Background
How energy is produced and used is expected to be transformed with the transition to a low-carbon energy system. This will have major impacts on how it is transferred from point of production to user, to ensure an economically efficient, secure and reliable supply of energy services. With supply and demand becoming increasingly variable, and potentially a shift towards greater electrification particularly at the household level, smarter systems will be need requiring new approaches and technologies to manage the networks. This is likely to affect how the transmission and distribution networks, particularly for electricity, are managed and monitored and greater demand-side controls along with smart meters.
Considerable effort has been put into understanding and coordinating the development of smart grids in the UK. However, as the technologies and understanding develops and evolves and with so many stakeholders involved, each with different interests, the definition of a smart grid can diverge. This project will review the current activity with the aim of understanding the various perspectives on smart systems, including the interaction between the gas and electricity systems and demand-side technologies. It will include understanding the perspectives of the various operators, with the aim of proposing a common language and identifying gaps in the research & development efforts.
Conclusions & Recommendations
ERP plans to publish a report from this work in early 2017.
Follow-up activities
TBC.
Steering Group
Project Chair
- Phil Sheppard, National Grid
Steering Group Members
- Duncan McCombie, Energy Savings Trust
- Damitha Adikaari, DECC
- Dave Openshaw, UK Power Networks
- Phil Proctor, Energy Technology Institute
- Nick Smailes, Technology Strategy Board
- Ron Loveland, Energy adviser to Welsh Government
- Ewen Cameron, Scottish Enterprise
- Gareth Evans, Ofgem
- Peter Jones, ABB
Further Information
Please contact Richard Heap from the ERP Analysis Team.
