ISEF Foundation

This article is interested in the teaching and learning of the notions recurrent algorithm and recursion in the 4thyear secondary school class, computer science section. Our main aim is to identify the difficulties and obstacles encountered by students when introducing these concepts in computer science classes. This work has enabled us to obtain several results, the most important of which relate to the complexity of these concepts, the fundamental link between algorithms and mathematical problem solving never being clearly explained in the new Computer Science curricula and the wide variety of formulations and limited understanding of the treatment of recurrent algorithms.

Local demand-side flexibility offers a cost-effective alternative to traditional grid reinforcement; however, participation remains in its infancy with its full potential yet to be unlocked. In particular, residential flexibility remains a vast and largely untapped resource. The innovative FUSION project investigated how to encourage flexibility from industrial, commercial and residential consumers with access to a broad spectrum of flexible assets connected to low voltage network. FUSION trialled commoditised local demand-side flexibility through a structured and competitive market, based on the Universal Smart Energy Framework (USEF) over an 18-month period. This paper discusses practical experience with flexibility markets, interaction with customers as well as the customer and aggregator experience with USEF innovative elements; a market coordination mechanism for standardising trading, a trading protocol for communication and data exchange between market participants, and the concept of 'free bids' enabling ad-hoc bidding outside of contractual arrangements. It also analyses the impact of baselining performance on the DSO and flexibility providers, as well the key DSO flexibility procurement cost drivers.