Ireland’s Grid Flexibility Assessment Shows Why Location Matters
AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication
Ireland’s Commission for Regulation of Utilities released its first national Flexibility Needs Assessment, estimating distribution networks will require about 234 MW of upward flexibility and 58 GWh of storage by 2028. The study shows flexibility must be located where constraints occur, citing the Naas 38 kV/10 kV substation, which may need 0.6 MW and 3 MWh of support in January. Planned reinforcement by 2030, removing it, underscores the location‑specific nature of the need. Batteries, managed electric‑vehicle charging and industrial demand response can meet national targets, but only resources connected at the right point can relieve specific transformer overloads. Timing, event duration and recovery periods further dictate suitable technologies. The assessment mirrors a UK finding that flexibility markets struggled with single‑transformer constraints lasting 24 hours, prompting reinforcement instead.
💡 Why It Matters
- · Locating flexibility at the precise substation can avoid costly network upgrades, turning distributed assets into a direct solution for localized constraints.