Cross-Atlantic Research Agenda for Scalable Grid Architectures and Distributed Flexibility

TL;DR

This paper advocates for a layered cyber-physical architecture with standardized interfaces to enhance scalability and interoperability of distributed energy resources, supported by cross-Atlantic case studies.

Contribution

It introduces a layered architecture with standards-based interfaces for scalable, reliable coordination of distributed energy resources in power systems.

Findings

Architecture enables predictable, grid-aware flexibility.

Supports device autonomy, interoperability, reliability.

Validated through case studies in the US and Denmark.

Abstract

Electric power systems are rapidly evolving into deeply digital, cyber-physical infrastructures in which large fleets of distributed energy resources must be coordinated as system-level flexibility across multiple spatial and temporal scales. Despite growing distributed energy resource deployment, existing grid and market architectures lack scalable, interoperable mechanisms to reliably translate device-level flexibility into grid-aware services, creating risks to reliability, affordability, and resilience at high penetration. We propose that scalable and reliable coordination of distributed energy resource-based flexibility in future power systems is fundamentally an architectural problem that can be addressed through laminar cyber-physical design using minimal, standardized interoperability interfaces that link device autonomy with system-level objectives. To assess this claim, we present and discuss a layered cyber-physical systems architecture and explicate its implementation through standards-based interfaces, Flexibility Functions, hierarchical control, and case studies spanning U.S. and Danish regulatory, market, and operational contexts. Empirical evidence from New York's Grid of the Future proceedings, Danish Smart Energy Operating System pilots, and operational aggregator deployments demonstrates that such architecture enables predictable, grid-aware flexibility while preserving device autonomy, interoperability, reliability, and quality of service. These results support a cross-Atlantic research agenda centered on joint testbeds, harmonized interoperability mechanisms, and coordinated policy experiments to accelerate the deployment of resilient, scalable, and flexible clean energy systems.