be available in the future to provide ancillary services. This results in the need to unlock flexibility at the demand side. Therefore, TenneT, the Dutch Transmission System Operator (TSO), initiated a pilot in which a fleet of electric vehicles (EVs) is deployed for the provision of automatic Frequency Restoration Reserve (aFRR). In addition, blockchain technology is used to gather more insights in whether this technology could have added value in a future energy system. In this thesis, the data from the pilot is analysed to assess the technical feasibility of aFRR provision by EVs. Besides, the value of blockchain technology for this specific application is considered. The thesis ends with proposing a blockchain concept that could be used for various flexibility related challenges in the future.
The thesis shows that EVs respond to aFRR activation adequately during several activated bids regarding requirements such as the minimum regulation rate and activation time. Based on the data in the pilot, it could be concluded that it is technically feasible to provide aFRR with EVs. Regarding blockchain technology different advantages for the specific application are determined. Blockchain technology can increase the integrity of the input data, which results in more reliable data logging. Besides, automation can be achieved via the deployment of smart contracts, which also results in transparency amongst stakeholders.
With respect to improvements towards the future, an alternative aFRR verification method is designed and proposed. The aim of the method is to (partially) automate the verification process which is currently executed manually and visually. This could reduce the workload of the TSO in a potential future energy system in which aFRR is provided by a myriad of decentralised assets. Lastly, a blockchain design is proposed in which all required transactions are stated and described in order to go automatically through all phases of the aFRR process (i.e., planning, real-time operations and verification and settlement). In addition, it is elaborated on how the blockchain design could be expanded by integrating (future) relevant stakeholders such as Distribution System Operators and Balance Responsible Parties in order to achieve a system level solution. | |
| dc.subject.keywords | Electric vehicles, blockchain technology, grid balancing, aFRR, decentralised assets, electricity markets, future energy system, smart charging. | |
