Submetering: challenges and opportunities for its application to flexibility services

J.P. Chaves, D. Davi, P. Troughton, S. Cianotti, S. Gallego, E. Faure

Current Sustainable/Renewable Energy Reports

Summary:

Purpose of Review

Implementing flexibility services from small resources in the power system requires addressing new technical challenges related to monitoring, baselining, validating their activation, and quantifying the delivery of services. This paper reviews the current usage, challenges, and opportunities of applying submeters, also known as dedicated measurement devices, in the scope of the upcoming European Regulation.

Recent Findings

In countries where smart meters are not yet deployed or are implemented but do not deliver the needed data, submeters can foster the participation of small resources in flexibility services. However, there are still few international experiences related to their use in these services.

Summary

The successful implementation of submetering requires addressing challenges such as standardization, certification, interoperability, data accessibility, and reliability. Future regulations must set their requirements, assign roles and responsibilities, and provide certification to ensure metrological, standardization, and interoperability requirements.

Spanish layman's summary:

La medición de recursos detrás del contador facilita que pequeños recursos provean servicios de flexibilidad. Para implantar estos aparatos es necesario abordar retos como la estandarización, la certificación, interoperabilidad, accesibilidad de los datos y fiabilidad. La futura normativa deberá establecer sus requisitos, asignar funciones y responsabilidades, así como proporcionar certificaciones para afrontar los retos.

English layman's summary:

Submeters foster small resources can provide flexibility services. The successful implementation of submetering requires addressing challenges such as standardization, certification, interoperability, data accessibility, and reliability. Future regulations must set their requirements, assign roles and responsibilities, and provide certification to overcome such challenges.

Keywords: Submetering; Dedicated measurement device; Smart meter; Flexibility services; Flexibility markets; Ancillary services; Congestion management; Voltage control; Distributed generation; Demand side participation; Regulatory development

DOI reference: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40518-024-00235-8

In press: May 2024.

Citation:
J.P. Chaves, D. Davi, P. Troughton, S. Cianotti, S. Gallego, E. Faure, Submetering: challenges and opportunities for its application to flexibility services. Current Sustainable/Renewable Energy Reports.