Issue link: https://fhpublishing.uberflip.com/i/1003889
MEETING DEMAND By the time you are reading this England could be getting ready to play in the World Cup nal. At the time of writing the Three Lions are just hours away from playing Colombia in the second round so there are quite a few games to get through before securing a place in the nal. Hopefully Network readers won't blame me if we subsequently go out. To be fair I think you'll struggle to nd a more pessimistic England supporter than me. Anyway, how does all this relate to the sector we're working in I hear you cry? Last month we reported online that National Grid saw demand for electricity soar by 600 megawatts across the UK when England took on Tunisia in their World Cup opener. Known as a 'TV pick-up', this spike in demand occurs when people boil kettles, open fridge doors or turn the lights on at the same time, o‰ en when a television programme has ended or during an ad break. If England reach the nal, National Grid is forecasting that demand could climb up to 2000MW. The increased popularity of catch-up TV, tablet devices and other social changes have changed the nation's viewing habits, and according to National Grid it's important that they anticipate these trends and predict how people will behave. These increased demands on electricity tie-in with one of the focuses in this issue – protection, monitoring and control. Any interruption to power causes inconvenience to customers and businesses if the problem is not dealt with quickly. Technology can help engineers nd the source of faults much more quickly, minimising the length of power cuts and potential dangers and in some cases even stopping them happen altogether. The number of assets connected to the grid has increased rapidly over the years and the pressure on networks has never been greater. Whilst the weight of the nation's shoulders will be on the England team throughout the World Cup, it's worth remembering that managing the electricity system is a constant pressure. THE FUTURE 32) An appetite for EVs Launched in May, Pivot Power's plan to develop a world-fi rst 2GW network of grid-scale batteries and rapid electric vehicle (EV) charging hubs across the UK has created waves throughout the industry. Network caught up with the company's founders. NETWORK / 5 / JULY/AUGUST 2018 L E A D E R C O M M E N T C OMING SO ON ∙ A focus on community energy ∙ Electrifying road transport ∙ Assessing cyber threats YOUR NET W ORK Give the people what they want Let us know what projects, technologies and topics you want us to cover. Have your say Express your opinions and respond to content by blogging or writing for the magazine. A social Network Follow us on Twitter: @Network_mag Email the editor: alecpeachey@fav-house.com Alec Peachey alecpeachey@fav-house.com the weight of the nation's shoulders will be on the England team throughout the World Cup, it's worth remembering that managing the electricity system is a constant