Vlerick Expertise in Energy

Energy concerns all of us. Being intertwined with the debate on decarbonisation and climate change, energy is a potentially hot topic. This report marks the fifth anniversary of the Vlerick Energy Centre – a good opportunity to look back at some of our achievements and lessons learned, and to look ahead.

Doctoral researcher Martin Roach developed an economic model for power-to-gas (PTG) that anticipates the EU and Belgian regulation of sector coupling. “Being one of the first to take into account market dynamics, it provides timely and valuable input to the debate”, says a proud professor Leonardo Meeus.

The electricity landscape is in a state of flux, not least due to the increasing integration of renewable energy sources and distributed generation. This has sparked growing interest in energy storage, arguably an important part of the renewable energy mix. How can energy storage be used and integrated into existing power systems, in both residential and industrial environments? This is the key question the STORY project aims to address. This white paper presents the findings and insights from studies conducted under the umbrella of the STORY project, as well as from various experts.

A considerable number of case studies on financial planning have been developed, but it is more difficult to find ones that deal with financial planning in a regulated environment. For the Future Grid Managers Programme, Professor Filip Roodhooft, along with colleagues from the Energy Centre, straight away developed two that play out in the regulated energy sector. In the leading roles are the Belgian distribution system operator (DSO) Eandis, now Fluvius, and the French transmission system operator (TSO) Réseau de Transport d’Électricité (RTE).

The energy transition is changing the energy ecosystem. In recent years, power generation and distribution have become more decentralised. DSOs now find themselves at the centre of change, operating the grid which all these new players – producers and prosumers – want to connect to and use. In 2018 the DSO Chair organised two workshops to discuss topical issues facing the future of DSOs: (1) energy communities and (2) regulatory sandboxes. This white paper provides a round-up of the findings and insights from each workshop as well as suggesting areas for further exploration.

Since the start of deregulation at the end of the nineties, the electricity market has undergone dramatic changes. It is often tricky for newcomers to understand why things are the way they are or to appreciate the route that led here. To get a historical perspective and tips for the future, read Electricity Network Regulation in the EU – The Challenges Ahead for Transmission and Distribution by Professor Leonardo Meeus, director of the Vlerick Energy Centre, and Jean-Michel Glachant, director of the Florence School of Regulation and holder of the Loyola de Palacio Chair on energy policy in the EU.

With the smart metering proof of concept and pilot phases completed, Eandis can take pride in the upcoming roll-out of an ambitious project that started way back in 2007. Heads-up with Jean-Pierre Hollevoet from Eandis, Professor Behzad Samii and researcher Olga Varganova.

The energy market is being shaken to its core. How do you cope with that change as a “traditional” DSO? What are the strategic options? “Alliander chose to innovate from its core, but driven by a market perspective,” says Marion Debruyne. “This decision resulted in an exhilarating journey that we recently chronicled in a case study and, through the presentation by Alliander’s strategic director, Pallas Agterberg, gladly share with our DSO community.”

Policy changes and technological developments have caused a significant increase in the installed capacity of renewable energy generation sources, such as wind and solar power. As a result, there has been a steep growth in renewable electricity generation, which is variable and decentralised. Electricity consumers increasingly become prosumers. However, the electricity market structures were not designed to deal with the consequences. What can we do to take advantage of renewable energy? Ariana Ramos’ doctoral thesis provides a qualitative and, most importantly, quantitative analysis of the challenges and possible solutions.

Enedis, a subsidiary of EDF, is in charge of the last mile in the delivery of electricity to most of France. This case study follows the start and development of Enedis' digital transformation, with the ambition to be at the forefront of the energy sector in the digital age.