Electricity Markets and Energy System Planning, Specialisation Course

The specialisation course is aimed to explore the advanced aspects of electricity market design for ensuring power system operational flexibility. The course is divided into two modules as below:

• Power Market Optimisation Under Uncertainty, Decomposition and Hydropower Planning
• Flexibility in power grid operation and planning

The first module: This module educates students on formulating and solving optimization problems in the energy market and production planning under uncertainty, employing decomposition techniques for complex, large-scale scenarios. It highlights the differences between making optimal decisions under uncertainty compared to deterministic conditions. Additionally, the course provides practical skills in developing optimization problems, data management, and applying various strategies and models for hydropower scheduling across multiple time frames and scales.

The second module: This module aims to give a deeper insight into the research and development of projects on power system flexibility (in general), flexibility in grid operation, and flexibility in grid planning. Topics covered include load analysis and load modelling, demand-side flexibility, operational planning, batteries in the grid, long-term grid planning, socio-economic cost-benefit analysis, security of electricity supply, reliability of supply analysis, and risk-based operation and planning. Focus is mostly on distribution system applications, but a large part of the concepts and methods covered in the course are also applicable to transmission systems. The course module aims to be both practically oriented and based on recent research and developments on the topic.

The goal is to provide the student with an increased scope of understanding the practical relevance of power systems and market participant needs, and its derivatives from a research perspective:

• To develop a working knowledge of hydropower scheduling.
• To develop skills in formulating and solving complex optimization problems within energy markets and production planning, particularly under conditions of uncertainty.
• To acquire practical skills in structuring optimization problems, managing data effectively, and utilizing various optimization techniques and models, specifically tailored to hydropower scheduling across different scales and timeframes.
• To enhance proficiency in stochastic and dynamic programming, applying these methods to multi-stage problems in energy systems, with a focus on both theoretical and practical aspects of energy system optimization.
• Understand power system flexibility and how it can be realized and utilized in power system operation and planning
• Gain knowledge about current industry practices within distribution grid operation and planning (focusing on Norway), and trends and research related to flexibility that may shape future practices.
• Become familiar with reading scientific publications to be able to utilize the findings for your own work (for the master project and in any subsequent research and development, and innovation)

• Become familiar with working with data sets (grid models, load data, flexibility data…) and developing Python code to use them in power system analysis (simulation and optimization of energy and power flows…). To formulate and analyse support tools for distribution systems.

Lectures, and project assignment. The course is given in English.