Empowering consumers through coordination

Future energy systems call for a well-functioning market based on consumer needs. Consumers must be aware and engaged in the energy system value chain, participating in electricity markets, and making them truly competitive.

To realize the vision of a user-centric energy system, ATTEST will develop an innovative market simulator ready to include the participation of aggregators of prosumers in the energy’ and ancillary services’ markets. The simulator outputs will be considered in the development of the network management tools, ensuring they will be easily integrated into TSOs/DSOs’ everyday tasks and seamlessly applicable to future networks.

This new perspective on network planning brings considerable benefits to consumers. One the one hand, EU-scaled and highly competitive electricity markets become cheaper for final clients; on the other hand, improved procurement decreases the number of branches overloading and enhances voltage profiles, reducing provision downtime and technical problems.

Ultimately, ATTEST results on a significant increase in social welfare:

• The reduction of power system CAPEX and OPEX will reduce the tariffs for the use of the networks, which will translate in significant savings in customers’ energy bill;

• The foreseen reduction of pollutants’ emissions will contribute to the improvement of local air quality (in geographical areas that are close to generators) and to a significant decrease of events related to global warming and acid rain;

• The improved reliability of power systems increases service availability, thus providing higher comfort levels to residential clients and better economic performance and competitiveness to commercial and industrial clients.

Governmental coordination at an international level is also a cornerstone of a more affordable electricity market. If EU countries adopt common electricity market rules and reinforce cross-border interconnection infrastructures, electricity can be produced in one country and delivered to consumers in another.

ATTEST is thus a major contribution to the rise of a common market where electricity prices stay low and competition allows consumers to opt among several suppliers.