Carbon driven energy equilibrium at the municipal scale
Energy Equilibrium

Workshop on the Energy Equilibrium Platform at Sustainable Energy Days

27 May 2024
Technical details

We are very pleased to share the insights from the “Energy Sustainability Compass: the role of energy storage in future energy systems” workshop that was organised on 17 of May from 10.00 to 13.00 (EEST) at Riga Technical University in the scope of European Sustainable Energy Days.

During this event, participants had the opportunity to delve into the world of renewable energy infrastructure development as we guided them through interactive energy modelling simulations and hands-on experience with the Energy Equilibrium platform.

Participants were introduced to the Energy Equilibrium Platform, a platform designed to assist local public authorities in their decision-making process regarding the development of sustainable renewable energy infrastructure in the region, with a focus on the strategic deployment of energy storage technologies. Using real-life examples, participants had the opportunity to simulate and evaluate different scenarios for future energy systems at national, regional, community and company level. Participants were given the task of modelling possible future energy sector scenarios for each of the Energy Equilibrium partner municipalities. The goal was to find the scenario that would achieve the highest share of renewable energy at the lowest cost for the municipality using the modelling opportunities of Energy Equilibrium Platform. This hands-on approach allowed a deeper understanding of the potential impacts and benefits of energy storage solutions in sustainable energy systems.

This workshop highlighted how important energy storage technologies are in realizing the full potential of renewable energy sources (RES). The workshop acknowledged the critical need for robust energy storage infrastructure to address the challenge of variability and non-controllability in RES generation, such as daily fluctuations in solar radiation intensity and wind speed.

Regional climate neutrality is hindered by the uncertainties faced by local public authorities entrusted with creating an enabling policy environment for RES infrastructure. These uncertainties arise from a lack of knowledge and capacity on-site. Hence, participants had the opportunity to:

  • Learn about different energy storage solutions to expand and maximise local renewable energy potential;
  • Engage in discussions with energy experts and stakeholders in the energy sector;
  • Try out the interactive energy simulation tool;
  • Simulate different development scenarios for the energy sector and analyse different pathways to low-carbon energy systems.

At the end of the event, all participants were given the opportunity to fill in a questionnaire about their experience using the platform. The feedback will be analysed and used to improve the interface and functionality of the model.

We are very pleased that the participants represented a wide range of organisations – local public authorities, infrastructure and utility providers, renewable energy associations, energy experts, energy industry representatives, researchers, universities. Thank you to everyone who participated and contributed to the success of this event!

The prototype of the platform is available online. Everyone is welcome to give it a try!

All interested parties are also welcome to join us at upcoming events to learn more about the progress of the project and to see the improved Energy Equilibrium platform.

 

This article was prepared and published by Laura Kristiāna Vičmane