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Projects: Projects for Investigator
Reference Number	NIA_SPEN_0056
Title	Flexible Tower Block
Status	Completed
Energy Categories	Other Cross-Cutting Technologies or Research(Energy system analysis) 25%; Other Power and Storage Technologies(Electricity transmission and distribution) 50%; Other Cross-Cutting Technologies or Research(Environmental, social and economic impacts) 25%;
Research Types	Applied Research and Development 100%
Science and Technology Fields	ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Electrical and Electronic Engineering) 100%
UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation	Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Consumer attitudes and behaviour) 50%; Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Technology acceptance) 50%;
Principal Investigator	Project Contact No email address given SP Energy Networks
Award Type	Network Innovation Allowance
Funding Source	Ofgem
Start Date	01 February 2021
End Date	01 May 2022
Duration	ENA months
Total Grant Value	£140,000
Industrial Sectors	Power
Region	Scotland
Programme	Network Innovation Allowance
Investigators	Principal Investigator	Project Contact , SP Energy Networks (100.000%)
	Industrial Collaborator	Project Contact , SP Energy Networks (0.000%)
Web Site	https://smarter.energynetworks.org/projects/NIA_SPEN_0056
Objectives	The project method includes desk-based research focusing on commercial, market and business issues and a trial within a tower block which has storage heaters fitted with smart in home controllers.The desk based exercise is focused on how the benefits of smart storage heaters can be captured for the whole system, while delivering customer benefits. Technical and modelling research, together with trials and demonstrations have been carried out to demonstrate that there are material benefits available however it is not yet clear how to capture these benefits – while delivering a great customer experience. There will be 6 key tasks within the desk based work: Current knowledge - a synthesis of existing research on storage heaters. Supplier tariffs - what is available today, why, and future outlook. DSO and ESO requirements - what are the use cases and associated flexibility requirements. At a high level, do customer, supplier, DSO and ESO requirements align with each other? To what extent may they conflict? What controls hierarchy and strategy can be used - maximising whole system value while always being in the customers interests? What business models and commercial arrangements can be used to best capture the benefits for all stakeholders? Next steps and recommendations: what needs to happen for SPEN (and others) support roll-out / scale-up? The desk based work will be complemented by a trial which will demonstrate demand shifting using the storage heaters at the Cartcraigs Tower Block on the southside of Glasgow. The housing association are installing temperature sensors and smart control switches which will improve the residents comfort and reduce costs. In addition, EV chargers will be installed in the tower block car park by Glasgow Housing Association. The work being carried out within the NIA scope includes: Investigate the potential for local (at the tower block) EV charging to coincide with storage heater charging/water heating, and the resulting increase of maximum demand. Trial and monitor the capability of smart-control of the storage heating and hot water to reduce the resulting maximum demand on the network. Model and trial the potential for storage heater charging to be randomised in cold load pick-up situations, and for tower block EV charging to be similarly modelled. The scope of the project consists: Desktop tariff modelling outputting the best options for customers and networks to make use of storage heaters within tower blocks. Trial and monitoring of demand shift in Cartcraigs tower in southside of Glasgow. The objective of the of the project is to demonstrate through trial the ability of storage heaters to shift demand and answer questions required to enable households, and others in the electricity value chain to capture the benefits that smart storage heaters can bring. Particular questions relating to the rollout which to be answered are: What tariffs are currently available for customers with storage heaters in the SPEN area? Why are these tariffs as they are, what will drive or constrain any change to time of- use tariffs (including metering arrangement and half-hourly settlement), and how open are suppliers to such change? What are the possible requirements and use cases from smart control of storage heaters from SPENs perspective and from the ESOs perspective – today and in the future? To what degree can smart storage heater controls provide these benefits? And to what degree are the interests of the supplier, SPEN and the ESO pulling in the same or in different directions? What control hierarchy or strategy could be used to manage potential conflicts between the supplier, SPEN and the ESO? What business models could be used so that the benefits of smart control accrue to the household? Are any changes required to regulations (in general, or a specific regulation) and market structures, and how might these be achieved? Are there any barriers to householders accessing these benefits? How can these business models ensure a positive customer experience, and ensure that comfort (or even enhanced comfort) is provided at a lower cost? Objectives of the trial will be: Demonstrate the shifting of demand using thermal storage heaters whilst maintaining customer warmth and comfort in the tower block. Show that the storage heating demand shift in the tower block can support local EV charging requirements. Show that the storage heating demand shift can be randomised to support cold load pick up and support use of constrained wind.
Abstract	Around 260,000 households in Scotland have electric storage heaters installed. A significant proportion of these are likely here to stay in the long term, and therefore will be a part of a decarbonised heating sector in Scotland.
Publications	(none)
Final Report	(none)
Added to Database	02/11/22