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NETWORK / 30 / MARCH 2020 T here is now overwhelming scientific consensus that human generated carbon dioxide emissions are driving major instabilities in weather systems, with consequent significant economic, social and political disruption. Climate change has emerged as the pre-eminent chal - lenge for humanity in the 21st Century, and now we have the technology to deliver a total energy transformation, the menu of zero-carbon energy options is growing apace. But this very diversity is the next big challenge. How do we manage increasingly complex flows of energy from vast numbers of small-scale localised energy generators? How do we deal with the roll-out of electric vehicles? How do we balance supply with demand? Is energy trading really an option for the future? The Keele University solution Keele University is 100% committed to the agenda with an ambitious target to achieve net zero by 2030. The university has embed- ded sustainability into every aspect of its operations and curriculum, has achieved a place in the top 25 sustainable universities (UI Green Metric World Rankings), and its Institute for Sustainable Futures is deliver - ing research of international significance. Keele is at the forefront of the drive to- wards developing new models for localised sustainable energy, hosting Europe's SEND project – partnered with global smart infra- structure provider, Siemens. Keele also owns and operates its own energy grid across multiple energy vectors – a living laboratory where, for the first time, a host of new low-carbon technologies can be integrated with sophisticated, intelligent, so˜ware-based supply and demand monitor - ing and management systems. Over the last three years Keele and Siemens have remodelled the high voltage power network. The 11kV network of sub- stations has been upped to 25, increasing load management and power-flow flexibil- ity. Thousands of new energy sensors and controls have been installed and new smart meters are going into homes and offices – all feeding into the so˜ware control system. Over the last decade Keele reduced its energy consumption by 25%, despite significant growth in student numbers, but current consumption is still about 13.5 GWh of electricity per annum. But there is still a long way to go. Keele now has planning permission for an energy farm – 6MW of solar photovoltaic, 1.9MW of wind turbines and 1.0 MWh battery storage. Bringing it all together The Keele University SEND project is the first to bring together key smart technologies in a real-world environment – all controlled from a purpose-built energy control centre. The systems are near completion and are cur- rently undergoing site acceptance testing. This so˜ware solution will give Keele what is effectively a joystick; steering en- ergy production and consumption to deliver on energy security, carbon reduction targets and economic costs and benefits. Keele will be able to set the targets, the system will do the rest – using an ever-growing harvest of data and sophisticated algorithmic analysis. On the energy supply side is a supervi - sion, control and data acquisition system from Siemens called Spectrum Power 5, monitoring and controlling the high voltage power distribution network and collecting data on power demands. This will com - municate with the other elements of the system to match supply with demand, manage flows to cut carbon emissions, reduce costs and maximise the university's self-sufficiency. It will also manage power outages with sophisticated fault detection and 'self-healing' technology, minimising the impacts. The demand side will be managed by a decentralised energy management system (DEMS), plugging into a network of thou - sands of smart meters, the existing building energy management systems and building management sensors in homes and build- ings across the campus. These will feed anonymised data on energy use through to the energy centre live 24/7. The DEMS so˜ware will build up a comprehensive picture of energy patterns and usage, helping predict and manage the energy production and user demands. The university has hundreds of pieces of individual plant including heating pumps, air handling unit fans and air conditioning systems which have been wired into the intelligent management system. Sophis - ticated building energy management will respond to live changes and plug into other university systems, such as building use SMART GRID RESEARCH On an even Keele Keele University is Europe's model for intelligent energy grid research, developing new models for localised sustainable energy and hosting Europe's £15 million Smart Energy Network Demonstrator (SEND) project