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NETWORK / 10 / MARCH 2017 T he demands on the energy system are increasing, driven by changes in our consumption and use. In 2015 we embarked on a project with a 2030 horizon, focusing on the transformation of the electricity system in Great Britain to enable the country to respond to the challenges of decarbonisation. By we, I mean the Energy Systems Catapult (for which I work) and the Institution of Engineering andƒTechnology (IET) – but we were not alone. Yes, we led, managed and supported the project, but we didn't do this in isolation; there was a broad range of organisations from across the power sector involved in this example of genuinely collaborative working. The outcomes of the Future Power System Architecture Project – FPSA for short – were made public last July at an event in central London. At the event, we also made six key recommendations: ● To align the development of the power system archi- tecture with major policy commitments. ● To create an implementation framework for delivery of the required functionality. ● To deepen and extend the functional analysis through further re" nement of functional requirements. ● To develop a transition route map to ensure market mechanisms are maximised and the need for inter- vention by the government is minimal. ● To extend the evaluation and identi" cation of research and development and innovation requirements. ● To maintain the momentum developed in the FPSA project by formalising and supporting cross-industry and inter-agency working. So here we are in early 2017, six months a– er the report launch and only 13 years away from the 2030 target. It's quite daunting when you consider how much can and must change in this timeframe. Such dramatic change is possible and there are some good examples from the past decade or so that have had a great impact on the way we live. We've gone from watching television in our living rooms through a black box at times de" ned by broadcasters to watching what we want, when we want through extremely powerful pocket-sized gadgets. This gives some idea of the scale of energy system change and behavioural change required to ensure we meet the 2030 target. We have now been given the green light to push ahead with FPSA2 thanks to funding from Innovate UK. The vision for FPSA2 is to work across the energy industry to understand more fully what is required and how the sector could work together to advance the implementation of the change in a co-ordinated way. The objective remains the same – to ensure power systems will be able to respond to the challenges presented by the energy trilemma: decarbonisation, security of supply and aš ordability. In line with the approach of the Energy Systems Catapult and the IET to the energy challenge, FPSA2 is taking a whole systems approach, considering not only the networks but also the customer, enabling us to understand and determine the opportunities for users, people like youƒand I, in our homes. Addressing some of the lessons fromƒthe " rst phase, FPSA2 will engage more widely across the industry, including with new and emerging players.ƒWe are also working with a number of external experts and specialists to deliver the project. Timescales are tight so it's a demanding, but also an exciting, challenge. We have organised the work inƒvarious packages to manage the projectƒmore eš ectively. As mentioned, this project is a good example of collaborative working and I am pleasedƒthis approach has continued inƒFPSA2. So, if you're interested, why not read the summary report, and if you feel you can add value to the project then please get in touch. Our focus in the coming months is to deliver FPSA2 and we are aiming to circulate our " ndings in the spring, so watch this space. ERIC BROWN HEAD OF INNOVATION "Such dramatic change is possible and there are some good examples from the past decade or so that have had a great impact on the way we live." R E S P O N D I N G T O T H E E N E R GY T R I L E M M A PA RT T W O ENERGY SYSTEMS CATAPULT