Integrated Operation and Planning for Smart Electric Distribution Networks (OPEN)

The UK has a commitment to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% by 2050 relative to 1990 levels. DECC's 2050 Pathway Analysis shows the various ways through which we can achieve this target. All feature a high penetration level of renewable generation and a very substantial uptake of electrification of heat and transport, particularly from 2030 onwards. This will place unprecedented demand and distributed generation on electricity supply infrastructure, particularly the distribution systems due to their size. If a business as usual model is to apply, then the costs of de-carbonisation will be very high. Being equally confronted by the pressure of global climate change and sustainable development, the Chinese government has declared that by 2020 the carbon emission per-unit GDP will reduce to 40-45% of that in 2008. However China also needs to meet a 10% annual demand increase which has been on-going for the past 20 years, and this rate of growth is expected to continue for at least another 10 years. Therefore reinforcement of current distribution networks in an economic and sustainable way while meeting customers' rising expectation of supply quality and reliability is one of the basic requirements of Smart Grid development in China. It is a matter of urgency to investigate how to develop and adapt the current distribution network using Smart Grid interventions in order to facilitate timely connection of low carbon and sustainable technologies in a cost-effective manner. This is a global challenge faced by UK, China and many other countries.

Our 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:

(1) Conventional network operational and planning approaches do not address the emerging opportunities offered by increased measurement and control and do not deal with the inevitable uncertainties of smart distribution networks.
(2) A general understanding of how national or regional electricity distribution infrastructure should be developed and operated using Smart Grid interventions is required urgently by those making policy within Distribution companies and in Government/Regulators. Such an understanding cannot be gained from running conventional power system analysis tools and then manually assessing the results.

New techniques and approaches will be investigated to address these important questions

(1) Distribution state estimation and probabilistic predictive control approaches will be used to determine the location and control policies of smart grid interventions including Soft Open Points and electronic embedded hybrid on-load tap changers.
(2) Novel dynamic pricing techniques will be proposed to resolve conflicts between energy markets and network operation and find synergies where these exist.
(3) A very fast network assessment tool and a rolling planning tool that will bridge the gap between planning and operation will be developed.
(4) New visualisation and reporting techniques will be developed to give network planners, operators as well policy makers clear insights as to how Smart Grid interventions can be used most effectively.

Complementary, cross-country expertise will allow us to undertake the challenging research with substantially reduced cost, time and effort. The research will build upon the long-time well established collaborations between partner institutions of the two countries. Our ambition is to provide a strategic direction for the future of smart electricity distribution networks in the 2030-2050 time frame and deliver methodologies and technologies of alternative network operation and planning strategies in order to facilitate a cost effective evolution to a low carbon future.

The potential beneficiaries will be
(1) Utility companies and energy suppliers, who will benefit from improved visibility and controllability of distribution networks, actively mitigating network constraints and planning future networks with minimum risks, as well as greater utilisation of renewables and active participation of customers;
(2) Manufacturers who are directly involved in the development and deployment of Smart Grid interventions;
(3) Academia who will benefit from the theoretical contributions from this project.
(4) Policy makers who will benefit from the fast network assessment tools developed and the results of case study provided, to gain a better understating of how national or regional electricity distribution infrastructure might be developed and operated using Smart Grid interventions, and
(5) Demand customers who will benefit from improved continuity and quality of electricity supply of distribution networks.

Our consortium brings together leading researchers from the UK and China, and the two nation cross-fertilisation will make sure that the impact of our research is not only limited to developed nations but also to developing nations transition to a low carbon economy. The project is supported by a Steering Group which represents the main potential beneficiaries and are in an exceptional position to support the research, maximise dissemination opportunities and enable impact.

We will establish the OPEN as a visible focal point for Smart Distribution/Smart Grid research in the UK, China and internationally. We will learn from international experience; publicise the existence, objectives, activities, and findings of the OPEN project through the project web site, presentations at relevant meetings, publications in professional journals/conferences, and disseminate results through the leading research consortia in both countries, e.g. EPSRC HubNet in the UK and the Chinese National Basic Research Programme in China, both of which are led by the project partners of the OPEN project. The dissemination events are aiming at a diversity of academic, industry, policy individuals and organisations, for the UK, China and internationally.

Consortium members have extensive industrially focussed partnership experience (e.g. Energy Networks Strategy Group and the Electricity Networks Association), and have extensive experience of impact on policy and practice, whereby effective knowledge exchange has been achieved. Contributions will continue to be made through Grid Code and Engineering Recommendations revisions in the UK, participation in drafting the distribution network planning guidance for State Grid, Southern Grid and Microgrid connection standards in China, and also technology evaluation and demonstration. Engagement in DECC/OFGEM Smart Grids Forum, Low Carbon Network Fund bids, Innovation Funding Incentive projects, and the Energy Technologies Institute infrastructure programme, all provide the academics with pathways to impact. The focus on tangible technological outputs, together with the informing context of case studies, provides a strong delivery mechanism for communicating new thinking. This will be welcomed by the decision takers as they appraise the feasibility of emerging technology options.

The exploitation and application of the research outcome will benefit international activities on research and development of smart distribution networks. Opportunities for exploitation will be pursued through licensing, spin-outs, etc. The opportunities for further development of technology will furthermore be effected by the senior academics providing strategic input into EPSRC, DECC, TSB, NFSC, the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, etc, whereby follow-on funds can be identified in a timely fashion.