Innovations & Solutions for a Renewable-powered Future
Athens Energy Dialogues
January 23 & 24, 2020
Dr. Spyridon Economou
Grand Hyatt Athens
President & General Director
Innovations Landscape for a Renewable-powered Future
• Electrification, decentralization and digitalization are leading innovation
trends that unlock system flexibility for more renewables.
• Key insights of emerging innovations of variable renewables in
 enabling technologies,
 business models,
 market design, and
 system operation
transform the power sector at its core.
Ref: IRENA 2019
Innovations Landscape for a Renewable-powered Future
Enabling Technologies
1.
2.
Utility-scale batteries
Behind-the-meter
batteries
3. Electric-vehicle smart
charging
4. Renewable power-to-heat
5. Renewable power-tohydrogen
6. Internet of Things
7. Artificial Intelligence and
Big Data
8. Blockchain
9. Renewable mini-grids
10. Supergrids
11. Flexibility in conventional
power plants
Business Models
12. Aggregators
13. Peer-to-peer
electricity trading
14. Energy-as-a-service
15. Communityownerships models
16. Pay-as-you-go
models
Market Design
17. Increasing time
granularity in electricity
markets
18. Increasing space
granularity in electricity
markets
19. Innovative ancillary
services
20. Re-designing capacity
markets
21. Regional markets
22. Time-of-use tariffs
23. Market integration of
distributed energy
resources
24. New billing schemes
System Operation
25. Future role of DSOs
26. Co-operation
between TSOs and
DSOs
27. Advanced
forecasting of
28. Innovative
operation of
pumped
hydropower storage
29. Virtual power lines
30. Dynamic line rating
Ref: IRENA
2019
Enabling Technologies
1 Utility scale batteries
7 Artificial intelligence and big data
2 Behind-the-meter batteries
8 Blockchain
3 Electric-vehicle smart charging
9 Renewable mini-grids
4 Renewable power-to-heat
10 Supergrids
5 Renewable power-to-hydrogen
11 Flexibility in conventional power plants
6 Internet of Things
Athens Energy Dialogues, January 23-24, 2020
Business Models
12 Aggregators
13 Peer-to-peer electricity trading
14 Energy-as-a-service
15 Community-ownership models
16 Pay-as-you-go models
Athens Energy Dialogues, January 23-24, 2020
Market Design
17 Increasing time granularity in
electricity markets
21 Regional markets
18 Increasing space granularity in
electricity markets
23 Market integration of
distributed energy resources
19 Innovative ancillary services
24 Net billing schemes
22 Time-of-use tariffs
20 Re-designing capacity markets
Athens Energy Dialogues, January 23-24, 2020
System Operation
25 Future role of DSOs
28 Innovative operation of pumped
hydropower storage
26 Co-operation between TSOs & DSOs
29 Virtual power lines
27 Advanced forecasting of variable
renewable power generation
30 Dynamic line rating
Athens Energy Dialogues, January 23-24, 2020
Disruptive innovations for a Renewable-powered Future
 Innovation is a key driver for the energy transformation. Innovative
solutions can make the power system more flexible, allowing for a
higher, cost-effective use of renewables.
 At CRES, from the IRENA proposed solutions for a renewablepowered future, we have selected five (5) solutions as
the most promising and disruptive to create reliable and efficient
power systems using large shares of solar PV and wind power.
Athens Energy Dialogues, January 23-24, 2020
Solution Ι: Utility-scale Battery Solutions
Enabling technologies
• 2. Utility-scale batteries
• 6. Internet of things
• 7. AI & big data
Business models
• 12. Aggregators
Market design
• 19. Innovative ancillary services
• 17. Increasing time granularity in
electricity markets
• 18. Increasing space granularity in
electricity markets
• 20. Re-designing capacity markets
System operation
• 29. Virtual power line
Athens Energy Dialogues, January 23-24, 2020
Solution II: Distributed Energy Resources providing Services to the Grid
Enabling technologies
• 2. Behind-the-meter batteries
• 3. Electric-vehicle smart charging
• 4. Renewable power-to-heat
(residential)
• 6. IoT
• 7. AI & big data
• 8. Blockchain
Market design
• 23. Market integration of
distributed energy resources
• 19. Innovative ancillary services
Business models
• 12. Aggregators
System operation
• 26. Co-operation between TSOs &
DSOs
Athens Energy Dialogues, January 23-24, 2020
Solution III: Renewable energy mini-grids providing services to the main grid
Enabling technologies
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
1. Renewable mini-grids
2. Behind-the-meter batteries
6. Internet of things
7. AI & big data
8. Blockchain
3. Electric-vehicle smart charging
4. Renewable power-to-heat (residential)
Business models
Market design
• 13. Peer-to-peer electricity
trading
• 15. Community-ownership
models
• 23. Market integration of
distributed energy resources
Athens Energy Dialogues, January 23-24, 2020
Solution IV: Demand-side Management
Enabling technologies
• 6 Internet of things (Smart home)
• 2 Behind-the-meter batteries
• 3 Electric-vehicle smart charging
• 7 Artificial intelligence and big data
• 4 Renewable power-to-heat
(residential)
Business models
• 14. Energy-as-a-service
Market design
System operation
• 22. Time-of-use tariffs
• 24. Net billing schemes
• 27. Advanced forecasting of
variable renewable power
generation
Athens Energy Dialogues, January 23-24, 2020
Solution V: Power-to-X solutions
Enabling technologies
• 5. Renewable power-tohydrogen
• 4. Renewable power-to-heat
• 7. A.I. & big data
Market design
System operation
• 19. Innovative ancillary
services
• 29. Virtual power lines
Athens Energy Dialogues, January 23-24, 2020
Thank you for your attention!