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NETWORK / 10 / DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019 LCNI REVIEW Network took to the floor at this year's Low Carbon Networks Innovation (LCNI) Conference and gathered the views of exhibitors. B urns & McDonnell has chal- lenged the industry to prepare for the rise in electric vehicles (EVs) if the UK wants to be a world leader in clean energy and low carbon transport. The company is an international en - gineering consulting firm leading efforts to plan and design low-carbon electric infra- structure, including a long-term investment strategy for the West Midlands and the UK. The firm is suggesting a range of options for UK energy infrastructure design and offered industry leaders attending the Low Carbon Networks & Innovation Conference (LCNI), the chance to test drive the latest EV technology first hand. A number of popular models were showcased: Jaguar I PACE, Hyundai Kona and Tesla X. Speaking at the conference, Jeff Casey, Burns & McDonnell's UK business develop - ment director, said: "This new and exciting technology presents a fantastic opportu- nity, but there are plenty of challenges to overcome. The clock is ticking and we have 11 years to make prudent investments in the energy infrastructure that will be required to support the enormous potential of EVs. The timing and rate of EV adoption is unknown but we do know we must plan, adapt and modify the infrastructure to support it. " Roger Hey, future networks manager at Western Power Distribution, told Network: "In terms of the stuff we've been sharing I'd say that the most frequently asked ques - tions have been around OpenLV and Electric Nation. Electric Nation because electric vehicles are everywhere. It's a great way to engage people in energy in terms of policy makers and government. It's a very accessible way of getting the general public to engage in it. With OpenLV, it's fascinating to see how people are genuinely excited about access to data. When we had that project and pitched it into Ofgem it's probably fair to say that there was quite a bit of nervousness from Ofgem's panel to award funding for that project because the hypothesis was we'll have some data, we'll put it out there and people will want to do things with it that we've not even thought of." OpenLV is a £6m project that's making local electricity data openly available – to the energy industry, community groups and app developers. It is designed to improve the capac - ity of the local low voltage (LV) electricity network. Hey continued: "We've been inundated with community groups and businesses wanting to use the data which has com - pletely vindicated it." Northern Powergrid showcased an early mock-up of one of its latest innovations - the 'Silent Power' project. The project has seen the development of a new electric response vehicle with an on-board energy storage system to supply homes while power is restored. It offers the operator a quieter, cleaner alternative to the traditional diesel-powered generators currently used – meaning better air qual - ity and less noise pollution for customers on its patch. Led by the innovation team at Northern Powergrid, the project brings together technology from UK SMEs, Hyper- drive Innovation and Offgrid Energy to build and then trial the technology. Visitors to Northern Powergrid's stand were able to see the vehicle prototype ahead of formal trials next year. Views from the floor More than 1,000 delegates attended this year's LCNI event. Northern Powergrid showcased its new electric response vehicle which features an on-board energy storage system. Attendees were given the chance to test drive the latest EV technology first hand.