NordREG´s statistical summary of the Nordic Energy Market 2014 is now available on the NordREG web. This year, the report consists of a statistical package and a short written summary with key figures and findings from the statistical package.

• Main developments and trends
• Dataset NMR

On the 5th of November, the NordREG Network Regulation Working Group arranged a seminar about DSO tariffs which was hosted by the Swedish Energy Markets Inspectorate in Stockholm.

The topic of the seminar was “What should NRA’s do to incentivise more energy efficiency in distribution and use of energy through grid tariff design?”.

Around 50 people participated in the seminar and listened to presentations by speakers from Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark.

If you want to see the presentations you can find them below:

• Introduction – Tariffs in Nordic countries
• Demand side flexibility, load tariffs and grid investment savings
• Developing DSO’s tariff structure
• Experiences and results from experiments with time-of-use network tariffs
• Impacts of DR and DER on DSO tariff structure development
• Implementation of the Nodal Pricing Regime for Distribution Network Pricing
• New network tariffs in Sweden
• Potential customer impacts of new tariffs
• Synthesis of electricity tariffs
• Updated Danish DSO tariff model – and focus points for future development in tariff design

On 5th November, NordREG* invites participants to a seminar in Stockholm. The title of the day is Load tariffs in the Nordic countries and the main question that will be discussed is “What should the NRA do to incentivise more energy efficiency in distribution and use of energy through grid tariff design?”. The seminar will be held in English, is free of charge and is specially targeted at network owners and other concerned parties.

Date: 5th November 2015

Time: 10.00-16.00 (coffee and registration from 9.30)

Place: Westmanska palatset, Holländargatan 17, Stockholm, Sweden

Material: Material for the seminar, i.e. a participation list and an overview of the Nordic countries’ present load tariff designs, will be sent the 22nd of October.

Attention

Registration: Registration is done through the Swedish Energy Market Inspectorate (Ei). Last day for registration is 20th October. Note that the number of places is limited to 60. You will receive a notification by email of your registration well ahead of the seminar.

To the Swedish Energy Market Inspectorate (Ei) for more information and registration.

On 5th November, NordREG* invites participants to a seminar in Stockholm. The title of the day is Load tariffs in the Nordic countries and the main question that will be discussed is “What should the NRA do to incentivise more energy efficiency in distribution and use of energy through grid tariff design?”.

The seminar will be held in English, is free of charge and is specially targeted at network owners and other concerned parties.

Date: 5th November 2015 in Stockholm, Sweden
Material: Material for the seminar, i.e. a participation list and an overview of the Nordic countries’ present load tariff designs, will be sent the 22nd of October.
Information and registration: More information about the seminar will follow and registration will open shortly.

NordREG publishes a report made by PÖYRY on behalf of NordREG. The report contains current Nordic national regulations focused on mapping TSO and DSO roles and responsibilities when it comes to market design to enable energy services in the Nordic electricity markets, with a particular focus on the DSO’s role and unbundling.

The importance of providing customers with energy services will increase in the near future and Nordic retail energy markets need to be designed in a way to enable energy services companies (ESCOs) to enter the market. DSOs and TSOs play an important role for the entrance of the ESCOs to the market, as they provide them with the possibility to manage the customers’ electricity consumption and/or balance. The entrance of the ESCOs can furthermore create situations which are currently unusual in the electricity market.

The report notes that DSOs are responsible for informing customers about energy efficiency measures in Denmark and Sweden, but that it is not specified in the other Nordic countries. The DSOs are also responsible for making consumption data accessible to customers in all countries. In Denmark, Finland and Sweden, DSOs are also responsible for informing customers of the potential use of smart meters.

The report considers unbundling of accounts, legal unbundling, functional unbundling and unbundling of brands. It notes that unbundling rules are similar in the Nordic countries, which have all imposed legal and accounts unbundling. Functional unbundling is required for DSOs with at least 100,000 customers in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden and for DSOs with at least 50,000 customers in Finland.

NordREG believes that the DSOs and TSOs have important roles if to enabling energy services in the Nordic Electricity Market.  NordREG notes that the consultant, PÖYRY, has provided useful information on existing national regulatory frameworks even though the scope of the term for energy services used by the consultant may not reflect NordREG’s definition of energy services.

• Mapping of TSOs and DSOs role and responsibilities

NordREG publishes two reports made by the consultant THEMA on behalf of NordREG. One contains a survey of current Nordic national regulations for transmission operators (TSO) and distribution system operators (DSO) roles and responsibilities. The second report is a survey of current market design for demand response and micro-production.

The report: Mapping of TSO and DSO roles and responsibilities related to information exchange

Access to accurate and timely information is essential for customers as well as for electricity market participants. Information exchange is therefore a prioritized area for NordREG. NordREG has previously recommended that a national information point, hub, should be established as a step towards a smarter electricity market. National TSO:s has been appointed as the actor that should establish the national data hub which would mean that the TSO gets a new role as a market actor. NordREG therefore finds that the TSO:s role will change with the establishment of national data hubs. TSO:s in the Nordic region are; Energinet.dk (DK), Fingrid (FIN), Statnett (NO) and Swedish kraftnät (SE).

The report “Mapping of TSO and DSO roles and responsibilities related to information exchange”, made by THEMA, describes that the Nordic countries generally have similar rules for the electricity market. This also applies to rights and obligations of market participants in the information exchange. The DSO:s in all countries are responsible for most functions when it comes to measuring and exchange of information. Most Nordic countries are in a transition from bilateral contacts between the stakeholders towards national data hubs. The Danish hub is already in operation and the Norwegian hub is expected to begin to operate in 2016 and be fully deployed in 2019. In Finland, the responsibility for development of a hub has been given to the TSO, Fingrid. Ei has proposed that Sweden also should have a hub and that it should be run by TSO, Svenska kraftnät.

NordREG notes that the consultant, THEMA, made a good report with useful information on existing national regulatory frameworks. NordREG also notes that there is currently no reason to develop common Nordic recommendations in addition to the work previously done by NordREG concerning, for example, switching and moving processes. However, it is important that the NRA:s in NordREG continue to exchange information and experiences from the ongoing national work of creating data hubs, and continues to closely follow the work of the TSO:s.

• THEMA Report 2015-02 Mapping of TSO and DSO responsibilities related to information exchange

The report: Rules and regulation for demand response and micro-production

Nordic customers are today relatively active in the electricity market by actively choosing electricity contracts but also by taking advantage of the opportunity for flexible use of electricity that smart meters provide. Customers can also choose to be active by generating their own electricity by becoming so-called micro-producers. It is important to have suitable national regulations and NordREG therefore examined how the national Nordic regulations are designed for these two areas.

In the report, “Rules and regulation for demand response and micro-production”, made by THEMA, states that smart meters already are installed in Sweden and Finland, while the roll-out of smart meters is expected to be completed in 2019 in Norway and 2020 in Denmark. The functional requirements set for the smart metering system is similar in Denmark, Finland and Norway. The requirements include hourly metering and daily reporting of measured values as well as an open interface that enables the customer to get instant access to data. Installation of in home displays is not mandatory in any of the Nordic countries, but the functional requirements in Denmark, Finland and Norway permit the installment of these. Sweden has since 2009 requirements for monthly metering and from 2012 all customers can have hourly metering .The customer is entitled to hourly metering if the customer has a contract with their electricity that requires hourly metering. The Swedish NRA, Ei, suggested that the functional demands should be changed so that the same functional requirements can be placed on the Swedish electricity meters as in the other Nordic countries. It is noted that there are no regulations that specifically handles third-party access to data. Typically, the client provides a power of attorney to a supplier or an energy service company which gives the company the same access to information that the customer has.

The report notes that the network tariffs design not specifically regulated in order to promote demand flexibility, however, indicates all countries regulations that network tariffs must be transparent, fair and non-discriminatory. The report also shows that micro production is separated from other production and incentives to become micro producers are generally the same with reduced or no network charges, excluding taxes and levies and simplified network connection procedure.

NordREG notes that the consultant, THEMA, made a good report with useful a summary of the current national regulations. NordREG also notes that there is currently no reason for NordREG to develop Nordic recommendations in addition to the work previously made, for example, requirements for smart meters.

• THEMA_R-2015-03_Framework_for_DR_and_MP

Now is the minutes from the FCA (Forward Capacity Allocation) seminar April 20, 2015 in Stockholm Arlanda, available.

You can read the minutes here.