Innovation is a key driver for the energy transformation. Innovative solutions can make the power system more flexible, allowing for a higher, cost-effective use of renewables.

“Innovation landscape for a renewable-powered future” report provides the first-of-its-kind mapping and categorising of innovative solutions to integrate renewable power. It brings together key insights on emerging innovations that facilitate a higher share of variable renewables – mainly solar PV and wind - in the power sector.

Electrification, decentralisation and digitalisation are leading innovation trends that unlock system flexibility for more variable renewables. 30 different innovations in enabling technologies, market design, business models and system operation transform the power sector at its core.

11 innovative solutions show how synergies between innovations can enable the cost-effective acceleration of variable renewables, while making energy production, transmission and consumption more flexible and empowering a new generation of energy consumers.

11 solutions

• Solution I: Decreasing VRE generation uncertainty with advanced weather forecasting
• Solution II: Flexible generation to accommodate variability
• Solution III: Interconnections and regional markets as flexibility providers
• Solution IV: Matching renewable energy generation and demand over large distances with supergrids
• Solution V: Large-scale storage and new grid operation to defer grid reinforcements investments
• Solution VI: Distributed energy resources providing services to the grid
• Solution VII: Demand-side management
• Solution VIII: Renewable energy mini-grids providing services to the main grid
• Solution IX: Optimising distribution system operation with distributed energy resources
• Solution X: Utility-scale battery solutions
• Solution XI: Power-to-X solutions

30 innovations

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