Two major reports on flexibility in Great Britain's energy system have been released this month.

wholeSEM’s Prof Goran Strbac and Dr Marko Aunedi with Dr Danny Pudjianto from Imperial College London have conducted dedicated modelling of the UK’s electricity system for 'An analysis of electricity system flexibility for Great Britain' a report released by The Carbon Trust a world leading expert on carbon reduction and clean technology.

The report found that:

• Technologies that provide flexibility will be critical for solving the future challenges of a low carbon electricity system at least cost and lowest risk. 

• The UK could save £17-40 billion across the electricity system from now to 2050 by deploying these flexible technologies.

• Not deploying any additional sources of flexibility (‘do nothing’) by 2020 is the Pathway that delivers the greatest overall regret for the UK energy system

• A ‘balanced’ strategy of deployment across different sources of flexibility is the ‘least worst regret’ pathway for the UK energy system

Prof Goran Strbac and Dr Marko Aunedi have also written 'Whole-system cost of variable renewables in future Great Britain electricity system'. This report is a joint industry project working with stakeholders RWE Innogy, Renewable Energy Systems and Scottish Power Renewables. 

One of the reports conclusions was that up to £4.2bn/year could be saved by improving system flexibility from today’s level; most of these savings are already achievable with moderately enhanced flexibility.

Further Information

Report: An analysis of electricity system flexibility for Great Britain

Report: Whole-system cost of variable renewables in future Great Britain

The Carbon Trust

RWE Innogy

Renewable Energy Systems

Scottish Power Renewables