Projects
Projects: Projects for Investigator |
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| Reference Number | NIA_WPD_039 | |
| Title | Network Islanding Investigation | |
| Status | Completed | |
| Energy Categories | Other Cross-Cutting Technologies or Research(Energy system analysis) 20%; Other Power and Storage Technologies(Electricity transmission and distribution) 80%; |
|
| 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 60%; Systems Analysis related to energy R&D (Other Systems Analysis) 30%; Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Policy and regulation) 10%; |
|
| Principal Investigator |
Project Contact No email address given Western Power Distribution |
|
| Award Type | Network Innovation Allowance | |
| Funding Source | Ofgem | |
| Start Date | 01 January 2019 | |
| End Date | 01 February 2020 | |
| Duration | ENA months | |
| Total Grant Value | £224,408 | |
| Industrial Sectors | Power | |
| Region | South West | |
| Programme | Network Innovation Allowance | |
| Investigators | Principal Investigator | Project Contact , Western Power Distribution (100.000%) |
| Industrial Collaborator | Project Contact , Western Power Distribution (0.000%) |
|
| Web Site | https://smarter.energynetworks.org/projects/NIA_WPD_039 |
|
| Objectives | This project aims to investigate the technical and commercial options, challenges, and potential benefits of operating parts of the LV, 11kV and 33kV distribution network in islanded mode under different conditions.The investigation will involve a review of the latest islanding technologies and case studies of islanding in other networks around the world. This will include an assessment of existing approaches to network islanding from a variety of literature sources. A selection process will then be used to identify a number of network islanding approaches to be taken forward from the review based on a high level assessment of the drivers, benefits, regulatory impact and commercial arrangements for each approach, including the trade-offs between cost, security and quality of supply.For each of the approaches identified, there will be a detailed investigation of the current and future drivers, benefits, legal and regulatory impact, and commercial arrangements to operating networks in island mode. It will include a preliminary assessment of the costs and benefits of network islanding as well as identifying the barriers, if any, that exist to operation in various network island modes and proposed solutions to overcome them. Evidence will be gathered about the theoretical advantages of islanding, and provide assessment of the viability and practicality of approaches as a solution for DNOs.A feasibility study will then identify suitable areas within WPDs network that would benefit from network islanding approaches, confirmed through analysis of network models developed for those areas. The models will be used to demonstrate the operation of different islanded network modes / approaches in the identified areas. They will also quantify the potential carbon and financial savings, and capacity release benefits. 1.Conduct desktop research to identify different suitable technical assets and approaches to facilitate network islanding along with a preliminary assessment any current legal, regulatory or commercial barriers that exist and the costs and benefits of each approach; 2.Carry out a feasibility study that will identify suitable areas of WPD network that would benefit from the network islanding approaches;3.Network modelling and analysis to demonstrate the operation of the islanding approaches and to quantify the carbon, financial and capacity release benefits;4.Detailed investigation of the legal and regulatory issues that may impact the implementation of an islanded network and proposed solutions and revised methodologies to enable implementation; and5.A final report that will present the findings of the investigation, including learning related to technology integration on the network and recommendations for further project development. The objective of this project is to understand the technical, commercial, regulatory and legal options and challenges, and potential benefits of operating parts of the distribution network in islanded mode under different conditions. The investigation of islanded operation is necessary to demonstrate that, while commonly considered to be undesirable, it may provide a valuable additional solution for operators to actively manage the network and add to the toolkit to provide flexibility when acting in the role of DSO. This project aligns with our Innovation Strategy which identifies research and system modelling of Network Islanding under the research area Network Improvements and System Operability. | |
| Abstract | It is anticipated that proactive islanding may be a valuable tool for DNOs to respond to considerable changes to their networks resulting from increasing numbers of Distributed Generation (DG) and Low Carbon Technologies (LCTs) connecting to them as the economy decarbonises. There is a need for distribution networks to become more flexible to manage and utilise these assets in a manner that promotes low carbon networks and utilises network capacity more efficiently to save money for customers. Typically, network islanding is an undesirable operational scenario and DG is configured to disconnect in the event of islanding to avoid abnormal system frequency and voltages. However, we will seek to determine through research whether careful management of loads and generation within network islands may provide a new flexibility solution for network operators. | |
| Publications | (none) |
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| Final Report | (none) |
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| Added to Database | 14/12/22 | |
