Generation Control by Third Party
In brief
Making generation installations controllable for third parties in order to increase the yield of an installation based on external information. Also known as curtailment.
Curtailment is the control and thereby (partial) reduction of generation output, in this case via an external party, often for trading purposes.
The third-party generation control scheme is applied when a generation installation is present behind a connection and the (end) customer wishes to control this installation based on external information or markets. This scheme is often used when a customer has concluded an imbalance or capacity-dependent energy contract and therefore wants their generation system to be controlled by, for example, a BSP or CSP. The third-party generation control scheme, in combination with the Envi.Baseenvi.base De energiecontroller van Envitron die apparaten uitleest, aanstuurt en data opslaat achter de hoofdaansluiting., facilitates control by the energy supplier.
BSP stands for Balance Service Provider and CSP for Congestion Service Provider. These are parties that are certified and approved for controlling imbalance services or congestion management, such as for a capacity-limiting contract (CBC).
How it works
This scheme connects the energy supplier's trading algorithm (also known as the 'trader') to the generation installation. The Envi.Baseenvi.base De energiecontroller van Envitron die apparaten uitleest, aanstuurt en data opslaat achter de hoofdaansluiting. energy controller is physically connected to the generation installation, and via an API connection the trader can then control the installation as desired. The scheme monitors correct processing of the control signals.
Compensating for consumption
If there is also consumption on the same grid connection, it is generally advantageous when curtailing to still draw the local consumption from the generation output. This falls under consumption compensated curtailment. By continuously adjusting the generation locally, it is kept equal to consumption, and only the feed-in during negative prices is brought to zero. The external control party does not need to change anything for this and it is handled locally.
Compensating for consumption requires a connection to a meter on the main connection
Additional information
The Third-Party Generation Control scheme makes it possible to control generation installations based on external market signals. The text below explains in more detail how this scheme functions in combination with other systems and which technical and operational considerations apply.
Different control parties
The chosen control party for external control (such as a BSP or CSP) can vary considerably. Each party uses its own (trading) algorithm. The Envi.Baseenvi.base De energiecontroller van Envitron die apparaten uitleest, aanstuurt en data opslaat achter de hoofdaansluiting. supports switching between parties without additional configuration costs. This keeps the installation flexibly deployable with different energy suppliers or market parties. Some of the parties that currently already have a connection include:
- Repowered
- Edmij
- Eneco
- Groendus
- Greenchoice
- FridayEnergy
- EddyGrid
- PureEnergie
- Tibo Energy
Connection and validation
For the connection with the trader, the Envi.Baseenvi.base De energiecontroller van Envitron die apparaten uitleest, aanstuurt en data opslaat achter de hoofdaansluiting. uses a secured API connection. This connection is tested in advance according to established process agreements between Envitron and the connected trading platforms. After successful validation, the scheme is released for operational use via the service partner or the end customer.
Combination with a power control scheme
When a generation installation is controlled by an external party, the power demand on the connection can vary considerably. A Grid Guard prevents the maximum connection capacity from being exceeded during these control actions. Combining the Third-Party Generation Control scheme with the Grid Guard is therefore recommended in situations where an installation is subject to a limitation on the grid connection and this needs to be guaranteed locally.
Interaction with an existing power control scheme
If a power-limiting scheme is active on the generation installation, this is taken over by the Envi.Baseenvi.base De energiecontroller van Envitron die apparaten uitleest, aanstuurt en data opslaat achter de hoofdaansluiting.. This prevents conflicts between external signals and local power limits. When multiple schemes operate independently of each other, this can lead to instability ("hunting") or error messages in the installation. It is therefore necessary for the existing power control scheme to be integrated into the Envi.Baseenvi.base De energiecontroller van Envitron die apparaten uitleest, aanstuurt en data opslaat achter de hoofdaansluiting. and removed from the original installation configuration. This is fully taken care of during installation.