The Free Energy company took part in the III All-Ukrainian seminar of energy engineers, held on November 9 at the International Exhibition Center

Imagine that in Kyiv, most houses already receive electricity from their own RES. How to regulate such a system? The electricity market will change and become more dependent on consumers rather than large distribution companies.

As part of the seminar, a discussion "New technologies and technical solutions in the power industry" took place. Many experts drew the audience's attention to the fact that in the coming years, revolutionary changes await us in the power industry, in particular in the system of relations with the consumer.
The revolutionary changes were discussed by experienced specialists in the energy industry, experts and moderators of the seminar: Yurii Bondarenko, general director of NTK Enpaelectric LLC; Serhiy Yermilov, director of the Institute of Problems, Ecology and Energy Saving, Serhiy Titenko, independent expert, ex-chairman of NKRE
The electricity distribution market is inherently conservative, tending towards monopolies around the world, but today it has begun to change significantly. In prosperous countries, where a reliable energy system has been created and significant RES (renewable energy sources) capacities are operating, such a concept as peak loads is gradually disappearing.
This is observed, for example, in Switzerland. The high level of distribution of RES in the segment of households, municipal facilities, small and medium-sized enterprises, has changed the structure of electricity consumption in Switzerland. Individuals and enterprises that have renewable energy sources make smart use of energy storage systems - storing it at night and disconnecting from the grid during peak periods. As a result, not only the concept of "peak" disappears, but also the market itself changes. Now the consumer dictates the rules of the game, not the big distribution companies.
This trend is observed all over the world, Ukraine is also waiting for the transition to a new model of the electricity distribution market. In the power system of the near future, the use of RES and electric vehicles will change the structure of demand and distribution of electricity in power networks.
"Imagine that you are looking at the illuminated Kyiv in the evening, but most of the buildings in the city already receive energy not from the CHP, but from their own renewable sources. How will we regulate such a system? These are questions that need to be thought about today. We are moving from the stage of electricity distribution to its regulation," Yuriy Bondarenko remarked.
In the new model, one of the main strategic issues for maintaining the normal operation of power grids is acquiring energy saving systems (batteries) and their intelligent use (Smart-Gird systems). Today, work is underway to introduce Smart-Gird systems into the energy system of Ukraine, and the creation of modern energy storage systems (ESS) is an issue that will emerge acutely in the next year or two.
Thus, in the report of the representative of PJSC Khmelnytskoblenergo Oleksandr Shpak, "Problematic issues of modernization of distribution networks", an example of one of the advanced energy accumulation systems of the South Korean company Kokam was given. Mr. Shpak emphasized that Khmelnitskoblenergo already needs the implementation of a similar energy conservation system today. This will provide great opportunities for regulating power grids and optimizing the use of electricity.
  In the speeches of the representative of SE "Ukrenergo" Yaroslava Bovkun and Yuriy Losytskyi, an expert of UNC CIGRE, it was noted that the costs in the distribution power grids of Ukraine are on average two times higher than in the EU countries. The main reason is the high level of wear and tear of consumer power grids (up to 70%), especially in rural areas. Therefore, Ukraine now faces an urgent and large-scale task, to start a systematic transition to a new format of distribution consumer and main power grids (at 20 kV).
Regarding the transition to a new format of power grids, there are different approaches among experts. The discussion took place in a lively manner, different opinions were expressed. From the position that the transition to the 20 kV network should take place immediately, because Ukraine is facing a blackout, to the opinion that this transition is premature. A significant majority of specialists advocated the fastest possible transition to the new format of 20kV distribution networks.
Despite the different views of experts on approaches to the modernization of power grids in Ukraine, all, even the most conservative speakers, noted that without the introduction of energy conservation systems (ESS) and Smart-Gird systems, the development of modern power grids is practically impossible.