The Electricity Grid Scottish Power Energy Networks Overview Energy - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

The Electricity Grid Scottish Power Energy Networks Overview

Energy Technology Partnership Conference Dundee, April 2014

Presented by Kevin Smith, Scottish Power - Future Networks Lead Engineer

14 x Electricity ‘Boards’ Who provided a full range of electricity services:-

• Distribution Networks
• Electricity connections
• Electricity sales
• Metering
• Shops for appliances and payments
• Wiring and domestic appliance repair
• Income from ‘electricity bill’

Where did SP Energy Networks originate from?

7 x Network Operators

• 180+ ICP’s
• 18+ Energy Suppliers*
• 23+ Meter Operators*
• 00’s appliance retailers
• 000’s Meter card outlets
• 0000’s Electrical contractors
• Who repairs appliances these

days?

• Income from DUoS

* Some are separate divisions within DNO parent company Group

Distribution Licenses Customer Standards Price Controls Incentives Mechanisms Innovation Allowances

The Distribution Network Operators scene today

What do SP Energy Networks do?

• Look after the distribution network for South of Scotland, Merseyside and North Wales
• 3.5million customers (2m in SPD and 1.5m in SPM)
• Network value >£10billion
• 40,000km of overhead lines
• 70,000km of underground cables
• 30,000 electricity substations
• 4,000km of Transmission OHL and 320kM of cable connecting 129 Grid or SuperGrid

Substations

Ageing Assets Changing Energy Markets Extreme Weather Events Aging Workforce/ Skills Gap Integration

• f New

Technology Increased Embedded Generation Smart Metering/ Demand Control Energy Efficiency Intermittent Generation Community Owned Energy Systems Economic Growth Fuel Poverty/ Affordability Competition Political Uncertainty Energy Equity

Transparency Balance of Risk Sustainability Accessibility Reliability

What are the present challenges for SPEN?

Bi- Directional Networks

Ageing Assets Changing Energy Markets Extreme Weather Events Aging Workforce/ Skills Gap Integration

• f New

Technology Increased Embedded Generation Smart Metering/ Demand Control Energy Efficiency Intermittent Generation Community Owned Energy Systems Economic Growth Fuel Poverty/ Affordability Competition Political Uncertainty Energy Equity

Transparency Balance of Risk Sustainability Accessibility Reliability

Present challenges for SPEN

Bi- Directional Networks

SPD Equipment SPM Equipment Number / Length Customers supplied by each % Older than 40 years % Older than 50 years Number / Length Customers supplied by each % Older than 40 years % Older than 50 years Grid Substations 83 Around 23,000 35 15 110 Between 16,000 - 160,000 54 21 Primary Substations 500 Between 2,000 and 11,000 50 20 700 Between 2,000 - 11,000 33 6 Secondary Substations 17,500 Between 50 and 300 19 5 12,800 Between 50 and 300 61 18 In addition to these assets, we have approx. 20,000km of overhead lines, components of which 50% are older than 40 years.

Ageing Assets

Over the period 2015-2023 we are allocating £2.62bn to managing our ageing network, such as:

• 180,000 network faults.
• Inspecting and maintaining 30,000 substations, 70,000km cables and

40,000km of overhead lines

• 3.5million asset inspections.
• Clearing trees away from 5000km of overhead lines (storm

resilience).

• Maintaining around 900,000 items of network equipment.
• Replacing 30 Grid substations
• Replacing 84 Primary substations
• Extending the life of 84 Primary substations
• Replacing more than 2,500 Secondary substations
• Replacing more than 250,000 services inside customers homes &

buildings.

• Making 25% of our HV network and 32% of our LV network resilient

to storms

Ageing Assets Changing Energy Markets Extreme Weather Events Aging Workforce/ Skills Gap Integration

• f New

Technology Increased Embedded Generation Smart Metering/ Demand Control Energy Efficiency Intermittent Generation Community Owned Energy Systems Economic Growth Fuel Poverty/ Affordability Competition Political Uncertainty Energy Equity

Transparency Balance of Risk Sustainability Accessibility Reliability

Present challenges for SPEN

Bi- Directional Networks

Extreme weather events

• When the “once in every 100 years event” occurs just a

few years after the last one!

• Automated protection and supply restoration systems
• Remote control of network switching and reconfiguration
• Reducing numbers of customers affected for a fault
• Managing trees near overhead lines
• Substation flood risk analysis and mitigation
• Emergency plans in place

Daily Post

North Wales weather: 45,000 homes without power after storm force winds batter region

Ageing Assets Changing Energy Markets Extreme Weather Events Aging Workforce/ Skills Gap Integration

• f New

Technology Increased Embedded Generation Smart Metering/ Demand Control Energy Efficiency Intermittent Generation Community Owned Energy Systems Economic Growth Fuel Poverty/ Affordability Competition Political Uncertainty Energy Equity

Transparency Balance of Risk Sustainability Accessibility Reliability

Present challenges for SPEN

Bi- Directional Networks

Increased Embedded Generation

• The distribution network was designed for power

flowing from the power station to the customer

• Substantial rise in renewables take up
• Embedded generation can cause local voltage

rises

• Embedded generation is often

intermittent/unreliable

• Distribution network has to cope with power

flows in the ‘reverse’ direction = protection, asset capability and fault situation issues

(DECC 2013)

Ageing Assets Changing Energy Markets Extreme Weather Events Aging Workforce/ Skills Gap Integration

• f New

Technology Increased Embedded Generation Smart Metering/ Demand Control Energy Efficiency Intermittent Generation Community Owned Energy Systems Economic Growth Fuel Poverty/ Affordability Competition Political Uncertainty Energy Equity

Transparency Balance of Risk Sustainability Accessibility Reliability

Present challenges for SPEN

Bi- Directional Networks

Competition

• Two main areas where competition has been introduced;
• Connections and Distribution Network ownership
• 180+ Independent Connection Providers (ICP’s) – providing customer connections
• 6 licensed Independent Distribution Network Operators (IDNO’s) – owning and operating

embedded networks

• Obligation on DNO’s of Guaranteed Service standards

What about the future network challenges?

• Increasing demand on electricity networks through;
• Consumer thirst for gadgets and appliances
• Up take of electric vehicles
• Up take of low carbon heating, e.g. heat pumps
• More renewable generation power to transfer
• Increasing expectation of electricity availability
• More complex networks (Smart grids) and integration
• f technology with high volumes of network data
• Cost pressures against rising energy prices (on DUoS)
• Smart-Metering

(DECC 2013)

GB Industry average 65 interruptions per 100 customers p.a. SPM Urban network 13 interruptions per 100 customers p.a.

Reliable grids – alternative designs

Industry Typical

33/11kV 12/24MVA Open Point

SP Manweb Typical

33/11kV 7.5MVA 33/11kV 7.5MVA 33/11kV 7.5MVA

Network Innovation

• Major boost from Low Carbon Network Funding (LCNF)
• Maximising the utilisation of existing network assets
• Using technology developments to manage the network better
• Some areas of SPEN innovation development;
• Real Time Thermal Rating of apparatus (OHL’s and Transformers)
• Intelligent Network Automation
• Active Load and Voltage Network Management
• Voltage optimisation
• LV automatic fault restoration

End of the presentation But the start of a new era?