Utility Week

Customers 22 | 6TH - 12TH JULY 2018 | UTILITY WEEK Analysis T alking about the weather, queueing and drinking tea are just three traits the British are famed for. But add to that the love of a classic televi- sion moment because even in this enlight- ened digital age of pre-recorded shows and box sets, viewing habits continue to create massive spikes in energy use that National Grid has the unenviable task of being ready for. As a spokesperson from British Gas puts it: "Only in the UK can you literally set your watch by surges in electrical activity." National Grid agrees and says: "There is no other country in the world that experi- ences power demand surges from television events in the same way." These huge rushes in power demand – referred to as TV spikes – happen during advert breaks as millions of people simulta- neously open the fridge or boil the kettle. Generally the largest pick-up of the day comes at 9pm, when several primetime tel- evision shows end. But it's not always that easy for National Grid to predict an energy spike, particularly when it comes to sport. The World Cup is one such unpredictable event. National Grid says demand for elec- tricity soared by 600MW across the UK when England took on Tunisia in their World Cup opener on 18 June. And looking forward, with temperatures set to reach 27C as the heatwave continues, sales of jumbo flat-screen televisions, bar- becue kits, beer and ice cream will continue to soar, as will the demand for power. Duncan Burt, director of system opera- tions at National Grid, says: "If England progress past the group stage and into the knock-out rounds, we anticipate these spikes will get bigger and bigger as more people tune in." He adds: "It's our job as system operator to balance the country's supply and demand of electricity second-by-second in real time and transport it from where it is generated to where it is needed. "With the increased popularity of catch- up TV, tablet devices and other social changes that have changed the nation's viewing habits, it's vital we are able to antici- pate these trends and predict how people will behave." How it works In layman's terms, a national balancing engi- neer watches a map of the whole grid. When that engineer knows a "pick-up" is on the way, specialised power stations from Snow- donia to Scotland are put on standby. These hydroelectric plants can send thousands of tonnes of water plunging down the hillside at a moment's notice, generating huge bursts of power in a matter of seconds. There are other sources of power to help tackle surges in demand. It is not unknown to glean power in a similar way from French power stations when the anticipated surge is particularly huge. At the touch of a keyboard at the opportune moment by the engineer, vast turbines across the country (and some- times the Channel) rumble into life. The engineer gives them an estimated figure in megawatts of how much power they need to supply to the grid. If one trips or fails, instructions are sent to another, which has moments to cover the shortfall and avoid a power outage in part of the country. The engineer watches a flickering fre- quency indicator constantly. The reading must be kept as close as possible to 50Hz at all times. If there's not enough power in the World Cup: don't blow a fuse Televised sporting events such as the current football spectacle in Russia mean National Grid must deal with sudden surges and drops in demand. Alice Cooke hears how it tackles the problem. Key pick-up facts A TV pick-up is a spike in demand that oc- curs when lots of people boil kettles, open fridge doors or turn the lights on at the same time, which is oen when a televi- sion programme has ended or during an ad break. The current record was set during the 1990 World Cup semi-final between England and West Germany, reaching 2,800MW. If England reach the final in July and a nail- biting match ending in penalties leaves supporters glued to their seats, National Grid is forecasting demand could climb by up to 2,000MW. UK ELECTRICITY DEMAND DURING THE 2013 MEN'S WIMBLEDON FINAL VS A WEEK EARLIER 31,800 31,600 31,400 31,200 31,000 30,800 30,600 30,400 30,200 30,000 29,800 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 16:00 Time (BST) Match begins Djokovic breaks 220MW Murray breaks 125MW End of 1st set 300MW End of 2nd set 300MW Djokovic breaks back 300MW People gather to see Murray win 800MW drop Murray breaks for match 220MW drop Murray breaks back 200MW Murray finishes his winning speech 430MW pick-up End of presentation 630MW pick-up The walk of glory 270MW End of broadcast 280MW pick-up Murray wins Demand (MW) 17:00 17:30 18:00 19:00 18:30 16:30 15:30

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