The design of our electricity grid is out of date • The grid was designed to optimise fossil fuels , using checks and balances that existed before the internet and smart technology . It served us well. • 60 years ago, user demands couldn’t be controlled , only predicted and met; producing a pattern of peaks and troughs. • The grid becomes unstable if supply isn’t enough to meet demand or exceeds it. So power stations or diesel generators are ‘switched on’ to during the peaks and then turned off again. The peaks and troughs are getting steeper as we electrify transport and heating. • Balancing supply and demand by adjusting the ‘supply side’ is getting more challenging because, in contrast to coal or gas, renewable energy has flux and changeability .
If 5% of peak demand was met by demand side solutions the grid would be £200 million a year cheaper to run
In 2015 , we paid £90 million to wind farms not to produce electricity when the wind blew, because the surge of power would be too much to handle
12.7GW of demand-led flexibility would improve the efficiency of the system by at least £3 billion a year
We need to imagine better • But for many it’s hard to imagine an alternative design that could work differently or better than the current 20 th century design • Complex ecosystems are beautifully adapted for storing, using, transforming and delivering renewable energy - 3.8 What if our energy billion years of evolution in the living systems around us can system was life- inspire an energy system fit for the 21 st century. friendly, rather than contributing • What if we applied nature’s design principles to innovating to problems like our energy system so it is locally attuned, dynamic, resource climate change that threaten efficient, self-organising, resilient and adaptable? health?
Welcome to The Living Grid A growing community of pioneering organisations forming a new energy system that takes inspiration from nature to deliver, store and use electricity. We aim to spark a change in the design of our existing grid to make it more efficient, resilient and adapted for renewable energy, using emerging technologies and new ways of working. To do this, we’re looking to demonstrate how a nature -inspired approach can work, to show what is possible and inspire a change in mind-sets.
Clear signals of change… Smart power – principally built around We are at a moment of real change in the energy industry. From an historic perspective we created energy three innovations, interconnection, in big generating organisations that sent power to storage, and demand flexibility – houses and their businesses. Now we are producing could save consumers up to £8 billion energy in those places - mostly with solar power. a year by 2030, help the UK meet its Nicola Shaw, National Grid Executive Director, 2016 2050 carbon targets, and secure the Over the next decade, the UK's energy system will see a UK’s energy supply for generations . profound shift towards a more flexible and dynamic system. Consumers - both businesses and households - National Infrastructure will become much more engaged in how they use, Commission, March 2016 manage, and even produce energy. Michelle Hubert CBI Head of Infrastructure, 2016
Our grid is linear and centralised It can be flexible and interactive For a grid that’s low carbon as well as secure and Tailor-made for optimising fossil fuels, the design of afford we need a new design that can optimise our current grid can’t use energy generated from renewable energy renewable sources in an efficient way - + affordable affordable
Our journey so far… Phase 1 – Concept development. Phase 2 – Collaboration with Open Energi, kick-start the DSR demonstrator and begin wider communications (soft launch). Phase 3 – (Now) Further outreach, building a collective vision of our energy system and explore other parts of The Living Grid. We’re talking to: What if our energy • Community energy groups system were made • Energy managers and corporate users up of dynamic • System designers relationships that • Built environment experts continually self- • Communication platforms organised and are • Universities and research institutions locally attuned, like • Local Authorities and public agencies ecosystems in …we want to collaborate and build this together! nature?
Peer-to-peer We want to: community Accelerate the uptake of diverse technologies by empowering energy users to ‘push’ for the growth of related markets . Network of Prove the large scale viability of demand-side management and the diverse, internet- significant role it can play in our energy future. enabled technologies Challenge accepted wisdoms that tell us demand-side management (and other technologies) can’t be mainstream, that a grid powered almost entirely by renewable energy is not a credible possibility. Big picture story for Galvanise the voice and influence of energy users using a new narrative change that reimagines the design of our grid in ways that work well for everyone.
Building The Living Grid We are searching for pioneering individuals and organisations to build The Living Grid: Design partners, Corporate partners, Learning partners, Champions and Technology partners Our key partner, Open Energi, shares The Living Grid’s conviction that large energy users, acting together, have the potential to transform our energy system into one that is more efficient and sustainable. Open Energi has expressed its commitment by donating a portion of its proceeds to an Innovation Fund that will help catalyse a radically new energy ecosystem. We hope to grow this fund as new partners join the community.
The Living Grid: a growing number of possibilities Storage Electrification and battery of mobility Peer-to-peer technology communities Integrated and local urban markets design Demand-side Community response energy Block chain
Our first demonstration project: DSR
Demand-side management in practice Applying ‘Intelligent demand response’ technologies Open Energi – Steven Clarke
First Phase Technology Partner Open Energi
First Phase Technology Partner Open Energi Dumb Energy consumers usually operate in isolation. Connected the first phase is focused on enabling larger consumers to interact and adjust their individual use of electricity to benefit the system as a whole. Tiny, automated adjustments to electricity use, without affecting performance.
Open Energi | Timeline
Open Energi | Portal
Open Energi | Platform Development
Open Energi | Innovation A new energy economy is emerging in which energy supply and demand are both dynamic and connected:
Living Network Dumb Energy consumers usually operate in isolation, their energy demands overlap unnecessarily, causing peaks. Connected the first phase is focused on enabling larger consumers to interact and adjust their individual use of electricity to benefit the system as a whole. Tiny, automated adjustments to electricity use, without affecting performance.
United Utilities has implemented intelligent demand response technology at 10 of its larger wastewater treatment plants By 2020, it will: - free up to 20MW of power capacity for National Grid, - saving the UK 45,520 tonnes of carbon per year AND - further increase its revenues: currently £200K a year . “Energy is one of our biggest costs and it’s vital that we get smarter at how we use it. In supporting the Living Grid we’re proud to show the huge scope for the water industry to use electricity in a more flexible way – meaning sustainable lower bills for our customers and a move towards a lower carbon economy.” Jonathan Dobson, United Utilities
Aggregate Industries has fitted intelligent demand response technology to 40 of its bitumen tanks on its asphalt plants. United Utilities has implemented intelligent demand response technology at 10 of its larger wastewater treatment plants • Bitumen tanks are ideal for Dynamic Demand because their consumption of electricity is not time critical By 2020, it will: • Equates to 11,380 tonnes of carbon savings for the UK per year - free up to 20MW of power capacity for National Grid, • Also identified significant energy savings in the region of - saving the UK 45,520 tonnes of carbon per year AND 350,000kWh per year - return >£5m cash to UU . “Energy is one of our biggest costs and it’s vital that we get smarter at how Recently begun equipping pumps at quarry sites we use it. In supporting the Living Grid we’re proud to show the huge scope for the water industry to use electricity in a more flexible way – meaning “Through our partnership with the Living Grid network, we’ll share our sustainable lower bills for our customers and a move towards a lower carbon experience of this emerging technology and encourage others to take up the economy.” opportunity too, to create a positive change in the energy system.” Jonathan Dobson, United Utilities Donna Hunt, Head of Sustainability
Time for you to explore further Carousel exercise: 2 groups, 20mins, swap 1.Deeper dive into The Living Grid as a way to reimagine our energy system …with Heidi in breakfast room 2.Deeper dive into DSR and OE proposition …with Steven in this room
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