Network Resilient Zone Utilising Embedded Generation - Feasibility Study

Completed

Other Power and Storage Technologies(Electricity transmission and distribution)

Applied Research and Development

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Electrical and Electronic Engineering)

Not Cross-cutting

Project Contact
Scottish and Southern Energy plc

Network Innovation Allowance

Ofgem

01 July 2015

01 September 2015

2 months

£35,000

Power

Scotland

Network Innovation Allowance

Project Contact, Scottish and Southern Energy plc

The aim of this project is to determine the viability of options to permit the operation of a remote rural network containing renewable generation and energy storage in island mode. The delivery of a study which determines the viability of options to permit the operation of a remote network in island mode.

Within the SHEPD license area there are a large number of rural communities. These are normally fed by radial 11 kV overhead lines with no alternative source of supply. Increasingly, these communities have renewable generation connected to the local distribution network. Conventionally when the network fails either due to weather related events or equipment failure this renewable generation disconnects itself from the network until the fault is rectified and the electrical network is returned to normal. Many of these rural communities have difficult access arrangements such as the ones located on islands where the only access is by boat which can often exacerbate the delay in reconnection due to their remoteness. The method is to determine the potential to improve the resilience of supply to remote communities by undertaking a feasibility study on the viability for the electricity supply to the community on the island of Gigha to be supported by the local embedded renewable generation. The network would operate in true ‘island’ mode in the event of a failure of the usual supply to the island as the existing wind generation and energy storage installations would assist in off-grid island operation. Innovative technical and commercial arrangements will be required and there may be a requirement for additional assets to allow the island to operate in an island mode. The local distribution network would operate effectively under fault conditions and reconnect the island back to the mainland once grid power has been restored.Note : Project Documents may be available via the ENA Smarter Networks Portal using the Website link above

14/09/18