On Tuesday, 23 January 2024, the Slovenian STREAM partners organised a co-design workshop in Ajdovščina. Aligned with STREAM’s user-centric approach, the success of novel and innovative energy market services depends on the active involvement of stakeholders along the entire value chain in the innovation and design process.
Within the scope of the STREAM project, our objective is to “unlock” flexibility at lower voltage levels, i.e., local markets, creating numerous benefits for the TSO and DSO ancillary services market. Simultaneously, these would potentially create an additional monetization stream for flexibility asset owners.
Representatives from three key companies situated in the STREAM pilot location, the Industrial Zone Ajdovščina, participated in the workshop. They shared their experiences, perspectives and insights with project partners from Elektro Primorska (DSO), Kolektor sETup (aggregator), Laboratory of Energy Policy, and the Institute for Innovation and Development of University of Ljubljana. The workshop’s goal was to comprehend how the companies with relevant flexibility assets understand and perceive flexibility potential and the conditions under which they would be willing or able to participate in the ancillary services market for the DSO.
The discussions provided valuable inputs for the ongoing development of innovative STREAM services. The exchange among project partners and company representatives highlighted the diverse readiness levels of potential flexibility providers in the industrial zone. Some companies are already advancing in the connectivity of their energy-consuming assets, introducing energy management systems, or integrating renewables. On the other hand, others may require initial support in understanding and optimising their assets. Nevertheless, an important recognition was that all of the participating companies expressed openness to exploring innovative services that could benefit the local and national energy system.
The co-design workshop was implemented as part of the STREAM’s people-centred approach, which guides the engagement of target groups and stakeholders in the development processes of the STREAM demonstration pilots. Its purpose is to ensure that the services developed and implemented in the project address the actual needs of target groups and key stakeholders within their specific social, organisational, or other relevant contexts. This approach maximises the relevance and meaningfulness of the services to end-users and stakeholders along the value chain.