Improving the Power Distribution Grid Resilience through the Integration of Distributed Energy Resources: Case Studies in Greece

Abstract

With the energy transition well underway, grid operators are increasingly facing the challenges of maintaining reliability but also ensuring the resilience of the energy system, i.e., its ability to adapt to changing conditions, as well as withstand and recover from disruptive events. Resilience becomes, hence, an emerging concept of top priority for power distribution utilities, encompassing the components of robustness, redundancy, resourcefulness, response, and recovery. In this context, the contribution of distributed energy resources to the power system resilience is crucial to be examined, since such resources can add flexibility capacity already from the planning stage. This paper aims to highlight the relation of grid resilience with renewable-integrated power grids and storage schemes by capturing lessons learned from case studies in Greece, such as residential (rooftop) applications and large-scale pilot projects. A holistic climate change adaptation approach aimed at grids to be resilient by design can mitigate climate-related disruptions, especially in highly vulnerable countries like Greece.