GreenGrids-Flex

GreenGrids - The flexible grid infrastructure enables power grid evolution and decarbonization

 

This research is in line with UN’s SDG 7, 8.4, 9.4, 11.6, and 12.2  as it enables affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy, improves resource efficiency, and efficient use of natural resources.

 

GreenGrids - Nuclear Power

The future power grid comprises large shares of inverter-based resources (IBRs) dominated by solar and wind power. As a result, the grid’s resilience in terms of voltage and frequency regulation capabilities can be significantly reduced. To deal with this unsolved challenge, there is a potential for small modular reactors (SMRs) to provide, in addition to electricity and heat, system-bearing services that, at a reduced cost, can enable higher penetration of renewables.   In this research, the potential of SMRs for system-bearing services will be analyzed. The project would continue to work from preliminary research results as listed below.

1. J. K. Nøland, M. N. Hjelmeland, C. Hartmann, L. B. Tjernberg and M. Korpås, Overview of Small Modular and Advanced Nuclear Reactors and Their Role in the Energy Transition, in IEEE Transactions on Energy Conversion, January 2025, doi: 10.1109/TEC.2025.3529616

2.   J. K. Nøland, M. Hjelmeland, C. Hartmann, T. Øyvang, M. Korpås and L. B. Tjernberg, Running Renewable-Rich Power Grids With Small Modular Reactors: Their grid-forming role in the future power system, in IEEE Electrification Magazine, vol. 12, no. 4, pp. 20-29, Dec. 2024, doi: 10.1109/MELE.2024.3473130.

3. J. K. Nøland, M. Hjelmeland, M. Korpås, L. Bertling Tjernberg , The Potential of Small Modular Reactors to Provide System-Bearing Services in the Future Power Grid, In Proceedings of IEEE PES Innovative Smart Grid Technologies Europe (ISGT-Europe) 2024, Dubrovnik.

4. J. K. Nøland, M. Hjelmeland, L. B. Tjernberg and C. Hartmann, The Race to Realize Small Modular Reactors: Rapid Deployment of Clean Dispatchable Energy Sources, in IEEE Power and Energy Magazine, vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 90-103, May-June 2024, doi: 10.1109/MPE.2024.3357468. 

The project has been performed within the RCAM research group at KTH led by Professor Lina Bertling Tjernberg and in collaboration with a research group NTNU led by Professor Jonas Kristiansen Nøland. In 2025 a project was funded by Energiforsk within this work.

 

GreenGrids - Flex Energy Management System with Battery Storage 

Renewable energy resources (RER) and renewable energy storage (RES) are being deployed around the world at ever-increasing rates. The resource that has already been deployed can be utilized in ways that improve its resource efficiency and economic value. The idea of a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) consisting of an Energy Management System (EMS) that smartly manages a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) for providing various value-enhancing services has been proposed in our work. The problem of BESS management has been divided into two separate problems prognosis and control. The prognosis problem is tackled by the proposed Prognosis Module Optimization (PMO). The BESS Schedule is the output of the Prognosis Module and is the calculated expectation of how the EMS should operate the BESS while accounting for the involved uncertainties. This schedule also outlines the safety factors that help in the safe operation of the Real-time Operation Module (ROM) despite the uncertain operations involved. The ROM tackles the control problem.

Improved economic viability increases the technology adoption rate at the consumer level. Our work tries to do it for RER and RES for a sustainable future.

This project aims to create a synergetic relationship between local RER and RES owners and sustainable, resource-efficient development for the whole energy system. This enables the expedited deployment of these technologies. The VPP creates value for TSOs through frequency-related ancillary services and for the DSOs in peak shaving by offloading local bottlenecks, and in the future by reactive power management for both TSO and DSO. The local resource owners get direct economic benefits by implementing our EMS on their resource units, irrespective of their size. The EMS when deployed at any RER or RES improves its economic competitiveness. This has social, environmental, and technological benefits.

The EMS prognosis and control algorithms have been designed, simulated, and tested on historical data. Pilot studies require formal implementation of the algorithms running in real-time which would require development in part.

 

Examples of published research results in this area: 

1. H. Shafique, D.-E. Archer, R. Eriksson, L. B. Tjernberg, Real-time Operation Model for Energy Management System of Battery Energy Storage System - Case Study: The School of Sinntorp, Published in the proceedings of the International Conference on Probabilistic Methods Applied to Power Systems (PMAPS), Manchester, June 2022.

2. L. B. Tjernberg, D.-E. Archer, and S. Wingstedt, Energy Management System (EMS) of Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) – Providing Ancillary Services, H. Shafique, in IEEE PowerTech, Madrid, Spain, June 2021.

3. H. Shafique, L. Bertling Tjernberg, D. -E. Archer and S. Wingstedt, Behind the Meter Strategies: Energy management system with a Swedish case study, in IEEE Electrification Magazine, vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 112-119, Sept. 2021, doi: 10.1109/MELE.2021.3093638.

 

The project has been performed within the RCAM research group at KTH led by Professor Lina Bertling Tjernberg and in collaboration with CheckWatt. During 2021 the project work was sponsored by the SweGRIDS research program. More information from here FPS30, SweGRIDS (kth.se).  In 2022 the projects were selected for the IVAs 100-list of national projects with high potential for creating benefits for commercialisation and impact in society. The GreenGrids-Flex models are included in a chapter in the Handbook on Climate Change and Technology (e-elgar.com) which was launched in beginning of 2024.

 

Book chapters in the area of GreenGrids

[1] The flexible grid infrastructure enabling power grid evolution and decarbonization  L. Bertling Tjernberg, H. Shafique (2023), Chapter 17 in Urban F. and Nordensvärd J. (Eds) Handbook on Climate Change and Technology, Edward Elgar, https://doi.org/10.4337/9781800882119.00029  (pp 274-290), December 2023.

 [2] Application of Smart Grid Technologies, Elsevier, Academic Press, Chapter 11, Pages 373–393, June 2018. Analysis of the future power system's ability to enable sustainable energy - Using the case system of Smart Grid Gotland, C. J. Wallnerström, L. Bertling Tjernberg)

[3] Condition Monitoring and Asset Management of Smart Grid,  Bangalore P., Bertling Tjernberg L., ). chapter in: Smart Grid Handbook, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., August 2016. DOI 10.1002/9781118755471.sgd061

 [4] Centralized Charging Control of Plug-in Electric Vehicles and Effects on Day-Ahead Electricity Market Price  Balram P., Le T., Bertling Tjernberg L., Chapter in Plug in Electric Vehicles in Smart Grids, Chapter 9, pp 267-299, Springer Science and Media, 2015

rgy management system with a Swedish case study," H. Shafique et al., " IEEE Electrification Magazine, vol. 9, no. 3, s. 112-119, 2021.

For access to a private copy send a request to linab@kth.se .