The ISGAN 2022 annual report shows the impact of ISGAN’s six working groups through their achievements. Looking ahead, we are launching an ambitious new initiative called the Lighthouse Project which will leverage synergies and facilitate collaboration between our working groups on a unified theme, namely: “Smart Distribution Grids Powering the Energy Transition.”
Distribution is crucial: The energy system is becoming more and more complex with prosumers at the grid edge who not only consume but also produce and feed in energy. To put it simply: The electric grid is changing from a one-way street into a multi-lane motorway. Therefore, a holistic, interdisciplinary approach is needed to configure smart grids and leverage flexibility at the distribution level.
The Lighthouse Project will identify specific activities and stakeholders to address these challenges. By pooling the expertise within ISGAN, we aim to bundle the knowledge existing in ISGAN, draw further insights from our international partners, and create accessible and impactful exchanges of information and best practices.
Hence, we have set up the Lighthouse Project as a transnational initiative that facilitates enhanced collaboration between workstreams in the international energy ecosystem and relevant stakeholders at the local, regional, and national levels involved in distribution grid modernization.
An integral part of the Lighthouse Project is a knowledge-sharing process (KSP). The KSP is a structured, interactive methodology developed within ISGAN since 2016, enabling effective international co-creation of impactful outcomes on key themes. One of the primary goals of this process is to provide policy guidance and tailored recommendations addressing distribution grid challenges. We aim to present the results of the first phase of the ISGAN Lighthouse Project in conjunction with the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM15) in Brazil in October 2024.