Research activities in Europe on integration of distributed energy resources in the electricity networks of the future

The framework programmes (FP) for research is the main EU funding mechanism for research, technological development and demonstration. With a budget of almost one billion Euros, projects in the area of energy from the previous FP5 (1998-2002) are well advanced, with many entering the critical phase of exploiting and disseminating their results. The total expenditure on European RTD projects for the large-scale integration of renewable energy sources (RES) and distributed generation (DG), i.e. distributed energy resources (DER) and key enabling technologies, within FP5 is of the order of euro130 million, with an EC contribution of about euro67 million. The main objective of FP6, which runs from 2002 to 2006, is to contribute to the creation of a true European research area (ERA). ERA is a vision for the future of research in Europe, an internal market for science and technology. It fosters scientific excellence, competitiveness and innovation through the promotion of better co-operation and coordination between relevant actors at all levels. FP6 is structured into `thematic priorities'. RTD, including largescale integration of DER into electricity networks, is being implemented within thematic priority 6.1. `sustainable energy systems' which has a total budget of around euro890 million. Currently, about euro91 million, matched by public and private investments, with a EU funding of about euro50 million, has been awarded to RTD projects for the large-scale integration of DER in FP6