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NETWORK / 30 / MAY 2016 Network Innovation Allowance: Key Themes Networks will be able to meet the challenges presented by the future only by continu- ally innovating, a process they are currently supported to do through various funding schemes. The Network Innovation Competition more often than not grabs the headlines with its big budget projects, but networks are also given a set allowance through the RIIO price control to fund smaller commercial or opera- tional projects that have the potential to deliver financial benefits to customers. Here, Network identi- fies three key themes that have emerged from Network Innova- tion Allowance projects registered so far in 2016. INNOVATION THEMES Environmental concern Network operators should always be seeking to incorporate new materials as they are developed in other fields to improve working methods, asset health, lifespan, and potentially lower costs. Such is the case with SP Energy Net- works' Suscable project, which seeks to deliver a 35kV cable with a higher temperature operating range. The developed cable will also use completely recyclable polymer blend materials. A push towards using materials that are less damaging to the environment is a feature of many projects, both from a desire from the networks themselves to be more environmentally conscious, and from outside rules and regulations which limit the use of already established materials, such as creosote. Key Projects: Environmentally Acceptable Wood Pole Pre-treatment Alternatives to Creosote (APPEAL) Network companies: Northern Powergrid, ENW, SSEPD, SPEN Budget: £330,032 Time Span: two years six months Aim: To find an alternative to creosote for the pre-treatment preservation of overhead line wood poles. Creosote for ama- teur use is already banned, with a further revision planned for 2018. Feasibility study on the application of advanced materials Network companies: NGET Budget: £160,000 Time Span: 18 months Aim: To identify opportunities to use advanced materials to en- hance the performance or extend the life of existing equipment with a lower environmental impact. The project will particularly focus on paper insulation and high temperature materials. Monitoring and analytics A key concern for network operators is to maximise the lifespan of existing assets, many of which were installed before modern methods of monitoring and analytics were developed, leaving operators in the dark over the health and capabilities of the asset. Several projects are looking to introduce new technology to monitor the health of assets such as tap changers, or provide insight to aid operational decisions and network planning. At the same time a trend is emerging of a move towards modernising data about the energy system, such as transitioning asset records from flat 2D records to 3D visualisations. Key Projects: Low Cost LV Substation Monitoring Network companies: SHEPD, SEPD Budget: £1,122,000 Time Span: two years Aim: To develop a system for monitoring voltage and current values at the feeders or phases level of secondary substations to aid operational decisions, net- work planning and allow faster responses to customer requests. Asset Information Models (AIM) for Component/Pattern Recognition Network companies: NGGT Budget: £662,000 Time Span: 12 months Aim: To create a methodology for efficiently creating asset records in a 3D model format to form an asset information model and building on the previous building information modelling project. Gas Future Flowing from government's inclination to move away from natural gas as the UK's primary fuel for heating, gas networks are understandably keen to cement a future for themselves by investigating the potential for using alternative gases such as hydrogen in the system. At a higher level the gas networks are also undertaking a holistic study, articulating the net benefits to UK consumers and the UK economy of retaining the gas networks. Key Projects: Energy Map and Plan Network companies: NGGD, NGGT, NGN, SGN, WWU Budget: £193,314 Time Span: eight months Aim: To complete a holistic study that clearly articulates the net benefits to UK consumers and the UK economy of retaining the gas networks within the energy infrastructure mix within the context of decarbonisation targets, decentralisation, technology innovation and supply and demand changes. Hystart Network companies: NGGD, NGN Budget: £246,420 Time Span: four months Aim: The project is a desktop/ laboratory study to identify what areas need addressing to allow an increase in gas safety management regulations in order for hydrogen to be used in the gas grid. Current rules limit hydrogen in the natural gas grid to 0.1mol%, and this is seen as a barrier for the introduction of hydrogen.