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Reference Number	WPD_NIA_057
Title	Energy Planning Integrated with Councils
Status	Completed
Energy Categories	Other Cross-Cutting Technologies or Research (Energy system analysis) 80%; Other Power and Storage Technologies (Electricity transmission and distribution) 10%; Fossil Fuels: Oil Gas and Coal (Oil and Gas, Refining, transport and storage of oil and gas) 10%;
Research Types	Applied Research and Development 100%
Science and Technology Fields	PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Computer Science and Informatics) 10%; ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Electrical and Electronic Engineering) 45%; ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering) 45%;
UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation	Systems Analysis related to energy R&D 100%
Principal Investigator	Project Contact No email address given National Grid Electricity Transmission
Award Type	Network Innovation Allowance
Funding Source	Ofgem
Start Date	01 February 2021
End Date	01 December 2022
Duration	ENA months
Total Grant Value	£540,455
Industrial Sectors	Power
Region	London
Programme
Investigators	Principal Investigator	Project Contact , National Grid Electricity Transmission (99.998%)
	Other Investigator	Project Contact , Western Power Distribution (0.001%) Project Contact , Wales and West Utilities (0.001%)
	Industrial Collaborator	Project Contact , Western Power Distribution (0.000%)
Web Site	https://smarter.energynetworks.org/projects/WPD_NIA_057
Objectives	The project will develop a process to support the creation of an integrated local energy plan in a format that can be incorporated back into a DFES analysis. The local energy plans will then be used to modify the WPD Best View and WWU regional gas scenarios, which will then be used to determine the changes in profiles for electricity and gas usage. Power flow and gas flow analysis will determine the expected network issues resulting from those load and generation profiles and investments to overcome them will be proposed. For WPD the project will define and develop a new tool to enable the automated analysis of the HV network and use the existing Network Investment Forecast Tool (NIFT) to assess the impact on LV networks. For WWU the project will identify and develop potential enhancements to the process of incorporating local authority information in their investment plan. Similarly WWU will be enhancing the data that they use for analysis to reflect developments in the use of hydrogen and bio-methane. The planned investments on the electricity network will be combined with those from the gas utility and the local authority in a new tool to help determine the combined benefits of one set of potential investments against another set, the effect of changing the timing of investments etc. This tool is expected to assess the long term cost to the consumer using a Net Present Value (NPV) financial model and be able to assess the trade-off between the risk of regret cost versus the opportunity to support regional strategic development goals, such as decarbonisation, supporting local jobs etc.As well as considering cross network and non-network solutions the project will assess three different types of investment strategy: “Just in time investment” – which is broadly the baseline approach of making individual network investments only as and when network demand becomes apparent and connections applications are made. This approach minimises risk and regret cost, but foregoes the opportunity to harness economies of scale and economies for combining investments. It may also prove to be more expensive over the longer term potentially requiring multiple network upgrades. “One Touch or Fit for the future” investment under which investment is made as demand becomes apparent and connections are triggered but network assets are then future proofed by building in additional capacity to meet the anticipated growth in demand. “Strategic investment” which entails taking a more holistic approach to look at the totality of energy requirements across multiple sites and customers and developing a proposal to make anticipatory investment to unlock net zero and regional economic growth opportunities. This implies taking more risk but also seizing the opportunity to combine investments, harness economies of scale and collaboration. The process and supporting tool set will be trialled with between three selected trial areas within the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) area. The project will build on the existing process to build a DFES and analyse its impact which is currently used to create WPDs shaping sub-transmission reports which consider the 132kV and EHV networks. It will determine how to create a local energy plan and the impact this will have at LV and HV. The analysis of the networks and the generation of solutions and investment options will consider at least one primary substation in each of the selected trial areas. The work will be delivered in the following work packages. WP1 – Trial energy planning area selection Working with WECA and local authorities the project will select three suitable strategic development areas to reflect the variations between local authorities within the WECA region, a mix of urban and rural geographies, a range of energy requirements including new developments, energy efficiency, energy generation, green gas, transport and opportunities for flexibility and energy storage. During this work package the project will also define the scope and boundaries of the strategic areas and identify key energy opportunities/challenges to be considered.WP2 – Development of a local energy plan for each area. Including process design, trial design & support tool specification.During this work package the project will examine the existing planning processes for the local authority, electricity and gas networks. This will involve bringing together DFES data and planning data and energy requirements from local authority and WECA decarbonisation action plans, net zero analysis and existing transport, new development, energy efficiency and heat strategies. Using inputs from WECA and LAs the project will develop the process to create a Local Energy Plan in a format that can then be compared with, and incorporated into, network DFES forecasts. The process definition will including the data exchanges, timings, roles, methods of engagement, data gathering, forecasting assumptions etc. The Ofgem published Local Area Energy Plan methodology developed by CSE and the Energy System Catapult will be used as a basis.This process will then be carried for the three trial areas, working with WECA and Local Authority teams, to create Local Energy Plans. Alongside the development of a Local Energy Plan this element of the project will identify and define the requirements for new and enhanced support tools required for both local energy data exchange, network planning and investment appraisal. The way in which the different investment strategies will be modelled will be decided as will the range of sensitivity analysis required. These decisions will feed into the specifications for the various support tools including : New HV analysis tools – see WP4E Use of the NIFT toolset for the LV network Development of a Plan development support tool – See WP3 Enhancements to existing gas network analysis tools – see WP4G WP3 – Plan development support tool – detailed design, development, testing & documentation This will develop a tool to compare planned investments from the local authority, electricity and gas networks to create an Integrated Investment Plan. The tool will support selecting between options using criteria that reflect the value more holistically, different investment strategies and will identify potential synergies that could be exploited by amending the planned investments. The project will first assess the potential to develop the Cost Benefit Analysis tool developed as part of the Open Networks project to provide the required functionality to avoid duplication of effort if possible. WP4E – Electricity HV analysis tool detailed design, development & delivery This work package will automate the process for analysing HV networks and will include the process by which the local energy plans are used to reflect the changes to future load / generation profiles. WP4G – Gas network analysis tool developmentThis work package will develop new data assumptions to assist with modelling future gas supplies, storage and demands in general to assist with the creation of the local energy plan. The data areas in scope are: the optimum pressure/velocity values for 100% and blended hydrogen the capacity impacts of moving to hydrogen due to its lower calorific value other capacity impacts of moving to hydrogen due to e.g. different compressibility factors bio-methane and within grid compression The outputs of this work package will be used as a set of analysis assumptions. WP5G – Gas network Analysis for trial areas This will use the support tool developed in WP4G to assist with the analysis of the impact of the Local Energy Plans on the gas network. Network investment options will be developed. WP5E – Electricity network analysis for trial areasThis will use the tool developed in WP4E together with the NIFT to analyse electricity networks associated with at least one primary substation within each trial area and provision of investment options. WP5 – Network analysis for trial areas This covers the network analysis for the electricity and gas network in the three trial areas. On the electricity side HV and LV network analysis will be conducted for at least one selected primary substations within each of the trial areas. The analysis will identify the network issues that are encountered in different timeframes and the investments required to ensure the network complies with standards. This will include non-network solutions where possible. WP6 - Integrated plan development with stakeholders The Plan development support tool that was created in WP3 will then be used with the data from the network analysis trial areas to create an Integrated Investment Plans for each area. WP7 - Evaluation & Learning reportThe various elements of the project will be evaluated, such as the degree of added value from the Integrated Investment Plan compared to the original separate plans, the sensitivity of the analysis to particular factors, whether the results suggest any shortcuts that could be made in future iterations etc. WP8 – Dissemination & Closedown The results of the project will be shared via webinars and reports.Running alongside the EPIC project, and taking input from the EPIC work package 2, Regen have been commissioned by WECA to complete an Infrastructure Requirements Plan for the South West Bristol strategic area. This high level infrastructure plan will feed into the Infrastructure Master Planning that WECA is currently undertaking for the SW Bristol area. Owing to the timing of the Infrastructure Master Plan (which will be completed by May 2021) this parallel workstream will provide a relatively high level view of the infrastructure requirements of the strategic area which will not involve detailed network planning. Input and benchmark guidance from WPD and WWU network planning teams will however be provided. This work package is not part of the EPIC NIA budget and will be funded by separate arrangement between WECA and Regen. The EPIC project partners are however happy to support the work to ensure that the EPIC outputs from work package 2 can feed into the SW Bristol study. The objective of the project are to; Develop a standardized process that can be used with different local authorities to create a local energy plan. To create energy plans for the three trial areas To determine how to reflect the local energy plans in the DFES used for network planning purposes To disaggregate the DFES data to support LV and HV planning To develop a tool to support automated analysis of HV networks and suggest network remedies To analyse the HV and LV networks associated with at least one primary substation in the trial areas and provide a view of the network and non-network solutions under different investment strategies To develop a tool to allow the investment plans for electricity networks, gas networks and the local authorities to be compared to identify potential synergies To use the tool to create an Integrated Investment Plan in the trial areas. To refine the processes to reflect the learning gained during the project.
Abstract	This project involves developing a new process to share information with councils to develop energy plans in a consistent format. The energy plans are then used to modify the planning assumptions used by the electricity and gas utilities that are captured in the distribution future energy scenarios, and the impact of changed future gas and electricity profiles is then analysed for electricity and gas networks . For electricity Low Voltage networks this will be achieved using the Network Investment Forecast Tool and for High Voltage electricity networks a new tool designed by the project to automate analysis using Sincal. Proposed investments to resolve future identified network issues are then combined with proposed investments from the Local Authority in another new tool to identify synergies and create an Integrated Investment Plan. The project will involve collaborative work between Regen, WECA, WPD and WWU to develop energy and integrated plans with EA Technology and PSC providing the analysis and tools for LV and HV networks respectively.
Publications	(none)
Final Report	(none)
Added to Database	19/10/22