New talent and new skills: the Dispatching team works hard to keep the system in balance

Training, human resources and skills acquisition are the three keys to unlocking the energy transition and Italy’s new National Grid Development Plan, in which Terna will be investing over €21 billion over the next ten years. The decision to opt for continuous learning leads to another: hiring young talent to manage the future of Italy’s energy markets. «Encouraging young workers to play an active role is important, because we can produce good ideas if given the opportunity» says Sara Perfetti, who joined Dispatching - Market Operation and Analysis at Terna about two years ago. In Perfetti’s opinion, a company needs to be able to create opportunities, because, «it's the only way we can benefit the company and the community as a whole». Let's take a look at Perfetti’s role and the story of how she came to Terna.

"Dispatching" refers to the all the activities Terna performs to balance production with demand in order to guarantee the continuity and security of Italy's electricity supply. The Dispatching and Operations Division conducts all dispatching activities. Terna also manages the Dispatching Services Market, where it procures the resources it needs for dispatching services as well as for managing and monitoring the system.

Dispatching is an extremely complex process that involves a huge number of players. «We are a gigantic organisation, whose main task is to monitor, manage and operate the transmission infrastructure on the national electricity network in safe and economically efficient conditions. Here on the Market Operation and Analysis team, we deal with the nuts and bolts of how the market works, which means guaranteeing the optimal supply of dispatching resources at each stage of the energy market. We also decide on the best strategies for procuring these services, with the aim of maximising efficiency».

Recently, the division underwent restructuring. «We used to be part of one big team called Market Operation, but since the restructuring in March, we’ve been split into several teams, each with its own line manager. The unit is now called Budget Market Operation and Evolution. Some of us work on budgets, some on market evolution and others on systems. There are 6 ‘micro units’ in all».

Perfetti mainly «develops new strategies to procure resources for the electricity network. Our unit, which was formed only recently, is called Market Evolution because our job is to design the new market algorithm. It’s an activity that will launch soon and requires a lot of work». The role is very dynamic, complex and challenging, but equally it can be very rewarding. «Managing the electricity market, we see a different operating scenario every day. That means we have to take quick decisions and choose the best strategy for continuity of service while also assuring maximum economic efficiency. The focus on economic resources is vital. Every decision we make can affect or benefit an entire community».

The young engineer learned about Terna while studying for her dissertation. After a brief stint at another company, she officially joined Terna to work on the Market Operation and Analysis team of the Dispatching Division, with all the curiosity and expectations of a new recruit in her first role. She found herself working alongside a team of enthusiastic people who are ready for a new challenge, just like Perfetti.

«After earning a degree in energy engineering, I discovered my passion for dispatching when I attended a conference organised by Terna and La Sapienza University in Rome. Since then, I’ve been fascinated by anything to do with the electricity market». The conference was valuable in terms of gathering knowledge and information to prepare her for a career after university. Perfetti says «I was pleased to have an opportunity to explore these topics in my thesis», entitled «Procuring resources for the regulation of frequency and security of the electricity system faced with the evolution of the national electricity system and high penetration of renewables and energy storage».

«After joining Terna, I started working to develop this new market, now called the Pre-Day Ahead Market or MSD0», continues Perfetti, who sees this as the final step, the moment when all the hard work pays off. «Everything that was once on paper can now be seen in the real world. You have the satisfaction of knowing you made a contribution. I was involved in every step of the project, from the initial idea through to the feasibility study, its development and the tests on the Terna systems up to July of last year, when for the first time we activated an emergency procedure based on a thesis. It was really exciting».

But this isn’t the only project that Perfetti has seen through from the beginning. Her most recent project is Picasso (Platform for the International Coordination of Automated Frequency Restoration and Stable System Operation). This entails managing Terna’s involvement on the European platform “for the exchange of balancing energy from reserves”. «Again, I took part in every step, from modifying the network code to prepare for integration with the platform to developing the functional specifications and then designing the processes for implementation». The dry runs with the operators were conducted between April and June 2023, which marked an important milestone after the webinar organised by Terna in March. Picasso went live on 19 July 2023.

All this was possible thanks to a major team effort. Working for Terna has been an exciting opportunity for all those with an interest in energy and looking for a challenge in this industry. «You immediately have to start tackling complex activities, topics and issues» states Perfetti.

In Perfetti’s own words, her advice to anyone interested in a similar career is this: «You need to invest time, effort and hard work». Not only that, but «you also need to be consistent in everything you do, to make sure you reach your goals. Underneath it all, you need a desire to keep improving, learning and adding to your skill set». Most importantly, you have to love your job, «because if you do, and you stick with it, it makes a difference».