Whole System Impacts and Socio-economics of wide scale PV integration (WISE PV)

Completed

Renewable Energy Sources(Solar Energy, Photovoltaics)

Basic and strategic applied research

SOCIAL SCIENCES (Sociology)
PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Metallurgy and Materials)
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Electrical and Electronic Engineering)
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES (Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences)

Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Environmental dimensions)
Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Policy and regulation)
Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Other sociological economical and environmental impact of energy)

Dr J Mutale
Electrical & Electronic Engineering
University of Manchester

Standard

EPSRC

01 October 2013

31 March 2017

42 months

£1,139,185

Energy

North West

Energy : Energy

Dr J Mutale, Electrical & Electronic Engineering, University of Manchester

Professor B Azzopardi, Faculty of Electrical and Control Engineering, Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuania
Dr A R Buckley, Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield
Dr P J Gilbert, Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, University of Manchester
Professor B Hamilton, Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester
Dr P Mancarella, Electrical & Electronic Engineering, University of Manchester
Dr S Mander, Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, University of Manchester
Dr LF Ochoa, Electrical & Electronic Engineering, University of Manchester
Dr PN Rowley, Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Loughborough University
Dr R Shuttleworth, Electrical & Electronic Engineering, University of Manchester
Prof P Thornley, Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, University of Manchester

Project Contact, Cenex
Project Contact, Wigan & Leigh Housing Company Ltd
Project Contact, Electricity North West Limited
Project Contact, National Grid plc
Project Contact, Nottingham City Council
Project Contact, SP Energy Networks
Project Contact, Carbon Co-op (Society for the Reduction of Carbon Limited)

This project is associated with the EPSRC Solar Energy Hub. It sets out the scientific, technical and socio-economic grand challenge of wide scale integration of photovoltaic systems (PV) into electric power systems with particular focus on the UK. This challenge is interdisciplinary and the research required to address it requires a range of interdisciplinary skills. The academic team comprises internationally recognised experts in electrical power systems, social sciences, environmental and techno-economic assessment, PV materials and devices from the Universities of Manchester, Sheffield, Loughborough and Oxford Brookes.Solar PV plays a modest role in the UK Pathways to 2050 articulated by DECC. Although the Government's feed-in tariff programme has led to a total PV installed capacity (for up to 50kW installations) exceeding 1.2GW, equivalent to 1.6% of the total installed generation capacity in Great Britain, its current trend falls short from the DECC trajectories. To enhance the role of PV this research examines the UK electricity system of 2050, including generation sources and networks, in which solar PV is assumed to play a significant role. It aims to investigate the drivers and opportunities to facilitate an increase in the role of solar energy in the UK energy futures. It will develop a range of future energy scenarios out to 2050. The energy scenarios will be informed and driven by PV stakeholders' (customers, developers, policy advisors, material scientists) perceptions and perspectives of solar PV as a serious player in energy supply in the UK. The proposal also has a wider interest in solar PV on a global scale with particular focus on the role that UK industry could play in providing innovative PV technologies to lead global uptake of solar PV. In the move to decarbonise electricity supply globally, it is likely that more and more reliance will have to be placed on renewable energy sources, with solar PV playing a major role. Harnessing this ubiquitous resource in a manner that ensures it delivers carbon savings in a cost-effective and efficient manner remains one of the key challenges to its widespread adoption as a serious contender in global energy supply.This project will evaluate with key stakeholders their vision of the "PV future", and via the construction of potential future PV scenarios, will result in a comparative analysis of the impacts and benefits of these futures, taking into account:(i) The greenhouse gas savings and wider environmental impacts of the PV implementation(ii) Life cycle assessment of costs of implementation from the perspective of different stakeholders such as utilities, government, users(iii) The infrastructure and energy systems implications of implementation(iv) The socio-economic impacts of implementation, including on fuel poverty, job creation etcWe propose the investigation and articulation of the changes in power system design and operation to accommodate wide scale penetration of PV.This project aims to maximize the contribution of PV to UK renewable energy and carbon reduction targets by strategically assessing the systems level challenges that are encountered with adventurous levels of PV penetration in the UK energy system. The expertise of the group will evaluate the challenges: (i) for the electrical system (ii) for material/resource availability (iii) of cost reduction (iv) of maximizing life-cycle carbon reductions (v) of delivering social benefitsThe work will therefore go beyond the idea of optimizing to make solar energy more cost competitive; considering instead the whole-life cycle sustainability (economic, environmental and social) of different PV options, how they could be accommodated in the evolving UK energy system and identifying relevant barriers and obstacles at an early stage. This requires engagement with scientists in the hub, DNO's, regulators and manufacturers, but also with existing and potential PV users.

21/11/13