Flexibility Lab pilot
An advanced platform for the simulation and technological validation of electricity networks
The possibilities of using laboratories to develop tests inherent in flexibility services will enable specific technical aspects of flexibility services to be established and validated from an innovative and sustainable perspective. It will also help to speed up the development and preparation of the devices and resources of the different agents involved in flexibility services. All this is possible thanks to extensive experience in e-distribution in the smart grid sector, to state-of-the-art technical resources in real operating environments and to the best network simulation technologies in the laboratory. This enables the testing and reproduction of real operational situations in the electricity distribution network.
The main headquarters of the Flexibility Lab pilot is located in Barcelona, with a laboratory specialising in electric mobility and high voltage flexibility services, which also has all the necessary means for the simulation and advanced testing of flexible resources for demand, generation and storage. This makes it possible to test and prequalify devices, products and technological solutions that will be able to participate in flexibility services in the demonstration areas. This centre also enables the development of integration tests with the control centre for the e-distribution network, and has the support of the demonstration area in Málaga, headquarters of the e-distribution Living Lab specialising in demand management services for medium and low voltage and a member of the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL).
The Flexibility Lab pilot is part of the Enel Group's initiatives for the development of flexibility in distribution networks, which also has two centres in Italy, in Milan and in Bari. The former specialises in medium voltage and the latter in low voltage. Both provide real-time digital simulation, stress testing and systems integration for the different flexibility resources, such as supervision and regulation of distributed generation, electric mobility, energy storage and FACTS.