For basic and applied strategic research, the range of disciplinary inputs is wide. It includes materials science, chemistry, mechanical and electrical as well as civil engineering.
Research Challenges
The assets of the UK power system experienced a period of significant and rapid expansion during the late 1950s and 1960s. They are now approaching the end of their useful life and need to be replaced. Developments in distributed generation and other technologies openimportant questions as to whether the traditional approaches to development and operation of power systems are still adequate and whether the anticipated major re-investment in transmission and distribution networks could be avoided by adopting new technologies. The electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure is strategically important to the UK and its economy. In a bid to improve economic efficiency, the UK electricity supply industry as whole was liberalised in 1990 introducingcompetition in the generation and supply segments of the industry. The transmission and distribution segments remained as regulated monopolies.
The principal research challenges include the following:
The UK capabilities in the transmission and distribution domain are extensive in the area of network operation, network stewardship, consultancy and R&D. There is a significant home-based manufacturing industry.
Internationally, the UK is also perceived to be very strong in the design of incentives to encourage the uptake of clean fuels and technologies for power generation. However, this has limited application globally and is very much supported through publicly funded research programmes.
| Programme |
Funding Agency |
Description |
Committed Funds |
Period |
Representative Annual Spend |
Preventing wide-area blackouts through adaptive
islanding of transmission networks | EPSRC | Recent blackouts and disturbances have shown that the twin drivers of: a) commercial pressures for better utilisation of transmission and distribution networks and b) increased penetration of Distributed Generation (DG) are likely to reduce security margins and lead to a higher probability of blackouts. This interdisciplinary project, involving power engineering, graph theory and operational research, will investigate methodologies to limit the occurrence and cost of blackouts through preventive splitting of large networks into islands when a cascade fault is imminent. The formed islands should preserve a good demand/generation balance, without violating any transmission constraint and avoiding electromechanical instability of any generator. The challenges addressed in this project include identification of conditions when preventive islanding can safely be activated, establishing techniques for forming islands and/or isolating a sick part of the network, and demonstrating innovative methods for control of islands with a high penetration of DG. | £769K | 2010-2014 | |
| Agent-based Modelling of Electricity Networks (AMEN) | EPSRC | The project seeks to make a significant and original contribution to efforts being marshalled by the UK Research Councils - following government level advice - to improve the international profile and national strategic impact of energy modelling in the UK. It will provide valuable insights - both quantitative and qualitative - into questions of key importance for policymakers and the power sector as they seek to square the circle of emissions reduction and a viable, secure energy supply by 2050. It will address in the context of the electricity network, perceived general weaknesses in whole energy systems modelling - from the closely related standpoint of complex systems research - in the areas of end-use behaviour, technology dynamics, and energy in industry. | £562K | 2013-2016 | |
| Realising Transition Pathways - Whole Systems Analysis for a UK More Electric Low Carbon Energy Future | EPSRC | The project will extend the work of the Transition Pathways project, in which an innovative collaboration between engineers, social scientists and policy analysts developed and analysed a set of ’transition pathways towards a UK low carbon electricity system. The pathways aimed to meet the UK’s target of an 80 cut on 1990 levels of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
The aim of the new project is to explore what needs to be done to achieve a transition that successfully addresses the energy policy ‘trilemma’, i.e. the simultaneous delivery of low carbon, secure and affordable energy services. The team will: - Analyse actors’ choices and decisions in past, current and prospective developments in electricity supply and demand;
- Analyse the social, behavioural and technical drivers
- Undertake techno-economic modelling and energy and environmental assessments of the developments in electricity supply (including transmission and distribution networks) needed to meet this responsive demand.
| £2,567K | 2012-2016 | |
| HubNet | EPSRC | Achieving the decarbonisation of the economy while maintaining the security and reliability of the energy supply will require a profound transformation of energy networks. The creation of a “hub” will catalyse and focus the research on energy networks in the UK.
The activities of the members of the hub will focus on five areas: - Design of smart grids (communication technologies / operation of electricity networks / demand-side participation)
- Development of a mega-grid that would link the UK’s energy network to renewable energy sources off shore, across Europe and beyond.
- Research on new materials.
- Development of new techniques to study the interaction between multiple energy vectors and optimally coordinate the planning and operation of energy networks under uncertainty.
- Management of transition assets: study of how the life of existing equipment can be extended under what is likely to be more extreme conditions.
| £4,746K | 2011-2016 | |
| Control For Energy and Sustainability | EPSRC | Control engineering is concerned with the design of control systems (controllers) that can improve the performance of all dynamic processes. Relevant examples include the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions from internal combustion engines and power plant, the reduction of pollutants generated by chemical plants, and improvements in a power system’s ability to respond to random load and/or supply variations. New technologies for clean electricity generation, fuel efficient transport, and environmentally friendly waste disposal will all depend on a new generation of special-purpose control systems. Current research trends in control engineering, which address complexity and uncertainty, have a great, and as yet unrealised potential to contribute to these technologies. The aim of this research programme is to develop new control engineering techniques which can be applied to a number of energy and sustainability related problems in order to achieve significant advances in the exploitation of renewable energy and vehicle fuel efficiency. | £5,536K | 2009-2014 | |
| UK Infrastructure Transitions Research Consortium (ITRC) | EPSRC | There is an urgent need to reduce carbon emissions from National Infrastructure (NI) systems (energy, transport, water, waste and ICT), to respond to future demographic, social and lifestyle changes and to build resilience to intensifying impacts of climate change. This process of transforming NI will need to be underpinned by a long-term, cross-sectoral approach to understanding NI performance under a range of possible futures.
Using an inter-disciplinary approach the aim of UK ITRC is to develop and demonstrate new simulation models to address four major challenges: - How can infrastructure capacity and demand be balanced in an uncertain future?
- What are the risks of infrastructure failure and how can we adapt NI to make it more resilient?
- How do infrastructure systems evolve and interact with society and the economy?
- What should the UK’s strategy be for integrated provision of NI in the long term?
| £4,731K | 2011-2016 | |
| Power Networks Research Academy | EPSRC | Since the early 1990s, there has been a steady reduction in the number of engineers working in this power sector. Parallel to this university-based research has also shrunk to a minimum in this area. This reduction in the pool of power engineers has inevitably had an impact on the availability of academic and research staff to: - teach electrical power engineering courses at undergraduate and taught post-graduate level.
- provide power networks engineering research solutions in the UK to respond to the challenges arising from power grid renewal, the impact of government low carbon policies, and to ensure future network resilience.
This application for the creation of the Power Networks Research Academy (PNRA) will provide a future supply of academic/research staff for the UK university sector. From the industrial side, UK transmission and distribution network operators as well as manufacturers are supporting this proposal. | £1,084K | 2008-2015 | |
| Energy Futures DTC | EPSRC | The Energy Futures Doctoral Training Centre provides depth and breadth in PhD training in energy and its role in climate change mitigation. It will integrate with other energy DTCs recently awarded by EPSRC, but will not offer the full 12 month training programme associated with other fully funded DTCs. Our DTC will focus on future energy generation and distribution, aimed in particular on the role of the energy sector in achieving the UK’s ambitious mitigation goals required to meet the challenge of climate change. It will accept 10 of the very best science and engineering graduates annually, funded by a strategic investment from Imperial College, and supported by industry. | £444K | 2010-2015 | |
| Transformation of the Top and Tail of Energy Networks | EPSRC | There are two very particular places in energy networks where existing network technology and infrastructure needs radical change to move us to a low carbon economy. At the Top of network, i.e. the very highest transmission voltages, the expected emergence of transcontinental energy exchange in Europe that is driven by exploitation of diversity in renewable sources and diversity in load requires radical innovation in technologies. The Tail of the network is the so-called last mile and behind the meter wiring into customer premises. More than half the capital cost of an electricity system is sunk in the last mile and cost and disruption barriers have made it resistant to change. The challenge is to reengineer the way in which the last mile assets are used without changing the most expensive part: the cables and pipes in the ground. | £4,132K | 2011-2015 | |
| Advanced Communication and Control for the Prevention of Blackouts (ACCEPT) | EPSRC | ACCEPT seeks to bring together a joint UK-India consortium with the skills necessary to address the potential for using Smart Grid technologies to support novel integrated protection and control tools for the prevention of blackouts. These tools would help prevent society from incurring the huge costs and discomfort associated with blackouts and increase confidence in the power system’s ability to satisfy the long term needs of society and industry, as the level of uncertainty and risk in the power system increases. | £980K | 2014-2016 | |
| The Autonomic Power System | EPSRC | In the move to a decarbonised energy network the heat and transport sectors will be fully integrated into the electricity system. Therefore, the grand challenge in energy networks is to deliver the fundamental changes in the electrical power system that will support this transition, without being constrained by the current infrastructure, operational rules, market structure, regulations, and design guidelines. The drivers that will shape the 2050 electricity network are numerous: increasing energy prices; increased variability in the availability of generation; reduced system inertia; increased utilisation due to growth of loads such as electric vehicles and heat pumps; electric vehicles as randomly roving loads and energy storage; increased levels of distributed generation; more diverse range of energy sources contributing to electricity generation; and increased customer participation. These changes mean that the energy networks of the future will be far more difficult to manage and design than those of today. | £3,429K | 2011-2016 | |
| DESIMAX: Multiscale Modelling to maximise Demand Side Management (Part 2) | EPSRC | Modern energy systems are complex technical, social and economic endeavours formed through the assembly of a broad set of elements and shaped by the actions of many multiple actors including consumers, suppliers and regulators. While some gains can be achieved by optimising parts of these systems, significant reduction in energy demand is a major challenge requiring changes in behaviour from all the actors involved. In this proposal we wish to exploit the ability of digital technologies to monitor, model and represent the operation and effects of energy demand to promote changes in these systems. This is often realised through a set of actions and measures, commonly known as demand side management (DSM). This proposal adopts an end-to-end approach to exploit digital technology to understand the overall energy supply system (from generation to transmission, distribution and utilisation). | £613K | 2010-2014 | |
| Resilient Electricity Networks for Great Britain (RESNET) | EPSRC | The resilience of GB’s electricity energy network is being challenged on three fronts: (i) policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions through decarbonising energy supply will alter substantially the existing supply mix; (ii) decarbonising of the ’energy’ system will likely involve considerable shift of previously non-electric energy demand onto the electricity network with accompanying changes in how much electricity is needed and when it is needed; and (iii) the expected mean changes in climate will alter the electricity demand and performance of electricity infrastructure, and increased severity and frequency of extreme weather events will impact on the electrical network and distribution systems. | £978K | 2011-2015 | |
| Adaptation and Resilience In Energy Systems (ARIES) | EPSRC | The energy supply sector is undergoing massive technological changes to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, the climate is progressively changing creating new challenges for energy generation, networks and demand. The Adaptation and Resilience in Energy Systems (ARIES) project aims to understand how climate change will affect the UK gas and electricity systems and in particular its ‘resilience’. A resilient energy system is one that can ensure secure balance between energy supply and demand despite internal and external developments such as climate change. The physical changes in climate up to 2050 coincide with the energy sector moving towards a low-carbon future, with massive renewables targets, new smart grid infrastructure and more active demand management. ARIES will develop new methods to model the impacts of climate changes on current and new energy generation technologies and understand its effect on gas and electricity demand. | £772K | 2011-2015 | |
| Integrated Operation and Planning for Smart Electric Distribution Networks (OPEN) | EPSRC | This consortium brings together leading researchers from the UK and China to jointly investigate the integrated operation and planning for smart distribution networks to address two key research challenges: - -Conventional network operational and planning approaches do not address the emerging opportunities offered by increased measurement and control.
- A general understanding of how national or regional electricity distribution infrastructure should be developed and operated using Smart Grid interventions is required.
New techniques and approaches will be investigated to address these important questions: - Distribution state estimation and probabilistic predictive control approaches will be used to determine the location and control policies of smart grid interventions.
- Novel dynamic pricing techniques will be proposed to resolve conflicts between energy markets and network operation.
- A very fast network assessment tool and a rolling planning tool that will bridge the gap between planning and operation will be developed.
- New visualisation and reporting techniques will be developed.
| £1002K | 2013-2016 | |
| Enhanced Renewable Integration through Flexible Transmission Options (ERIFT) | EPSRC | China is installing wind farms faster than any other nation and the UK is leading deployment of offshore wind-farms. Both nations will face challenges in connecting renewable sources in remote areas over (electrically) long cable or overhead DC routes. This proposal identifies areas of common technical challenge and lays out a joint programme to analyse the issues and assess possible solutions.
Fully exploiting the potential transfer capacity is vital; in China this is from hydro resources to cities and in the UK from Scottish/North-Sea wind resource to southern load centres. We will investigate coordinated control of AC, DC and FACTS elements to optimise transfer capacity and will develop tools to support operator decision-making including risk analysis. Two specific aspects will be investigated: the ability to provide frequency response services across a DC link without explicit communication of frequency data and the headroom required in power converters to accommodate this service. | £880K | 2013-2016 | |
| Energy Storage for Low Carbon Grids | EPSRC | It is expected that 35 to 40 of the UK electricity demand will be met by renewable generation by 2020, an order of magnitude increase from the present levels. In the context of the targets proposed by the UK Climate Change Committee it is expected that the electricity sector would be almost entirely decarbonised by 2030 with significantly increased levels of electricity production and demand driven by the incorporation of heat and transport sectors into the electricity system. The key concerns are associated with system integration costs driven by radical changes on both the supply and the demand side of the UK low-carbon system. Our analysis to date suggests that a low-carbon electricity future would lead to a massive reduction in the utilisation of conventional electricity generation, transmission and distribution assets. The large-scale deployment of energy storage could mitigate this reduction in utilisation, producing significant savings. | £5,621K | 2012-2017 | |
| Grid Economics, Planning and Business Models for Smart Electric Mobility | EPSRC | The project will provide strategic insights regarding the integration of the transport sector into future low carbon electricity grids, and is inspired by limitations in current grid investment, operation and control practices as well as regulation and market operation, which may prevent an economically and environmentally effective transition to electric mobility. Although various individual aspects of the operation of electricity systems within an integrated transport sector have received some research attention, integrated planning of the grid, EV charging infrastructure and ICT (information and communication technologies) infrastructure design have not been addressed yet. In this project we propose to tackle these challenges in an integrated manner.
At the heart of this project is a whole systems approach. It recognises the need to consider: EV demand and flexibility, electricity network operation and design, charging infrastructure operation and investment, ICT requirements and business models for electric mobility. | £1,006K | 2013-2016 | |
| Whole Systems Energy Modelling Consortium (WholeSEM) | EPSRC | Energy models provide essential quantitative insights into the 21st Century challenges of decarbonisation, energy security and cost-effectiveness. Models provide the integrating language that assists energy policy makers to make improved decisions under conditions of pervasive uncertainty. Whole systems energy modelling also has a central role in helping industrial and wider stakeholders assess future energy technologies and infrastructures, and the potential role of societal and behavioural change. | £4,608K | 2013-2017 | |
| Reconfigurable Distribution Networks | EPSRC | The “SmartGrid” is a concept that has emerged from its initial discussion in engineering circles into the wider public arena because its importance has been recognised for securing future electricity supply and facilitating the de-carbonisation of electricity. Much of the SmartGrid debate has so far focused customers with “smart homes” or “smart appliances”. Behind the scenes, there is a parallel debate about how new control methods for existing electricity plant and equipment may enable electricity networks to offer the flexibility needed to incorporate low-carbon energy sources.
The “reconfigurable distribution network” presents a great opportunity in both the Indian and UK context. It also presents research challenges on a number of fronts: innovation in power electronic equipment to reduce power losses and increase lifetime; the need to design new control algorithms to exploit the new flexible equipment to the benefit of consumers and network operators. | £1,224K | 2014-2017 | |
| Interface and Network Infrastructure to Support EV Participation in Smart Grids | EPSRC | This project will investigate new technologies that can support high levels of electric vehicle (EV) charging and deliver the benefits that flexible charging can bring for electricity supply and the integration of renewable generation.
Electric Vehicles (EVs) are a central part of transport and energy policy for many nations. They represent a key pathway for reducing petroleum dependence and promoting transportation sustainability (provided the electricity generation mix has been successfully decarbonised). If EVs displace most petroleum vehicles then they will represent a very significant new and additional demand to be serviced via electricity networks. EVs also present opportunities for power network operation; their charging also represents a very large discretionary load that can be managed to provide Smart Grid services and assist the integration of clean energy. | £941K | 2013-2016 | |
| High Energy And Power Density (HEAPD) Solutions to Large Energy Deficits | EPSRC | Many countries around the world face an uncertain future over the next few decades as they move to greater electricity use and at the same time look to more intermittent low-carbon generation. India, which suffered numerous serious blackouts recently is already operating near the limits of its generation and network capacity and so provides an ideal case study for testing innovative solutions that can make power networks more resilient. The research outputs from this project will provide foresights into the development of low-carbon smart grids in India and the UK.
This consortium of Indian and UK experts in Energy Networks will take the timely step of investigating how DC networks, can increase the efficiency of renewable energy-storage systems deployed at a community level to benefit the resilience of the National Grid. | £1,006K | 2014-2016 | |
| Development and Evaluation of Sustainable Technologies for Flexible Operation of Conventional Power Plants. | EPSRC | The increasing amounts of renewable energy present on the national grid reduce C02 emissions caused by electrical power but they fit into an electrical grid designed for fossil fuels. Fossil fuels can be turned on and off at will and so are very good at matching variations in load. Renewable energy in the form of wind turbines is more variable and there is a need for existing power plants to operate much more flexibly to accommodate the changing power output from wind, tidal and solar power.
The research covers a wide range of activities from detailed analysis of power station parts to determine how they will respond to large changes in load all the way up to modelling of the UK electrical network on a national level which informs us as to the load changes which conventional power plants will need to supply. | £1,944K | 2013-2018 | |
| Integrated, Market-fit and Affordable Grid-scale Energy Storage (IMAGES) | EPSRC | It is accepted that UK energy networks face a number of unprecedented challenges in the upcoming decades. These challenges include the threat to the security of energy supply due to declining indigenous fossil fuel reserves, increased reliance on imported fossil fuel (it is predicted that gas import will be over 80 in 2020), and planned retirement of ageing generation capacity over the next decade (approximately 20GW or 25 of the existing generation capacity); decarbonising electricity generation to achieve the goal of 80 reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050; and coping with the future increases in electricity demand from electrification of transportation and space heating. To address these great challenges, it is recognized that the UK energy networks, must change, strategically and the existing regulatory arrangements should be examined to check if they are fit for the purpose of future energy network operations. | £3,019K | 2012-2017 | |
| DC Networks with DC/DC Converters for Integration of Large Renewable Sources | EPSRC | This project studies various aspects of integration of large renewable power parks with DC networks which include DC/DC converters.
UK and China alike have enormous wind power potential which theoretically can exceed total national energy demand. Much of this energy is located offshore or in remote sites like North Scotland and North West China which have no electrical grid or have very weak grid infrastructure. These factors together with wind energy intermittency cause integration challenges, demand new approaches in developing transmission/collection grids.
The main aims of this project are: - To study integration technologies and control strategies of large scale renewable power parks with DC networks incorporating DC/DC converters,
- To study key technologies required for DC grids
- To investigate meshed and hybrid DC grid topologies
- To develop new wind generator topologies, converters and controls suitable for connecting to DC grids
| £735K | 2013-2016 | |
| Name |
Description |
Sub-topics covered |
No of staff |
Field |
| Centre for Sustainable Power Distribution, University of Bath | The Centre for Sustainable Power Distribution is researching into all aspects of power generation, transmission and distribution. It has internationally recognised expertise in power system planning, operation and management, security and stability analysis of large system, control and protection of power system, distributed generation, power system economic and market operation, FACTS, condition monitoring and protection of power plant. The centre has major contracts with a wide range of utility and manufacturing partners and welcomes many visiting Fellows from overseas institutions and companies. | - Power System planning operation & Management
- Control and Protection of Power Systems
- Modelling and Simulation of Extended Electrical Power Networks
- Sustainable and Renewable Energy Generation and Integration
| 10 Academics
25 Researchers
and PhD students
2 visiting Fellows | Engineering & Technology |
| Institute for Energy research and policy, University of Birmingham | The Institute for Energy Research and Policy is a multi-disciplinary centre researching many different aspects of energy, including engines, hydrogen, nuclear power and energy efficiency.
This entry reports only IERP work on power systems. | Power system research; - Application of power electronics such as FACTS (Flexible AC Transmission System) & HVDC in transmission and distribution systems;
- Modelling & Control of Power Systems
- Power system economics
- Integration of renewable generation into electrical power systems
- Technologies for smart grids
- Energy Efficient Systems.
| 3 Faculty
6 Researchers
15 PhD students | Engineering & Technology
Social Science |
| Brunel Institute of Power Systems, Brunel University, West London | Brunel Institute of Power Systems (BIPS) in the school of Engineering and Design at Brunel University conducts research in the development of advanced computational software and hardware tools for the analysis, control, operation, management and design of the electricity generation, transmission and distribution systems. | - Algorithms for Network congestion
- Condition Monitoring of Power system equipment.
- Transmission network steady state and dynamic analysis
- Analysis of new energy markets
| 5 Academic staff
5 researchers,
4 PhD students
2 EngD
2 Visiting scholars
Prof. A. Ekwue (PB Power, UK)
Prof. M. Bradley (National Grid, UK) | Engineering & Technology |
| Electricity policy research group, Cambridge University Faculty of Economics | Participates in two main initiatives: Supergen and the Towards a Sustainable Energy Economy programme. | - Delivering Secure, Reliable and Diverse Energy in a Liberalised Market
- Energy and Emissions in European and Global Contexts
- Public Attitudes and Processes of Governance
| 10 Researchers
40 Associate researchers
18 PhD students | Social Science |
| The Institute of Energy, Cardiff University | The Institute of Energy has expertise in energy supply, conventional and renewable generation systems, electricity transmission and distribution, as well as the demand-side and efficient utilisation of energy.
Interdisciplinary research with Cardiff University school of Psychology. | - Grid Integration
- Smart Grids
- Infrastructure Assessment & Modelling
- Alternative transport
- Low Carbon heat & power
- Complex fluid & thermal systems
- Environmental management & risk
- Earthing & probabilistic risk assessment
- Transient overvoltages
- Insulation systems
- Thermoelectric materials
- Power magnetics
| 19 Academics
21 Researchers
67 PhD students
3 Honorary & visiting staff | Engineering & Technology
Social Science |
| Energy Research Group, School of Engineering and Computing Sciences (ECS), Durham University | Large-scale wind turbines including the application of indirect and direct-drive technology, condition monitoring and reliability, particularly offshore.
Embedded generation at the distribution level, including micro-combined heat and power, solar heating and micro-wind,
Generator topologies and power electronics for embedded generation.
Electrical network research to accommodate the rise of embedded generation
The integration and control of new and renewable energy sources into distribution networks. | - Electricity markets
- Grid integration of renewable energy
- Power system dynamics and stability
- Security of supply
- Smart grids
- Sustainable energy systems
| 6 Academics
13 Researchers | Engineering & Technology |
| Institute for Energy Systems, University of Edinburgh | Interdisciplinary research at IES covers the whole supply chain of energy starting from energy and climate change, design of renewable energy converters (mostly marine), design of generators and interfaces for renewables, through to power system control and power system economics. | - Grid integration of renewable energy
- Power system control
- Power system dynamics
- Power system economics
| 12 Academic staff
29 research staff
41 postgraduate students
9 Visiting Academics | Engineering & Technology |
| Department of Geography, University of Exeter | As part of the UKERC Infrastructure and Supply theme, researching the policy and regulation of energy networks in the UK | - Sustainable energy issues
- Policies & mechanisms for transition to a low Carbon economy
| 5 Academic
12 Associates
6 PhD Students | Social Sciences |
| Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Imperial College London | The Control and Power Group in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Imperial College conducts research in several areas of system and control theory, a range of control systems applications, and the analysis and design of power systems and power converters. | - Design & control of power converters to act as interfaces for new and renewable energy
- Use of power electronics for power quality & flow improvements in networks.
- Application of robust multivariable control to the stabilisation of large power systems & development of active control in distribution systems.
| 13 Academic staff
35 Researchers
54 Students | Engineering & Technology |
| The Electrical Energy & Power Systems Group, the University of Manchester | The Electrical Energy and Power Systems (EEPS) group is at the forefront of research and teaching in the field of electric power engineering in the UK and internationally. Our people are in constant contact with industry and at the vanguard of the research trends in electric power engineering. | - Investigating the challenges of integrating renewable and distributed energy sources into the electricity grid.
- Power system security and power quality.
- Performance enhancement of network equipment plant and asset management.
- Power system protection, communication and control.
- Sustainable rural electrification for developing countries
| 11 Academic staff
5 Researchers
62 PhD students | Engineering & Technology |
| Electrical Power Engineering Group, Southampton University | The Tony Davies High Voltage Laboratory at Southampton is primarily concerned with transmission and distribution engineering with special interest in cables and transformers. | - Condition monitoring of plant, environmental /operational modelling (e.g. rating methods for cables)
- High temperature superconducting power apparatus
- Liquid dielectrics
- Solid dielectrics
- Fundamental studies into space and surface charge.
| 7 Academic staff
97 Researchers
22 Postgraduate students | Engineering & Technology |
| Institute for Energy and Environment University of Strathclyde | The Institute evolved from the Centre for Electrical Power Engineering (CEPE), undertakes basic, strategic and applied research in electrical power engineering | - High Voltage Technology and Dielectric Materials Group
- Power Systems Analysis Group
- Intelligent Systems and Protection Group
- Machines and Power Electronics Group
- Centre for Economic Renewable Power Delivery
| 30 Academic staff
56 Researchers
123 PhD students | Engineering & Technology |
| The Centre for Environmental strategy, University of Surrey | The research at the Centre for Environmental Strategy (CES) applies techno-economic analysis and social science methods, applied to issues in policy and corporate decision-making for resource management and climate change. CES are working to provide evidence-based advice to policy-makers who are seeking to understand and to influence the behaviours and practices of ‘energy consumers’. The social, science understandings are being used in research to design, pilot and evaluate the performance of digital network technologies and sensor devices, to improve energy management. | There are currently 9 relevant research projects, funded by the UK Research Councils and the EU. - Opportunities for load management (to support greater integration of intermittent generation and improve network efficiency) are the focus of several projects.
- Local energy conversion as part of sustainable urban development.
- Modelling energy supply technology choices & related policies against sustainability criteria, seeking smarter integration with other infrastructures.
| 4 Academic staff
9 Researchers
6 PhD students | Social Science |
| Sussex Energy Group, SPRU, University of Sussex | A research group supported under the research councils’ Towards a Sustainable Energy Economy Programme addressing Paths to Transition. Only partly engaged on transmission and distribution issues. | - How to appraise the options for technology and policy around transitions.
- How transitions occur, how technology can be ‘shaped’, and how technological regimes can be managed.
- How to govern the complex and uncertain transition processes.
| 12 Researchers | Social Science |
The participation of UK universities and industry in EU funded transmission and distribution research activities is summarised in Table 8.1 below. The universities of Manchester, Cardiff, Imperial College London and Strathclyde are all active, as is a large manufacturer (Areva T&D) and generation/network companies (RWE NPower, E.ON (UK), EDF Energy Networks).
| Project |
Objectives |
Action Line |
Type of Action |
UK Participants |
Co-ordinator and Partners |
Total Funding |
EU Funding |
Duration |
Annual Spend |
| GARPUR: Generally Accepted Reliability Principle with Uncertainty modelling and through probabilistic Risk assessment | Power system reliability management means to take decisions under increasing uncertainty. It aims to maintain power system performance at a desired level, while minimizing the socio-economic costs of keeping the power system at that performance level. GARPUR designs, develops, and assesses system reliability criteria and management while maximizing social welfare as they are implemented over the next decades at a pan-European level. The new management methodologies encompass multiple business activities that, in turn, ensure coherent decision-making at the respective time horizons. These methodologies also involve mathematical and computational models to predict the location, duration and amount of power supply interruptions. | FP7-ENERGY -2013.7.2.1 | Collaborative project (generic) | University of Strathclyde | Sintef Energi AS
19 Partners | €10864 K | €7767 K | 2013-09-01 - 2017-08-31
(48 months) | |
| ELECTRA: European Liaison on Electricity Committed Towards long-term Research Activities for Smart Grids. | The ELECTRA Integrated Research Programme on Smart Grids (ELECTRA) brings together the partners of the EERA Joint Programme on Smart Grids (JP SG) to reinforce and accelerate Europes medium to long term research cooperation in this area. Together, the JP SG and ELECTRA will establish significant coherence across national research efforts. The whole-sale deployment of RES connected to the network at all voltage levels will require radically new approaches for real time control that can accommodate the coordinated operation of millions of devices, of various technologies, at many different scales and voltage levels, dispersed across EU grid. | FP7-ENERGY- ENERGY.2013.10.1.8 | CPCSA | University of Strathclyde | Ricerca Sul Sistema Energetico - RSE SPA
20 Partners | €13126 K | €9990 K | 2013-12-01 - 2017-11-30
(48 months) | |
| INSPIRE-GRID: Improved and eNhanced Stakeholders Participation In Reinforcement of Electricity Grid | The basic assumption of the project is that the difficult public acceptance of Electric Power System (EPS) infrastructures are due to several reasons: i) the lack of trustworthiness in the relationship between Transmission System Operators (TSOs) and the stakeholders and general public; ii) the difficulty in comparing the new EPS infrastructures benefits, which are on a global, with the impacts, which are mostly “local”.
The overarching goal of this project is to develop a methodology to manage the consultation in order to engage the stakeholders in the decision making process and to improve support of development of future grid infrastructure. | FP7-ENERGY- ENERGY. 2013.7.2.4 | Collaborative project (generic) | National Grid Electricity Transmission PLC | Ricerca Sul Sistema Energetico - RSE SPA
9 Partners | €3496 K | €2572 K | 2013-10-01 - 2016-9-30
(36 months) | |
| DIGESPO: Distributed CHP generation from Small Size Concentrated Solar Power | The DiGeSPo project concept is the development of a modular 1-3 kWe, 3-9 kWth micro Combined Heat and Power (m-CHP) system based on innovative Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) and Stirling engine technology. This CSP m-CHP will provide electrical power, heating and cooling for single and multiple domestic dwellings and other small commercial, industrial and public buildings. | FP7-ENERGY ENERGY.2009.2.5.1 Key components for Concentrated Solar Power | Collaborative project (generic) | Sustainable Engine Systems Ltd | Fondazione Bruno Kessler
6 Partners | €4540 K | €3280 K | 2010-01-01 - 2012-12-31
(36 months) | |
| ESTORAGE: Solution for cost-effective integration of renewable intermittent generation by demonstrating the feasibility of flexible large-scale energy storage with innovative market and grid control approach. | The objective of eStorage is to develop cost-effective solutions for the widespread deployment of flexible, reliable, GWh-scale storage across EU, and to enhance grid management systems to allow the integration of large share of renewable.
The key issue we plan to address is the need for power regulation during low demand periods, when only inflexible baseload generation and intermittent renewable generation are operating. In contrast to conventional generation, a storage plant able to regulate its consumption could help to avoid curtailing wind. | FP7-ENERGY ENERGY.2011.7.3-2 | Collaborative project (generic) | Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine | Alstom Hydro France
6 Partners | €22119 K | €12756 K | 2012-10-01 - 2017-09-30
(60 months) | |
| CLUSTERDESIGN: A Toolbox for Offshore Wind Farm Cluster Design | In the future, the best-performing wind farms will be designed with an integrated approach. This means they must integrate wind farm clusters and grid connection design with new intelligent mechanisms for wind turbine, farm and cluster control in the design phase.
The objective of the project is to develop toolbox for such an integrated offshore wind farm clusters design. This will be achieved by combination of the following different design optimisation tools elements as advanced wake models, turbine load models, grid interconnection models and by incorporating the operation of the offshore clusters as a virtual offshore power plant. | FP7-ENERGY-ENERGY.2011.2.3-2 Development of design tools for Offshore Wind farm clusters | Collaborative project (generic) | Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine | 3e N.V.
5 Partners | €5207 K | €3583 K | 2011-12-01 - 2016-05-31
(55 months) | |
| ITESLA: Innovative Tools for Electrical System Security within Large Areas | 7 Transmission System Operators (Belgium, France, Greece, Norway, Portugal, Spain and United Kingdom) and CORESO, a TSO coordination centre, together with 13 RTD performers propose a 4 year R&D project to develop and to validate an open interoperable toolbox which will bring support, by 2015, to future operations of the pan-European electricity transmission network, thus favouring increased coordination/harmonisation of operating procedures among network operators. The resulting tools meets 3 goals: - to provide a risk based security assessment accounting for uncertainties.
- to construct more realistic states of any system
- to assess system security using time domain simulations
| FP7-ENERGY- ENERGY.2011.7.2-1 Innovative tools for the future coordinated and stable operation of the pan-European electricity transmission system | Collaborative project (generic) | Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine
National Grid Electricity Transmission PLC | RTE EDF Transport SA
20 Partners | €19381 K | €13229 K | 2012-01-01 - 2015-12-31
(48 months) | |
| EERA-DTOC: EERA Design Tools for Offshore Wind Farm Cluster | The European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) together with some high-impact industry partners addresses the call proposing an integrated and validated design tool combining the state-of-the-art wake, yield and electrical models available in the consortium, as a plug-in architecture with possibility for third party models.
The concept of the EERA-DTOC project is to combine expertise in a common integrated software tool for the optimised design of offshore wind farms and wind farm clusters acting as wind power plants. | FP7-ENERGY-ENERGY.2011.2.3-2 Development of design tools for Offshore Wind farm clusters | Collaborative project (generic) | Renewable Energy Systems Limited
University of Strathclyde
The Carbon Trust | Danmarks Tekniske Universitet
21 Partners | €3998 K | €2900 K | 2012-01-01 - 2015-06-30
(43 months) | |
| MARINET: Marine Renewables Infrastructure Network for Emerging Energy Technologies | Offshore Renewable Conversion systems are mostly at the pre-commercial stage of development. They comprise wave energy and tidal stream converters as well as offshore wind turbines. The aim of this project is to coordinate research and development at all scales and to allow access for researchers and developers into facilities which are not available universally in Europe. The linking together of facilities at different scales together with the incorporation of test facilities for components such as power take-off systems, grid integration, moorings, environmental tests will ensure a focusing of activities in this area. | FP7-INFRASTRUCTURES-
INFRA-2010-1.1.23 Research Infrastructures for offshore renewable energy devices: ocean-, current-, wave- and wind energy | Combination of CP and CSA | National Renewable Energy Centre Limited
European Marine Energy Centre Ltd
University of Plymouth
The University of Exeter
The Queen’s University of Belfast
The University of Edinburgh
University of Strathclyde | University College Cork, National University of Ireland, Cork
27 Partners | €11093 K | €9000 K | 2011-04-01 - 2015-03-31
(42 months) | |
| SESAME: Securing the European Electricity Supply Against Malicious and accidental threats | Threats for the supply of electricity have changed dramatically throughout the last decade and include not only natural and accidental ones but threat of malicious attacks. Such attacks may affect large portions of the European grid, make repair difficult and cause huge societal impact. The complex level of interconnectivity of electricity distribution/transmission/generation compared to the supply through other energy carriers makes the development of a highly focused toolkit for its protection an essential task. SESAME develops a Decision Support System (DSS) for the protection of the European power system and applies it to two regional electricity grids, Austria and Romania. | FP7-SECURITY-SEC-2010.2.3-2 Assessment framework and tools to identify vulnerabilities of energy grids and energy plants, and to protect them against cascading effects | Collaborative project (generic) | Heriot-Watt University
RS Consulting Limited | Politecnico di Torino
8 Partners | €3993 K | €2754 K | 2011-05-01 - 2014-08-31
(40 months) | |
| AFTER: A Framework for electrical power sysTems vulnerability identification, dEfense and Restoration | AFTER project addresses the challenges posed by the need for vulnerability evaluation and contingency planning of the energy grids and energy plants considering also the relevant ICT systems used in protection and control.
Project emphasis is on cascading events that cause catastrophic outages of the electric power systems.
In particular, two major objectives are addressed:
The first is to develop a methodology and tool for the integrated, global vulnerability analysis and risk assessment of the interconnected Electrical Power Systems considering their interdependencies. | FP7-SECURITY-SEC-2010.2.3-2
Assessment framework and tools to identify vulnerabilities of energy grids and energy plants, and to protect them against cascading effects | Collaborative project (generic) | The City University | Ricerca Sul Sistema Energetico - RSE SPA
12 Partners | €5050 K | €3474 K | 2011-09-01 - 2014-08-31
(36 months) | |
| E-HIGHWAY 2050: Modular Development Plan of the Pan-European Transmission System 2050 | Transmission System Operators together with technology manufacturers propose a 3-year R&D project to develop and to apply a methodology for the long-term development of the Pan-European transmission network. The project aims at delivering a top-down methodology to support the planning from 2020 to 2050. First, it implements a set of future power scenarios, including generation units, the possible use of electricity storage and demand-side management solutions. Grid architectures options and a modular development plan are then proposed, including electricity highways, on the basis of power flow calculations, network stability analysis, socio-economic and network governance considerations. | FP7-ENERGY-ENERGY.2012.7.2.1
Planning for European Electricity Highways to ensure the reliable delivery of renewable electricity and pan-European market integration | Collaborative project (generic) | Brunel University
Third Generation Environmentalism Limited
P yry Management Consulting (Uk) Ltd
Europacable Services Limited
Collingwood Environmental Planning Limited | Rte Reseau de Transport d’Electricite SA
27 Partners | €13046 K | €8991 K | 2012-09-01 - 2015-12-31
(39 months) | |
| SUSTAINABLE: Smart Distribution System OperaTion for MAximizing the INtegration of RenewABLE Generation | The SuSTAINABLE project will develop and demonstrate a new operation paradigm, leveraging information from smart meters and short-term localized predictions to manage distribution systems in a more efficient and cost-effective way, enabling a large-scale deployment of variable distributed resources. A cloud based principle is used, where the distribution system operator - collects information from smart metering infrastructure and other distributed sensors;
- processes the information using tools such as distribution state-estimation etc;
- communicates settings to power quality mitigation devices, protection relays and actuators, distribution components and distributed flexible resources;
- assesses market strategy as a provider of ancillary and balancing services.
| ENERGY.2012.7.1.1 Integration of variable distributed resources in distribution networks | Collaborative project (generic) | The University of Manchester | EDP Distribuicao Energia SA
7 Partners | €5726 K | €3871 K | 2013-01-01 - 2015-12-31
(36 months) | |
| DISCERN: Distributed Intelligence for Cost-Effective and Reliable Distribution Network Operation | As the patterns of power generation and distribution are rapidly changing in Europe towards a highly dispersed and volatile system, Distribution System Operators need to completely change traditional ways of grid operations.
The aim of this project to assess the optimal level of intelligence in the distribution network and to determine the replicable technological options that will allow a cost-effective and reliable enhancement of observability and controllability of future distribution networks in Europe.
DISCERN will build on five demonstration projects operated by major European DSOs. The involved demonstration sites unite a variety of technological approaches addressing different challenges. | FP7-ENERGY-ENERGY.2012.7.1.2
Enhancing electricity networks through use of distributed intelligence | Collaborative project (generic) | Scottish and Southern Energy PLC | RWE Deutschland Aktiengesellschaft
10 Partners | €7914 K | €4799 K | 2013-02-01 - 2016-01-31
(36 months) | |
