The Role of Electricity Balancing and Storage: Developing Input Parameters for the European Calculator for Concept Modeling

Abstract

Despite the apparent stability of the electricity system from a consumer’s point of view, there is indeed significant effort exerted by network operators to guarantee the constancy of the electricity supply in order to meet demands any time. In the energy sector models provide an important conceptual framework to generate a range of insight, examine the impacts of different scenarios and analyze the supply and demand of energy. This paper presents a user-oriented and transparent modeling concept of the European calculator, a tool for delineating emission and sustainable transformation pathways at European and member state levels. The model consists of several modules of different sectors, where the energy supply module includes sub-modules for electricity generation, hydrogen production and oil refinery. The energy storage requirement module investigates how new technologies can help the stability of the European electricity system with increasing renewables penetration, demand-side measures and decarbonization paths. The objective of this study is to introduce the concept of this module with the main logical steps, especially the input parameters, assumptions, the basic data of electricity trade and maximum energy storage potential levels. The article also introduces and explains the feasibility of the theoretical maximum gross electricity generation potential from variable renewable energy for the European Union including Switzerland, compared to the demand in 2040. According to the results the electricity systems in the future will need to show ever increasing flexibility in order to cope with variable renewable energy production on the supply side, and shifting patterns of electricity consumption on the demand side.