| Media release
During the second quarter of 2021 Swissgrid and ewz launched a new project in connection with the crowd balancing platform Equigy. The project involves the development and testing of an innovative approach to future use of decentralised energy sources and consumers such as domestic battery storage systems, photovoltaic plants, heat pumping technology or electric vehicles, in line with the needs of transmission and distribution grids.
Collaboration between the transmission system operator (TSO) Swissgrid and the various distribution system operators (DSOs) already plays an important role within Switzerland’s electricity supply system. In future, it is likely to become even more important, which is why Swissgrid and ewz (together with its subsidiary Smart Grid Solutions AG) are working together to implement a pilot project in connection with the crowd balancing platform Equigy.
The pilot project focuses on identifying how flexible energy sources and consumers – such as domestic battery storage systems, photovoltaic plants, heat pumping technology or electric vehicles – can be used efficiently to provide ancillary services for the transmission or distribution grid. The aim here is to harness these available flexibilities in the grid for the service that brings the greatest benefit for the security of the entire system. Equigy guarantees participants in the project both secure and transparent exchange of data and information. Furthermore, blockchain technology from Equigy offers the opportunity for extensive automation of business processes arising from the collaboration among distribution and transmission system operators. This will result in lasting improvements in coordination and efficiency.
The pilot project consists of two phases: a preparatory and an execution phase. During the preparatory phase, the framework conditions and the business requirements for collaboration among all players – the DSO, the TSO and the aggregator that manages the flexible resources – are being developed. In the subsequent execution phase, these requirements are to be incorporated in the development of pilot software. This makes it possible to carry out tests of the relevant coordination processes on the Equigy platform. The pilot research project was launched in the second quarter of 2021 and is likely to be completed by the middle of the second quarter of 2022.