P1 ©J.W. Bialek, 2008 The Challenges to Decarbonise & Rewire Britain Professor Janusz W. Bialek Institute for Energy Systems The University of Edinburgh,

p1 ©J.W. Bialek, 2008

The Challenges to Decarbonise & Rewire Britain

Professor Janusz W. Bialek

Institute for Energy SystemsThe University of Edinburgh, UK

Visiting ProfessorThe University of Hong Kong


Outline

High-level view

Current research drivers for power system research

UK response to the drivers (as seen from Edinburgh)


Institute for Energy Systems, The University of Edinburgh

IES research maps along the renewable energy supply chain from studying the location, extent and characteristics of the resources, through their mechanical and electrical conversion, into storage and finally electrical transmission, distribution and utilisation.

Intrinsically multi-disciplinary activities range from fundamental through applied research to pre-commercial development, supported by RCUK, Scottish Executive, Carbon Trust, Scottish Enterprise, DTI and industry. Current grant portfolio over £10M.

13 academic staff, 16 research staff and 36 postgraduate students

Joint Research Institutes in the Edinburgh Research Partnership, which combines research skills at Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt universities


JRI Energy Groupings

Marine Energy and Coastal Defence

Renewable Energy and Climate

Energy Conversion and Network Delivery

Photovoltaics and Solar Energy

Fuel Cells and Energy Storage

Urban Energy Demand and Supply


Research Drivers for Power System Research in the UK since 2000

Push towards sustainability and decarbonisation of Electricity Supply Industry (ESI)

Rewiring Britain

but don’t forget about maintaining the security of supply and the market environment


Sustainability and decarbonisation of Electricity Supply Industry (ESI)

ESI contributes about 1/3 to CO2 emissions, Kyoto and Bali, 20-30% targets

Explosion in UK funding for energy research

Traditional academic research: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

– Flagship initiative: Sustainable Power Generation and Supply (SuperGen)

Industrial research: Innovation Fund Initiative (IFI) to support R&D by utilities

Applied research: Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) co-funded by the industry (BP, Caterpillar, EDF Energy, E.ON, Rolls-Royce, Shell): £1bln over 10 years


EPSRC SuperGen programme

Dominant mode of research funding in the UK: interdisciplinary consortia grouping the best Universities in the country

Critical mass to achieve step change rather than incremental progress

Each consortium contains 5-7 universities + industrial partners and has a freedom to specify research programme

13 consortia funded: Marine energy, Future network technologies (FutureNet) renewed as Flexible Networks (FlexNet), Hydrogen energy, Biofuels, PV, Conventional power plant lifetime extension, Fuel cells, Highly distributed power systems, Energy storage, Excitonic solar cells, Wind energy, Asset Management and Performance of Energy Networks (AMPERES), Biofuel cells


Renewables in the UK: wind and waves

Wind speeds


Challenges for power systems operation in achieving sustainable and decarbonised energy industry

Characteristics of renewables (intermittency etc) and their influence on power system operation

Implications for power system security

Need to understand and characterise the resource

Means of mitigation


Variability (intermittency) of wind is not a new problem

John Loughhead: The 2007 IET President's address “The magic roundabout - cycles of energy”




Network charging and congestion management


Dominant North-South flows

Renewables (wind and marine) tend to be in wrong places (Scotland and Wales)!

Projections for 2020: intermittency of wind requires 120 GW generation serving 70GW load

Severe transmission congestion at times of high wind

Already congested distribution networks in Scotland and Wales

Construction of new lines is virtually impossible

New technical and commercial arrangements needed




Network charging and congestion management

Need for a smart grid due to:

– replacement of a limited number of a limited number of controllable thermal power plants by a large number of poorly controllable renewable plants

– Changes in distribution networks: active sources, reverse flows etc.

– Better utilisation of distribution assets: from “invest and forget” to “connect and manage”


Response to the challenges – a view from Edinburgh

SuperGen FlexNet consortium

AURA-NMS consortium

Wind dynamics consortium


SuperGen Flexible Networks (FlexNet) consortium

http://www.supergen-networks.org.uk/


Autonomous Regional Active - Network Management System (AURA-NMS) consortium

http://www.aura-nms.co.uk/index.asp


Wind dynamics consortium

wind-induced 3P oscillations (tower shadow effect) in Northern Ireland

The amplitude much higher than expected (about 10% of output)

Frequency ~0.6 Hz, the same as the well-known inter-area oscillation frequency - resonance effect

Risk for the power system?


Research Drivers since 2000

Sustainability and decarbonisation of Electricity Supply Industry (ESI)

Rewiring Britain


UK Network is ageing and needs to be replaced

Source: Robin Maclaren, ScottishPower

The aim: smoothing out the second peak

UK DistributionGross Capital Expenditure

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

1950

/51

1960

/61

1970

/71

1980

/81

1990

/91

2000

/01

2010

/11

2020

/21

2030

/31

2040

/41

£m (

97/9

8 P

rice

s)

Actual capex Capex for replace on 40yr life


SuperGen V: Asset Management and Performance of Energy Networks (AMPerES)

Consortium of 6 universities and 10 network operators, 2006-2010

http://www.supergen-amperes.org/



Conclusions

Current main drivers: sustainability/decarbonisation of the Electricity Supply Industry and “rewiring Britain”

Maintain the security of supply and market-based solutions

The focus is shifting from transmission to distribution (active networks) – more to be gained

Potential for collaboration with HK/China

We are living in interesting times…

P1 ©J.W. Bialek, 2008 The Challenges to Decarbonise & Rewire Britain Professor Janusz W. Bialek Institute for Energy Systems The University of Edinburgh,

Documents

energy research

energy systems

energy storage

wind energy

solar energy

marine energy

energy conversion

hydrogen energy