Projects

Projects: Projects for Investigator

The project will address the following questions:

1. Whether and how an offset connection agreement could be structured to be commercially viable for a generator?
2. Whether and how an offset connection agreement could be structured and implemented to provide confidence to a DNO that the network will remain within operating limits?
3. What mix of low tariff, behavioural signals and technology options would be most effective in shifting demand?
4. What scale, longevity and reliability of demand side response would be achieved by the most effective method?

Expected Benefits:

1. Understanding of feasibility of an offset connection agreement for both DNO and developer (including legal arrangements)
2. Understanding of the capacity, longevity and reliability of domestic demand side response
3. Recruitment of over 200 participants in the trial, on time and on budget
4. Retention of at least 80% of participants through to the end of the trial
5. Learning gained in the project successfully disseminated.

Distribution Network Operators have an obligation to provide connections to customers in the most cost effective manner. However, due to the high penetration of distributed generation, several areas now require extensive reinforcement before additional generation can be connected. This can add significant time and costs to projects and can often make them unfeasible. Even with the introduction of alternative connections, where reinforcement costs are avoided on the acceptance of export constraint, the curtailment can be too severe for projects to be viable. As such there is continued interest in ways of connecting additional generation at minimal costs without compromising the security and quality of supply to existing customers. This project will investigate the feasibility of an "offset" connection agreement. With such an agreement, connection to a constrained network will be accepted with evidence that additional demand can be sourced to offset the generation. By incentivizing domestic demand shifting to times of peak PV output (10am-4pm, April to September), generation should be absorbed locally and have no effect on constraints at higher voltage levels. This project will trial a reduced "Sunshine Tariff" and determine the effect on demand profiles and its viability as the basis of a connection offer.Note : Project Documents may be available via the ENA Smarter Networks Portal using the Website link above