Markets & System Operations

Key market and system concepts relevant to the operation of conventional, transforming and future power systems.

Ramp Rate

The rate at which Generation Plant can alter its output.  It is quantified as a percentage of plant rating per minute and may be expressed

Rate of Change of Frequency (ROCOF)

The rate at which the Frequency of the Power System experiences change.  Its measurement is used to trigger corrective measures by protective control systems.

Resource Adequacy

The ability of the Power System to supply the total aggregate Demand at all times, taking into account both scheduled outages and unscheduled outages that

Self-commitment

The decision to commit the operation of Generating Plant is made by the relevant Generator without instruction or direction from Market/System Operator (MSO).

Situational Awareness

A sufficiently accurate and up-to-date understanding of the past, current, and projected future state of a system, including its cybersecurity safeguards. It involves the collection

Spinning Reserve

An additional margin of generation capacity that is made available by increasing the Power output of Generation Plant that are already delivering Electricity into the

Spot Market

A market where Electricity is bought and sold for immediate delivery. Prices are determined by the interaction of Supply and Demand conditions in real-time.

Spot Price

The real time price for Electricity in a trading interval at a regional reference node or a connection point.

State of Charge

The current level of Energy stored or available in an Energy Storage device, usually expressed as a percentage of its total Capacity.

Strategic Reserves

Strategic reserve refers to reserve capacity that sits outside the market to procure additional bulk energy services as insurance against unexpected Demand growth and/or reductions