GRID4EU-Nice Grid project: How to facilitate the integration of Distributed Energy Resources into the local grid?

Abstract

GRID4EU is one of the biggest smart grid projects to be funded by the European Union (27 partners, €54M budget). It comprises 6 demonstrators. The French one is Nice Grid which is a pilot project on photovoltaic-powered neighborhoods funded by the French government and the European Union. Nice Grid is located in the city center and the industrial area of Carros, a medium-sized town close to Nice on the French Riviera. This region is at the far end of high-voltage transmission lines, which creates a weakness in the electricity supply and in the local grid's stability and reliability. The area is also endowed with major sources of renewable energy, most notably solar energy. Nice Grid tests the entire smart grid concept, including the impact of the massive integration of Distributed Energy Resources (DER) on the low voltage grid with respect to constraints and flexibility programs.