System organisation and operation in the context of local flexibility markets at distribution level

The energy sector is presently undergoing a significant transformation towards modern grids, also known as smart grids. Among the various smart grid solutions, local flexibility markets have emerged as a crucial aspect of this transition, particularly for distribution system operators to complement their operations. These are complex market-based solutions that encompass many systems and sub-systems, with their supporting tools offering a wide range of services. Their tools or toolkits must operate seamlessly under current and future scenarios, adapting to evolving policy and performance requirements. Given the complexity of these systems, the large number of tools or toolsets used, and the need for seamless operation across different scenarios, it is necessary to understand their overall design and their limitations in terms of performance for successful evolution, widespread adoption, and practical operation.

This thesis explores two research directions, system organization and operation, across seven peer-reviewed research publications to contribute to the understanding of these emerging solutions. It proposes and analyzes local flexibility markets as a system, along with the tools and toolkits used for their operation. The first two papers focus on the system organization of these solutions by decoding a service-oriented design from a holistic point of view and proposing an integration information system solution to allow for competing local flexibility market solutions. The remaining five research papers focus on the system operation. Two research papers contribute by analyzing specific toolsets used for local flexibility market operations, considering current and future scenarios. Meanwhile, the remaining three research publications focus on specifically designed tools for local collaborative residential forecasting and industrial forecast scheduling that can support stakeholders involved in local flexibility markets. The insights from the seven research contributions can guide and support their practical design, analysis, and application and refine academic discussions.