Utility Week

20 | 2ND - 8TH NOVEMBER 2018 | UTILITY WEEK Operations & Assets Analysis T he evolution of the UK's energy system to become decentralised, decarbonised and digitalised is well under way. Some 99.3TWh of electricity was generated by renewables in 2017 compared with 21.6TWh in 2008. Meanwhile, consumers are not just users of energy but can now generate, store and even sell it back to the grid. The growth of electric vehicles is poised to take this trend even further. However, the grid is not yet fully capa- ble of handling the new reality of electricity flowing in different directions from a large number of smaller, intermittent generators. Without radical changes, costly upgrades to energy network infrastructure will be nec- essary – a report by the Carbon Trust and Imperial College London estimated the bill at £17-40 billion between now and 2050. However, if distribution network opera- tors (DNOs) are successful in developing new technology, and the business models to take it to market, they could boost decarbonisa- tion by enabling more renewable generation on to the grid while also reducing costs to customers. As they move from their traditional role of simply distributing electricity to playing a far more active role in balancing supply and demand, DNOs have been researching, developing and trialling innovative ideas to deal with decentralisation. Some 1,400 pro- jects have taken place since 2004, according to trade body the Energy Networks Associa- tion (ENA). Randolph Brazier, head of innovation and development at the ENA, says one of the highlights of projects so far has been integrating findings from research on flex- ible connections and active network man- agement schemes into everyday business operations. "The fact that this innovation has been rolled out into business as usual is a real milestone. Some of this has been on the back of their own trials, while other DNOs Dealing with decentralisation Networks face huge challenges in tackling the shift to a decarbonised and decentralised electricity grid. But research and development is beginning to reap rewards, Catherine Early reports. Wales & West Utilities: the Freedom Project The accepted view in energy policy and industry circles just a few years ago was that heating in buildings would be decarbonised by electric heating systems replacing gas boilers, with hybrid systems as a transitional phase. Wales & West Utilities set out to chal- lenge that with the £5.2 million Freedom Project. Trialled in South Wales, it has investi- gated the consumer, network and energy system implications of domestic smart- controlled hybrid heating systems, which provide heat by switching between a gas boiler and an air source heat pump accord- ing to the cost of the fuel. As part of the Freedom Project, led by West & Wales Utilities, Western Power Distri- bution (WPD) and PassivSystems, 75 hybrid heating systems were installed in residen- tial properties in Bridgend, South Wales, in 2017. Householders can set the time when they want their home to be warm, and the 1 9 Heat pump outdoor unit SmartRail electricty meter Sontex heat meter HVAC relay, space heating Internet HVAC relay, hot water (system boilers only) Other circuits Other gas use (e.g. cooking) Loop Gas monitor Loop Electricity monitor Distribution board Gas supply Electricity supply Hub/box Room thermostat Hot water tank (system boilers only) Diverter valve and bypass (MasterTherm only) Radiators/ heat delivery system Bedroom temperature and humidity sensor Cold in/hot water out (combi boilers only) Pipe sensor string Gas boiler have followed ideas developed by other net- works," he says. But what have DNOs learnt so far? Myr- iad projects have investigated ways to allow more generation on to the grid, reduce household demand at peak times, remove the need for back-up power during power station outages and even decarbonise heat. Utility Week spoke to five DNOs about some of their recent pilots to find out what worked, what challenges each faced and what will follow. SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM OF PHYSICAL EQUIPMENT DEPLOYED IN A FREEDOM INSTALLATION "The fact that this innovation has been rolled out into business as usual is a real milestone" RANDOLPH BRAZIER, ENA

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