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The Australians, for example, have been at the forefront of the take-up of domestic solar, so we have a regular dialogue to understand how their networks and the regulatory frameworks for customers are evolving. We keep in touch with New York, because there are a lot of interest- ing developments there. We also talk to Californian utilities. This is a global phenomenon. I would say the UK is at the forefront, but there is a lot we can learn globally. The other thing to note about the pace of change is that it has made the energy industry a very exciting place and attractive place to work. It is a dynamic en- vironment. That's good, because we need good people to make the transition to the smart grid, and deliver. Q: How will connections be enabled for future customers who connect to the network? SG: They will be exible, digital connections. This is fast becom- ing the standard way of connect- ing to the network. Q: What is special about that method? SG: It is not a passive relation- ship between the customers and the DNO anymore. The customer can participate in markets that enable them to support the network's needs. The 8.5GW of connected distributed generation we currently have, can play a signi… cant part in supporting the grid – and reducing the need for reinforcement, saving money for those who are connecting, but for the wider customer base as well. Q: On the generation side, what do you expect the pre- dominant technologies to be that you are connecting to the network? SG: We will work with all technologies; whatever markets and economics dictate are the right mix of technologies, we will be prepared to facilitate them. Renewables and gas are playing a big role currently at distribution level. Of course, coupling storage with generation technologies is a game-changer. That was one of the reasons we were an early mover on storage having devel- oped Britain's … rst large-scale electricity storage facility in 2012. We have helped inform both our internal strategies and national policy on electricity storage as a result. NETWORK / 26 / NOVEMBER 2017 Energy storage: Delivering power locally The technology surrounding energy consumption and storage is receiving a huge amount of investment. So, why is it not the same for the operational models that will be needed to support these new technologies? Energy storage is essentially a local model, driven by local demand and opportunity. Its roll out will be pulsed with short, intensive periods of activity occurring across multiple different locations as opposed to one smooth phased implementation. And yet the current DNO model is optimised for exactly that - a predictable, long-term operation with marginal changes. The DSO operational model needs to be fundamentally different, but in what direction? The dispersed and sequential operational model has been the life of ISPs for years. ISPs are structured to expect a succession of intense activities in local areas, as a new fi bre bearer is laid, which then switches to a lower level of support activity. This ebb and fl ow requires both clear orchestration throughout the business, from the commercial front end to the local support teams, accompanied by a fl exible and mobile technical capability. Even after years of effort ISPs still struggle to deliver a consistent, seamless and hooked-up local service. Given that experienced and professional ISP businesses are struggling to deliver the business model that the energy sector is about to be forced to adopt, surely now is the time to start investigating new ISP-like operating models and seeing how they can best fi t the new world order. I N D U S T RY I N S I G H T INTERVIEW