The FLEXe consortium consists of 27 organizations in Finland working to create novel technological and business concepts to enhance the transition towards sustainable energy systems. The consortium aims to increase the flexibility of energy systems through projects focused on understanding future demand and the value of flexibility options, optimizing integrated energy networks, increasing efficiency through distributed resource management, and developing flexible power generation.

1. The FLEXe
consortium
The FLEXe consortium consists of 17
companies and 10 research institutions or
universities at the moment. The consortium
covers a broad spectrum of competences
ranging from electrical energy engineering,
technological knowhow for energy
generation, ICT, and system automation,
as well as expertise in energy production,
transmission, distribution and usage.FLEXe – TOWARDS FLEXIBLE
ENERGY SYSTEMS
FLEXe FACTSHEET
SEPTEMBER 2015
FLEXe
ProgramManager
For more information, please contact
Teija Laitinen
Mob. +358 40 529 5886
Email teija.laitinen@clicinnovation.fi
CLIC Innovation Ltd, P.O.Box 10
FI-00131 Helsinki, FINLAND
Solution Architect for Global
Bioeconomy & Cleantech Opportunities
FLEXe
is a consortium in Finland gathering 27 organisations covering the entire
value network of energy systems. The aim is to create novel technological and
business concepts enhancing the radical transition from the current energy systems
towards sustainable systems. FLEXe combines smartness, flexibility, environmental
performance and economic success with customer acceptance and engagement.
Energy systems are in a process of profound transformation which is driven by
the need of significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, shift from oil to
gas, rapid increase in energy demand, and globalization and the need to secure
competitiveness. The transition to future energy systems requires huge investments
worldwide in the coming decades in both energy production capacities as well as in
transmission and distribution systems.
The energy system revolution will affect not only the technological choices in
new investments but will change the way in which energy producers, operators,
regulators and consumers interact in an increasingly complex market. The main
drivers for these changes are the growing share of renewable and decentralized
generation, the progressive increase in energy efficiency, the emergence of the
consumer as an active player, and the appearance of new network users.
It is widely recognised that increasing the flexibility of energy systems is the key for
the reliable operation of future energy systems with very high penetration levels of
variable renewable energy sources. Flexibility is the ability of an energy system to
maintain continuous service in the face of rapid and large swings in supply or demand.
ENERGY
SYSTEMSYSTEM OPERATION
FLEXIBILITY
MARKET DESIGN
TRANSITION
BUSINESS
ECOSYSTEMS
RAMPING
PROSUMER
TECHNOLOGY
CYCLING
VARIABILITY
UNCERTAINTY
FORECASTING
DISPATCH
STABILITY
OPTIMIZATION
ENERGY
SYSTEM
DEMAND
PROFILES
CHP
STORAGES
DEMAND
RESPONSE
GENERATION FLEXIBILITY
VOLTAGE
SYSTEM
SUPPORT
SERVICES
FREQUENCY
BALANCING
LOW EMISSIONS

2. About CLIC Innovation Ltd
The FLEXe consortium is managed by
CLIC Innovation Ltd. CLIC Innovation
is an open innovation cluster with the
mission of creating breakthrough solutions
in bioeconomy, energy and cleantech.
CLIC Innovation coordinates R&D&I
project portfolios to construct systemic
solutions which are beyond the resources
of individual operators. The cluster is a
cross-organizational fast-moving network.
The shareholders of the nonprofit CLIC
Innovation Ltd include 30 companies and
17 universities and research institutions.
www.clicinnovation.fi
Topic 1: Systemic views on the transition
to business ecosystems of a future
flexible energy system - understanding
future demand profiles and the role and
value of different flexibility options
The topic looks at the system level -
power and heat system and electricity
markets - the expected changes in
flexibility needs, the value of each
flexibility option in different time scales
and markets, and market models and
business cases needed in the transition.
Topic 2: Optimised and secured
integration and operation of future
energy networks
The key objective is to define the
flexibility requirements for the
planning and operation of integrated
energy networks. This requires novel,
high-quality, reliable and secured
measurements, telecommunication,
data processing and new technological
platforms to be researched.
Finding ways to increase energy
system flexibility is in the core of all
activities in FLEXe
Solution Architect for Global
Bioeconomy & Cleantech Opportunities
The following topics have been selected to be in focus
Topic 3: Flexibility management of
distributed resources – increasing
efficiency across the whole energy
system and supporting active
participation of all partners of the
system
The key objective is to integrate the
distributed resources to the energy
system and harness the flexibility at
the customer and prosumer side for
the improved operation of the energy
system. Enabling extensive integration
and maximal utilization of local and
global intermittent energy sources.
Topic 4: Flexible generation for future
energy system – new operational modes
for secure, cost-effective, clean and
competitive supply
Gaining understanding in the
requirements and limitations that
the future energy system poses for
flexible generation and how flexible
power generation can overcome those
limitations and meet the requirements.
Participating organisations
ABB, Dinex Ecocat, Elenia, Empower IM,
Empower TN, Emtele, Fingrid, Fortum,
Helen, Inno-W, MX Electrix, Indmeas
Industrial Measurements, Tekla, Valmet
Automation, Valmet Technologies,
Wapice, Wärtsilä Finland, Aalto University,
Finnish Meteorological Institute, University
of Eastern Finland, Lappeenranta
University of Technology, University of
Oulu, Finnish Environmental Institute,
Svenska Handelhögskolan, VTT Technical
Research Centre of Finland, Tampere
University of Technology, University of
Vaasa.
FLEX