What is the DISOPED Project?
DISOPED (Distributed Solar Power Dispatching) is an international R&D project supported by ERA-NET CSP under the EU’s Horizon 2020 framework. Funded by TÜBİTAK (Project No: 122N700) and the Spanish Ministry of Science (MICIU), it is conducted by Inelso Energy in collaboration with Spain's CIEMAT-PSA and Turkey's GDZ Electricity Distribution Inc.
The focus of the project: To develop a Digital Twin-based analytical tool for the integration of parabolic trough concentrated solar power (CSP) plants into electricity distribution networks.
What is Digital Twin Technology?
A Digital Twin is an advanced modelling technology that creates an exact replica of a physical system in a virtual environment.
Digital twins in the energy sector:
– Simulates power plant performance in real time
– Tests different weather conditions and load scenarios
– Optimises maintenance planning
– Analyses the impact on grid stability in advance
– Supports economic optimisation decisions
The DT framework developed in the DISOPED project was built using the Modelica modeling language and validated with real-world grid data from GDZ.
GDZ Network: Case Study
The project utilizes real-world grid data from GDZ Electricity Distribution Inc., which serves the provinces of Izmir and Manisa in Turkey.
Characteristics of the Manisa Soma Region selected as the pilot area:
– Medium voltage line length: 971.3 km
– Energy distribution area: 1,383.82 km²
– Low voltage subscribers: 92,106
– Medium voltage subscribers: 2,200
This region is considered strategically important for renewable energy transformation due to its high concentration of coal mining and heavy industrial facilities.
TCP-100 Plant and Digital Twin
At the core of the study is the TCP-100 parabolic trough collector facility at CIEMAT-PSA in Spain. The digital twin model for this facility is designed for two primary applications:
1. Virtual Power Plant Simulation
Simulates the behavior of renewable power plants that can replace fossil-fuel-based thermal power plants.
2. Thermal Grid Integration
It supplies energy to industrial consumers who use thermal energy instead of electrical energy via a virtual thermal network.
The system also provides real-time integration with SCADA systems, offering instantaneous decision support to plant operators.
Why is CSP Important?
Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) technology has a critical advantage over photovoltaic systems:
Thermal energy storage capacity.
Thanks to this feature, CSP power stations:
✅ Generate electricity even without sunlight
✅ Operate in sync with grid demand
✅ Minimize reserve power costs
✅ Compete with utility-scale solar and onshore wind in Europe
Cost-benefit analyses in the DISOPED project are ongoing to determine minimum commercial price proposals and PPA target prices for TCP-100 type plants.
The DISOPED project demonstrates that Inelso Energy is not just a SCADA and monitoring company, but also plays an active role in international research projects shaping the future of energy infrastructure.
This study, aimed at optimizing renewable energy integration into Turkey's electricity distribution networks, continues to contribute to the industry's digital transformation.
Contact us for detailed information about our energy distribution SCADA systems and digital transformation solutions.
