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This paper analyses the Norwegian Power System through a sequence of models that represents dynamics of the wholesale power market, distribution power network, end-users, and a coordination scheme between Transmission System Operators (TSOs) and Distribution System Operators (DSOs). The models assess the impact of end-user flexibility and TSO-DSO coordination on the power system’s operation, with an emphasis on two research questions: the extent to which flexibility from end-users affects the power system’s operation under the TSO-DSO coordination scheme, and the potential of the TSO-DSO coordination scheme in incentivizing end-users’ flexibility. The paper presents three scenarios, involving varying degrees of coordination and end-user participation that are modeled and applied to the entire Norwegian power system. The results indicate that active end-user participation in the power market with a TSO-DSO coordination scheme could enhance the flexibility of the power system and support redispatch, while attaining a 14.5% redispatch cost reduction and 0.33% total system cost reduction. These findings offer insights for power system stakeholders concerning the potential advantages and challenges associated with fostering end-user flexibility and further developing TSO-DSO coordination schemes.

Climate change induced policies impose wide-ranging implications throughout the whole energy system and influence various sectors of the economy. To analyse different decarbonization pathways for the energy system, existing models have traditionally focused on specific energy sectors, adopted specific research perspectives, assessed only certain technologies, or studied isolated components and factors of the energy system. However, few efforts have been undertaken to successfully model a broader picture of the energy-economic system. In this conceptual paper, we propose linking top-down and bottom-up models to represent: distributed generation and demand, operations of electricity grids, infrastructure investments and generation dispatch, and macroeconomic interactions. We review existing work on modelling the different dimensions of the energy transition to understand why models tend to focus on certain features or parts of the energy system. We then discuss methodologies for linking different type of models. We describe our integrated modelling framework, and the challenges and opportunities on linking models based on their capabilities and limitations.

The assessment of adequacy and security of the energy system requires the detailed knowledge of physical and operational characteristics. In contrast, studies concerning energy transitions employ stylized models that oftentimes ignore the technical properties but have a lasting influence on long-term energy policies. This paper investigates the gap between energy system planning and operational models by linking these two perspectives: (1) a long-term investment model with low spatial resolution and high level of aggregation, and (2) a spatially resolved system security model that captures the interdependences between the backbone of the electric power sector, i.e., the electricity and the gas infrastructure. We assess EU decarbonization pathways of the electricity sector towards 2050 by integrating the investment decisions of the long-term planning model and the safety performance of the resulting system operations via the security assessment model. In a large RES deployment scenario, we investigate two flexibility options: gas power plants and cross-country transmission expansion. Using the integrated model, we analyze how the adequacy and security of supply under extreme short-term operational conditions impact the long-term planning of the energy system and the investment decision-making. We provide country specific recommendations for UK. Results indicate weaknesses in the gas-electricity system and suggest improvements on capacity allocation.