Chairman: Vitomir Komen, DSc
Scope of interest
Regulation and Electricity Market Development
• Implementation of the new Electricity Market Act;
• Experiences in the electricity market and implementation of legislation;
• The role of distribution system operators in the electricity market;
• The implementation of the third EU energy package;
• The impact of the third energy package regulations on technological requirements in distribution networks;
• Regulatory framework (regulatory models) for the development of smart grids and advanced metering systems in the EU and Croatia;
• Regulatory framework (regulatory models) to promote the development of renewable energy sources;
• Regulatory framework (regulatory models) for the connection of electric vehicles in parking lots, public and private buildings;
• Regulatory monitoring and reporting.
Challenges to the distribution system in a business environment
• The impact of new energy legislation (The Electricity Market Act, The Energy Act, The Act on the Regulation of Energy Activities) on business activities of distribution system operators;
• Distribution system Grid Code and its impact on business activities;
• Business challenges facing distribution system operators during the introduction of smart grids and advanced metering infrastructure;
• Using metering data from smart meters to create the strategy for more efficient business operations;
• E-mobility as a business model;
• Measures to improve operations and increase efficiency;
• Business organization and strategic business objectives;
• Asset management;
• Evaluation, assessment and benchmarking of distribution system operations;
• Models for assessing business efficiency;
• Distribution system restructuring;
• Business quality systems – introducing environmental management system (ISO 14001) and a quality control system (ISO 9001).
Information systems and support to distribution processes
• Information technologies for efficient functioning of the electricity market;
• Integration of different IT applications and databases (SCADA, GIS, TIS, etc.);
• Geographic Information System (GIS) as a necessary support to distribution processes;
• Development of information systems for monitoring and analysis of operational events in the distribution system (OMS, DISPO);
• Measures to improve information and communication support to business operations;
• Distribution system call centres;
• Improvement of customer relations using IT technology.
Smart grids and energy efficiency
• The main drives and challenges for smart grids and advanced metering systems;
• Technical and economic rationale for the introduction of a smart grid concept;
• Technological platform for smart grids and smart city projects;
• Active customer concept;
• Pilot projects (programmes) of smart grids and advanced metering systems;
• Experiences with the projects financed from EU funds;
• Electric vehicles and charging stations from the aspect of electricity demand;
• Development of new technologies in the area of smart grids from the aspect of energy efficiency;
• Features of the EU Directive on electricity end-use efficiency.
Metering devices, reading and demand management systems
• Metering devices, reading systems and exchange of metering data;
• Remote reading and meter control;
• Information and communication systems for smart metering;
• Impact of electricity market development on metering and metering data;
• Improvement of metering services and harmonization with the requirements of the 3rd energy package;
• Metering points of electricity generators (LV and MV);
• Load adjustment, i.e. demand response in view of smart grids;
• Optimisation (balancing) of load duration diagram (curve).
Electricity supply
• Electricity supply as market activity;
• Quality of electricity supply (the aspect of supply reliability and quality of service rendered to network users);
• The development of different products and tariff models (e.g. green energy);
• Methods to improve the collection of receivables from customers;
• Contracting methods (fixed and variable contracts, contracts on interruptible supply, etc.);
• Marketing in the supply business (loyalty programs, customer segmentation, etc.);
• Analysis of electricity market price trends and CO2 impact on pricing;
• Supplier switch processes, offering additional services (energy efficiency, etc.);
• Measures to improve services and customer relations.
Safe use of electricity and safety at work
• Protective measures against too high touch voltage;
• Technical requirements imposed by distribution network operator on the safety of customer installations;
• Application of safety at work measures for distribution networks incorporating power plants;
• Measures to improve safety at work;
• Safety at work organization and statistics;
• Experience with live work.
