Open Source Development, Collaboration to Help Grids Maximize Capacity

Making the most of grid capacity is critical to reduce carbonization and better serve customers,
and grid operators are looking to open source collaboration to assist.

Vattenfall Eldistribution AB is a Swedish utility company, located mostly in Sweden but other
parts of Europe, too. The distribution piece of the company operates independently and owns
medium voltage grids that cover about 50% of the Swedish population.

The new vision at Vattenfall is to reach beyond its normal business and customers to share and
collaborate to improve electrification and clean energy for all of society. By joining LF Energy,
Vattenfall expects to collaborate on software solutions that not only help it, but other grid
companies, too.

One project in the works is a grid capacity map that will enable grid operators—and the
customers they serve—to more easily see when and where connections will be most optimal.
For instance, with good data on grid conditions, a utility may advise a company to move
locations to get connection sooner.

By working with others on open source solutions, Vattenfall expects faster development and
deployment. “We can share the code with other utilities. They can check our calculations … and
they can give feedback and even patch the code and upload an improved version,” says Harold
Klomp, Vattenfall Hub Manager.

Open source development will also speed the implementation of standards, which is necessary
to keep up with market demand, says Vincent Gliniewicz, Lead Data Scientist. “With
electrification going at such a pace, we cannot … wait for the standard to be completely written
and set in stone before we start to look at implementation,” he says.

Vattenfall expects a doubling of grid connections in the next 15 to 20 years. It also needs to
adjust to having energy flow onto the grid from solar producers. The grid capacity map will
cover both generation and consumption.

For more information, see video here