ENA aims to make flexibility mainstream

The head of the Energy Networks Association’s Open Networks programme has told Utility Week the ultimate goal of the scheme is to take flexibility beyond business as usual.

As the programme, which was designed to accelerate the transition towards a smart, flexible system, enters its fifth year the focus will be on practical outcomes and ensuring interoperability, Dr Avinash Aithal said.

During 2022 the ENA sought views from beyond its core of distribution network operators (DNO) to encompass the needs of other stakeholders.

They expressed a desire for a more streamlined and standardised process across the country, greater visibility of network-connected assets and improvements to market liquidity.

In response, the ENA has identified a number of steps for 2023, including introducing a common system-wide framework for flexibility, implementing primacy rules for flex service conflicts and exploring application programming interface (API) standards to achieve interoperability of systems across organisations.

Aithal told Utility Week: “When we set off in the early days of the Open Network programme the ambition was to set up a market. Five years on, flexibility is now business a usual. So, what’s next?

“In order to make a dent in our net zero targets and deliver the full impact of flexibility, we need a liquid market where there is competition.

“We know we have to open up our work and engage more widely if we’re going to improve liquidity in the market.”

Aithal said the priority for DNOs was to enable more standardisation to allow simpler access for market participants wherever opportunities arrive.

He added: “We want to create a system where they can seamlessly jump into the market.

“It’s about finding a balance between the competitive nature of RIIO and that need for standardisation. We need to keep doing our own thing in the interest of taking the technology forward but also identify areas where there need to be standards, which also helps to improve the liquidity.”

Aithal said the ENA also has a role in publicising the benefits of flexibility and cited the National Grid ESO’s demand flexibility service for paving the way in this field.

“Every citizen in the world needs to understand that they can participate in flexibility. We need to make people aware that they can contribute.

“There will always be different categories of people – some will never want to take part, some are super interested and then there are others who might not be taking part just because they don’t know about it. Things like the demand flexibility service are a huge step in making flexibility mainstream.”

The challenge over the next year will also be to maintain the UK’s position as a global leader in flexibility, Aithal said. In 2021/22, a record 3.7GW of flexibility was tendered – an increase of 31% year-on-year and a 76% increase since 2020, spanning 90% of grid supply points across the UK.