More flexibility for the energy transition

05.06.2026

Source: E & M powernews

In a recent study, Arthur D. Little and the municipal utility association Trianel examine the opportunities and potential of green flexibility options.

Almost all (96 percent) of the energy suppliers and flexibility providers surveyed for the "Future market for green flexibility" study have already addressed the issue of flexibility. 80 percent of the companies surveyed see flexibility as a previously untapped economic potential for overcoming challenges specific to the energy industry. A third of those surveyed already rate flexibility as the biggest value driver.

And yet, despite this broad consensus on the importance of the topic, there is still a lack of scalable business models and a clear regulatory framework, according to the authors of the study. For example, 40 percent of the companies surveyed are analyzing the market and business areas, but not implementing concrete (pilot) projects.

"In an energy system characterized by increasing volatile feed-in and decreasing secured power, the development and use of flexibility is becoming a game changer," explains Sven Becker, CEO of the municipal utility cooperation Trianel GmbH, which conducted the study together with the management consultancy Arthur D. Little.

Four key areas, five recommendations

"We have identified four key areas in which the transformation of the energy system is particularly noticeable and in which flexibility can make a decisive contribution to overcoming the challenges: energy trading, the grids and the end customer business (flexumer) as well as across the entire system," says Olaf Geyer, Partner and Head of Energy, Utilities and Resources Practice Central Europe at Arthur D. Little, describing the results of the study. "High volume and price volatility, sluggish infrastructure expansion and the decoupling of supply and demand were cited as the main drivers for the increasing need for flexibility options."

Currently, companies primarily use power-to-heat (40 percent), battery storage (39 percent) and controllable CHP plants (39 percent). Demand-side management, on the other hand, is rarely used despite its potential. According to the study, four key barriers are preventing widespread implementation:

• Regulation: rigid grid fees, lack of incentives
• Economic efficiency: high capital expenditure, unclear profitability
• Technology: lack of controllability, grid restrictions and
• shortage of skilled workers

From this, the authors derive five recommendations for action for companies to exploit flexibility potential:

• Anchoring in the corporate strategy
• Building up expertise
• Expansion of storage systems, CHP plants and demand-side management
• Development of multi-market strategies
• Implementation and scaling

The study "Future market for green flexibility" is available (after registration) on the Trianel website.

Katia Meyer-Tien