Flexibility services for energy cooperatives – An overview of possible flexibility-based services using residential equipment control

“Flexibility” is one of the buzz words related to the debate on the integration of renewables. Using flexibility from consumers is perceived as a promising way to balance the system. However, what does this mean for cooperatives? And what kind of services can they offer to their members by using this “demand-side flexibility?

Based on the experience of the FLEXCoop project, this report provides an overview of “flexibility” services for residential consumer and illustrates them with real experiences of two cooperative actors.

Demand-side flexibility services may support (collective) self-consumption, aggregation for transmission and distribution services or the balancing of an energy retailer’s portfolio. Digitalisation also brings along the possibility to develop service platforms such as local flexibility markets or a marketplace for electricity services.

Two case studies are used to illustrate the new opportunities for energy cooperatives to engage in flexibility services. Som Energia, a cooperative retailer based in Catalonia (Spain), uses demand-side flexibility to maximise self-consumption and offer reduced retail electricity prices. Energie Samen, the national federation of Dutch energy cooperatives, together with two of its members, is aggregating loads as resources to use on balancing reserves of Transmission System Operators (TSO).

Moreover, two important players in the EU market -Tiko and Centrica Business Solutions-  provide their insights on some key elements for successful demand-side flexibility services.