The world is changing rapidly: the security situation in Europe, major crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, and the impacts of climate change challenge societies at many levels. The accelerating pace of digitalisation also increases dependency on data networks and exposure to cyber threats while affecting energy system development through data centre investments.
As the clean energy transition moves forward, a greater need for resilience and energy independence has emerged along with the challenges of emissions reduction and sustainability. For example, the reliability of electricity and heating systems is vital for Finland as a northern country.
- Energy system resilience, which means the system’s ability to tolerate and recover from exceptional situations, will be a requirement for any future energy system
- Improving resilience is costly, but taking the right actions will make it possible to find cost-effective solutions and ensure that the system can adapt to unexpected situations
- Finding, designing and assessing the impacts of the best methods in both normal and exceptional conditions requires broad-based competence
Rather than having an optimal energy system, the objective is to develop a system that is most likely to be efficient and function well in different operating environments and crisis situations – while simultaneously meeting the climate targets of operators and Finland.
As a multidisciplinary research institute, VTT is well positioned to support the resilience of district heating, electricity, and other energy sector actors as well as built environment in general through the following methods or concepts:
Energy system modelling
For example, the energy systems of northern European countries, cities and individual actors have been modelled by comparing different development paths. This modelling takes technologies, uncertainties and annual variations in weather into consideration.
Assessing the impacts of district heating investments
Combining technical solutions and the business perspective provides more information on the long-term profitability of the selected development paths.
Scenario studies and support for quantitative decision-making
An extensive study of future scenarios helps to identify situations in which the energy system could be vulnerable. This also makes it easier to assess acceptable risk levels.
New concepts, such as dynamically decentralised district heating
We are looking for new ways to implement low-temperature distribution from the district heating system to small areas so that the individual components are profitable and support clean energy transition throughout the entire system.
Utilising digital twins
We use simulation to examine and compare, for example, how buildings, district heating networks and different storage and production technologies function in normal and exceptional situations.
Resilience is more than just a feature of a technical system: it is a cross-cutting theme across society. In other words, the functioning of energy systems does not always depend solely on technology – it is also important to consider human actors and elements.
Research-based decision-making will result in a more cost-effective system with lower emissions – regardless of whether that system is considered from a country, city or company perspective.
Resilience as part of energy system design
Would you like more information on how to integrate resilience into energy system design or decision-making? We can help you evaluate the options, compare development paths, and identify the most cost-effective solutions.
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Service:
Fusion energy research and services
Customer story:
Case: Elcogen – Solid oxide technology advances green transition
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