Management consultancy Arthur D. Little and the municipal utility association Trianel conducted a survey of German energy suppliers and flexibility providers to assess the potential of green flexibility options. According to the study, »Future Markets for Green Flexibility«, 80 per cent of the companies surveyed recognise the economic potential of flexibility in overcoming the challenges of the energy transition. One third of respondents already consider flexibility to be the most valuable driver of change.
However, very few companies have taken concrete measures. For example, 40 per cent of the companies surveyed have only analysed markets and business areas so far, and have not yet implemented any concrete pilot projects.
»In an energy system characterised by increasingly volatile feed-in and declining secured capacity, tapping into and utilising flexibility will be a game changer,« explains Sven Becker, spokesperson for Trianel GmbH’s management.
Olaf Geyer, Partner and Head of the Energy, Utilities and Resources Practice in Central Europe at Arthur D. Little, describes the study’s findings as follows: »We have identified four key areas in which the transformation of the energy system is particularly noticeable, and where flexibility can play a vital role in overcoming challenges: energy trading, grids, and the business of end customers (flexumers), as well as across the entire system. High volume and price volatility, sluggish infrastructure expansion and decoupling of supply and demand were cited as the main drivers of the growing demand for flexible solutions.«
In particular, the study participants view battery storage as a promising technological solution as it can increase flexibility along the entire value chain.
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