Introduction

As this book has made clear, the landscape for active networks and an active demand-side in future electricity systems appears promising and suggests scope for various benefits and untapped potentials. There are a wide range of solutions and measures through which flexible electricity networks and active customers can contribute to energy saving and efficiency. As technology continues to progress and practical experience accumulates, even more types of solution can become possible. Two key questions arise. What can be done to facilitate the emergence of smarter networks and more active demand? What pitfalls are there that can hinder this more active world from emerging? These are important but difficult questions and this chapter aims to highlight some of the main issues related to them.

At the conceptual level a rather significant issue is the lack of a coherent vision of smart networks and active demand. At present there are different, and at times conflicting, conceptions of active networks and demand and a well-defined and unified understanding of them is yet to emerge. A common understanding of these concepts is clearly important for policy making, sector regulation, corporate planning, consumer participation and public opinion support.