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In recent years the share of RES-Electricity generation has been increasing significantly, especially in Europe.
The major reason of this development on European level has been the implementation of national renewable energy
promotion policies having been triggered by Directive 2001/77/EC. Looking ahead, an ambitious binding target has
been defined by the Heads of Member States in March 2007 in Brussels: 20% to be met by renewable energies on overall
energy consumption in the European Union in 2020.
Large-scale integration of RES-Electricity generation into the European electricity grids and systems, however, has
a variety of dimensions. Neither in practise nor in research many open questions have been addressed and/or solved.
Moreover, the necessity of a convergence of different coexisting policies (e.g. renewable technology support policy,
grid regulation policy, unbundling implementation policy) seems not to be obvious at present.
GreenNet-Europe
combines several of these different
dimensions in the context of large-scale RES-Electricity grid and system integration. Moreover, a new aspect in
GreenNet-Europe
is to comprehensively address also the grid operator’s and system operator’s point-of-view in this context.
GreenNet-Europe
critically discusses the relevance of transparent unbundling and cost allocation in the context of large-scale
grid and system integration of intermittent RES-Electricity generation and clearly defines the boundaries between the renewable
power plant, the grid infrastructure and overall system operation. Moreover, the consideration of basic unbundling principles
(still violated in almost all EU Member States) and correct cost allocation and cost remuneration (e.g. renewable promotion
instruments versus grid tariffs versus balancing/wholesale markets) of different cost components of the total costs of grid
and system integration of a renewable power plant project are important cornerstones in
GreenNet-Europe .
The core objectives of GreenNet-Europe can be summarized as follows:
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Derivation of least cost strategies, best-practise criteria and policy recommendations for large scale
RES-Electricity grid and market integration.
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Consideration of different unbundling, cost allocation and cost remuneration principles and policies
in this context, taking into consideration also the heterogeneity of legislation and regulation in the different European countries.
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Identification of existing regulatory barriers from the grid operator’s and system operator’s point-of-view hampering large
scale RES-Electricity grid and market integration.
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Identification of additional measures and cost for both grid infrastructure extension and stable system operation due to large
scale and intermittent RES-Electricity generation.
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Modelling large scale RES-Electricity grid and system integration in several different European countries based on the simulation
software tool
GreenNet-Europe and a comprehensive empirical data base on potentials and cost for RES-Electricity generation.
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Dissemination of several results and policy recommendations as well as creation of networks between several important decision makers
and stakeholders in the field of RES-Electricity grid and market integration.
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