As a society we know that energy is a basic resource for human survival. We depend on it to cover many essential aspects of life, from food to health. However, energy supply sources, even renewable ones, are limited: we cannot make the sun rise or the wind blow at the times when we need energy most. Therefore, while it is true that we must grow in renewable generation, promote electrification to gain autonomy and depend less and less on fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, coal…); We must also appeal to a reduction, more efficient use of energy and more intelligent management of it.
Since we have had fossil resources, human beings have had energy available to satisfy their needs whenever they wanted. For example, we usually turn on the water heater or boiler when we want to take a shower, we heat the home in the coldest moment, we put on the washing machine when it is full or we cook just before the main meals.
Now, in a scenario of environmental crisis and energy transition, it is imperative to change society’s mentality and consumption habits, not only for environmental reasons, but because failure to do so will have consequences for our pockets. Since we cannot control renewable resources (when it is windy or when it is sunny), we cannot always have cheap, green energy available when we need it. Consuming outside of these times will become increasingly more expensive. In other words, in a future that is already present, we must be the ones to adapt to the rhythms of the planet and its availability of energy resources.
Once the challenge is posed, we mainly have two ways to face it. The first is to work to make these generation resources more manageable, through batteries that allow surpluses of renewable energy to be accumulated to be consumed in times of non-production. The second requires that our consumption patterns adapt to the availability of green and affordable energy. This is called demand flexibility.
Although the first is the one that implies the least changes in consumption habits, batteries alone will be insufficient to ensure 100% green energy coverage in a scenario of growing electricity consumption (electric vehicles, aerothermal energy…). And let’s not forget that building batteries involves impact and again requires resource extraction.
As for the second approach, at home we can implement demand flexibility in various ways. We can do this by adapting our habits, for example, putting on the washing machine at times when there is more renewable energy production – more sun and wind – and generating electricity is cheaper.
But day-to-day dynamics do not always allow us to decide when to consume, and this is where technology comes into play, helping us to ensure that some of these consumption “transfers” can be done automatically, either by using smart plugs. or by programming smart appliances, such as some dishwashers and washing machines.
We can also provide certain flexibility to certain air conditioning systems or electric vehicle charging, as has been proven in innovation projects such as RescoopVPP, where several European cooperatives have participated, including Som Energia. Thus, both approaches are indispensable and at the same time complementary. It is as important to advance in the installation of batteries as it is to activate all the flexibility of demand that we already have at our disposal.
Energy flexibility is a tool for the energy transition and at the same time allows us economic savings “just” by moving consumption. In addition, mechanisms are already being developed so that households, by transferring or reducing their consumption, help the stability of the electrical grid and receive remuneration in return, thus empowering citizens and creating the role known as “ active consumer.
We can anticipate that, in a scenario where energy price volatility is increasingly growing, the role that flexibility can play in the pockets of consumers will be essential. In this sense, it is worth highlighting the importance of policies that make demand flexibility accessible to all citizens.
For example, even if the prices of the necessary batteries drop, they will continue to be an “expensive” resource that will make them not accessible to everyone. Another example of the inequities that can arise is the ability of households with more purchasing power to access technology that allows flexibility to be automated, and which may be more difficult for families with fewer resources. Therefore, if we want to reduce the economic gap and fight to not perpetuate these inequalities, we must take into account the importance of developing tools that help us make our consumption flexible in an equitable and fair manner.
If we talk about demand flexibility we cannot leave aside the role of energy communities (CCEE).
The CCEE are, in essence, spaces for empowerment and grouping of people who produce and consume their own energy and can also be a means to pool resources and scale flexibility, in a more economical, distributed and democratic way.
In the coming years, we must continue working to strengthen the support structures between energy communities and make flexibility truly accessible to industry, small businesses and all homes. Som Energia is already the largest energy community in Europe and fortunately it is not the only one. From our cooperative we are working to provide flexibility resources to other energy communities that are emerging throughout the territory.
Decentralization and the emergence of local initiatives favors diversity. The exchange of services between these communities through, for example, platforms such as Som Comunitats (which provide, among others, management tools for energy communities), will make the social fabric of citizen energy more resilient.
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