Flexibility note Flemish government

With the approval of the Flexibility Plan 2025 by the Flemish government, Flanders is committed in the coming years to the evolution towards a more flexible and affordable decentralized energy system with a prominent role for smart grid control and balancing.

The Flexibility Plan contains 20 concrete actions around the themes of research, communication and awareness, regulation and policy, data and indicators, innovation and training, and standardization and cybersecurity.

The objectives of those actions are crystal clear:

Affordability:

• A lower system cost as well as a lower cost at the grid user by giving grid users better and direct access to electricity markets.
  

Sustainability:

• Lower CO2 emissions through optimal use of renewable energy sources and optimal use of peaking power plants.
• Cost-effectively increase the overall flexibility of the energy system.
• Enable more and better integration of renewable energy sources.
• Contribute to increased electrification of both heat and transportation.

Supply security:

• Contribute to improved security of supply where fewer peaking plants need to be deployed and built.

Furthermore, the Flemish Government has decided to provide 80% of all Flemish energy systems for small consumption with digital meters by the end of 2024 and 100% by July 1, 2029.

> By the end of August, 29% of those energy systems were equipped with a digital meter.

On to smart steering

The Flemish Government wants to further invest in information on how energy management systems can be smartly or flexibly controlled.

Discover HERE how LIFEPOWR can play a prominent role in this.

'To enable growth and further electrification, not only will investments in wind, solar and the electricity grid be needed, but there is also a need for more flexibility, the matching of electricity supply and demand. Thus, flexibility will reduce system costs, from which citizens and businesses will benefit.' So states Energy Minister Zuhal Demir.

'We need flexibility to integrate the increase in renewable energy into the distribution grid without causing problems,' Demir continued. 'For example, during a sunny period when all the PV installations are producing plenty of electricity at the same time, while the local demand for electricity is limited. But also vice versa, when everyone comes home in the evening and starts cooking, heating or charging their electric car electrically, there is a large peak demand for electricity while there is not always a renewable supply,' Demir said.

Energy Community

With smart control (via FlexiO, for example), a digital meter can easily be smartly controlled by linking it via user ports to apps, applications and "smart" household appliances. These applications make it possible, on the one hand, to actively control (self) consumption and track it in detail, but also to actively control consumption and even injection into the grid based on the current energy price.

With FlexiO, LIFEPOWR is cleverly responding to this by allowing as many decentralized flexibility sources connected to the electricity distribution grid as possible to offer flexibility.

The website maakjemeterslim.be will be further developed into a real knowledge center where this kind of smart use of digital meter and energy systems will be supported.

Did you already know that energy management systems that cannot be physically connected to the digital meter will also have their place? The website will be expanded to include more information on dynamic price contracts. Initiatives are being taken to make both maakjemeterslim.be and the Fluvius portal better known to owners of a digital meter.

Installer support

Installers of batteries, heat pumps, heat pump boilers and solar panel installations are actively supported by the government from the Flexibility Plan to emphasize to customers:

• Flexible capabilities supported by the digital meter, such as automatic control and grid balancing services

Finally, the plan provides a clear directive in the field of mobility toward smart and bi-directional charging, and the Flemish government will simplify and clarify the placement of charging infrastructure in communal garages and apartment buildings.

HERE you will find the full Flexibility Plan.

Questions? Take a quick look at the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on our website to see if you can find an answer there or contact us.