The introduction of competitive electricity and gas markets offers a significant challenge to the transition to a sustainable and flexible energy infrastructure.
With the advent of competition and increased uncertainty, the traditional long-term planning activities of governments and monopoly utilities have been severely diluted, causing potential gridlock and under-investment in energy infrastructures, with significant economic and social consequences.
The Energy System Analysis group wants to find solutions to these problems. To this end, a new programme was started in 2003, sponsored by the Norwegian Research Council together with a group of Norwegian energy companies. The programme, Sustainable Energy Distribution Systems (SEDS), is a joint effort by NTNU and SINTEF Energy Research, planned for the period 2003–2007. The main objective of this research programme is to develop a scientifically based framework for the planning of mixed energy distribution systems, including methods and models for optimal integration of different energy sources and carriers within the existing electric power system infrastructure.
We also succeeded in 2003 in establishingthe TRANSES project together with MIT, Chalmers and SINTEF. This effort has been sponsored by Norwegian energy companies and organizations.
Last Updated: 08.08.2006
