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Projects: Projects for Investigator
Reference Number	NIA_SSEPD_0027
Title	Low Cost LV Substation Monitoring
Status	Completed
Energy Categories	Other Power and Storage Technologies(Electricity transmission and distribution) 100%;
Research Types	Applied Research and Development 100%
Science and Technology Fields	ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Electrical and Electronic Engineering) 100%
UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation	Not Cross-cutting 100%
Principal Investigator	Project Contact No email address given Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution plc (SHEPD)
Award Type	Network Innovation Allowance
Funding Source	Ofgem
Start Date	01 March 2016
End Date	01 March 2018
Duration	24 months
Total Grant Value	£1,122,000
Industrial Sectors	Power
Region	Scotland
Programme	Network Innovation Allowance
Investigators	Principal Investigator	Project Contact , Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution plc (SHEPD) (99.999%)
	Other Investigator	Project Contact , Southern Electric Power Distribution plc (SEPD) (0.001%)
Web Site	http://www.smarternetworks.org/project/NIA_SSEPD_0027
Objectives	The aim of this project is to reduce the cost of LV monitoring to make it economically viable to fit LV monitoring devices in large volumes to the secondary substations. The cost of an existing LV monitoring system using figures obtained from the NTVV project is approximately £3,600 per substation This project aims to procure the basic communications unit for a target price in the region of £30 to £40. However, the biggest cost associated with the present methodology is the current measurement device e. g. 24 for a six way feeder pillar. Taking both these into account, it is intended that the project will deliver complete systems which can be procured for a figure in the region of £500 with the potential to lower costs if economies of scale can be achieved by purchasing the current measuring devices in sufficiently large quantities. The data parameters delivered will be similar to those obtained in the New Thames Valley Vision project. We expect a lower level of accuracy but still sufficiently accurate to determine the benefits which low cost monitoring of a large section of LV network can bring in terms of customer service, network planning and operational decisions. The data will also assist us in reporting asset health, criticality and monetised risk in line with the Common Methodology required by Ofgem. Demand clusters could be identified from the data together with the potential to identify pre-fault indications allowing early intervention. This project will be deemed successful if it can determine the technical and financial viability of low cost substation LV monitoring equipment in comparison with traditional higher cost equipment.
Abstract	Within the SHEPD and SEPD licence areas there are large numbers of 11Kv/415v secondary substations (around 100,000). Only a few of these secondary substations have any form of monitoring of the voltage and current values at the feeders or phases level. While the commercial market has a number of suitable and readily available monitoring devices, they are expensive to procure and install. Based on learning from the recent, LCNF tier 2 project - New Thames Valley Vision (NTVV) project, typical costs are around £3,600 per substation. If this voltage and current data was available at a lower cost it would be useful for operational decisions, network planning and customer service use as outlined below: Operational Decisions Records of "maximum" or "minimum" values would be easily assessed for significant periods (days, weeks, months, and possibly even years). This would be helpful in building a "big picture" view of the network performance to support decisions such as the suitability of back-feeds or generator sizing for planned works. Operational users usually have to strike a balance between seeking more accurate information (e. g. going to site to take readings of current or voltage) and relying on experience, intuition and judgement. The quicker they can access real trustworthy information (from monitoring equipment) the more likely they are to follow the more objective approach to decision making. Network Planning Accurate and detailed historic loading information from monitoring, particularly maximum and mean currents can be used by planners to respond to requests from customers for new and increased capacity connections. Planners have to strike a balance between seeking site based readings and employing more expedient heuristic techniques. Power quality information such as voltage harmonic content can be drawn upon to assist in initial decision making e. g. permitting a particular load to be connected. This data will also assist in assessing the consequences of actions such as permitting a connection. The monitoring system provides good quality information of "before" and "after" that can be used to objectively inform commercial and technical discussions with customers. Customer Service Enquiries from customers are diverse, including requests for new connections, concerns about their own service (load or voltage), or concerns about the performance of the network. The availability of comprehensive periodic data can allow DNOs to respond objectively. If a network performance issue is identified, this can be addressed in an informed manner, in line with other agreed procedures. Speed of response is crucial in meeting customers’ expectations and in complying with agreed procedures. Having access to a database that already contains the relevant periodic data is much quicker than visiting site for each request, deploying localised monitoring equipment for a week, then returning to site to recover the equipment, and downloading the data. By the installation of low cost monitoring devices consequential savings will be realised in the LV network by the deferment of a portion of the planned £38. 7M reinforcement cost. The proposal is to develop a system that can be fitted quickly, by a suitably trained competent person, and that will cost substantially less when purchased in the bulk quantities that SHEPD and SEPD are expected to require. This is a technical method to develop and test a quantity of low cost devices from different manufacturers which will measure voltage and current at the outgoing feeders from a number of secondary substations. A representative number of devices from each manufacturer will be trialled. Data will be transmitted via the GPRS network from each substation to a central data centre where it will be available to the network planners and other relevant licensee staff.Note : Project Documents may be available via the ENA Smarter Networks Portal using the Website link above
Publications	(none)
Final Report	(none)
Added to Database	31/08/18