Technology Transformation to Support Flexible and Resilient Local Energy Systems
Lead Research Organisation:
Imperial College London
Department Name: Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Abstract
Deep changes are happening in the supply side of energy systems. The UK has halved carbon emissions from electricity system from over 150 million tonnes in 2012 to under 70 in 2018 and China is adding about 20 GW of wind generation capacity per year and has replaced all buses in the city of Shenzhen with electric busses. Very clearly there is much more to do: the remaining decarbonisation of electricity, the electrification of other sectors and sourcing alternative, zero-carbon fuels.
Cities have traditionally been huge consumers of energy brought in from their hinterland and yet load growth in energy networks is inevitable as more services, notably transport, are decarbonised through electrification and building density increases through re-development of with taller buildings. The traditional response to this, adding more plant and equipment, is recognised as being an inefficient. An interesting trend is the emergence of Local Energy Systems (LES) and Multi-Energy Micro-Grids (MEMG). LES and MEMG are a means for raising self-consumption of local energy resources; tapping into sources of flexibility in how the services derived from energy; using local services for both local and national control and moving to a smart ways of ensuring resilience. The recent power outage in the UK (9/8/19) highlighted that transport systems and other urban infrastructure are particularly vulnerable. A re-imagining of how resilience is provided in the urban setting could hugely reduce that vulnerability.
Despite the differences between the histories and geographies of cities in China and the UK, we find common challenges and a complementary set of research expertise. This project brings together experts in power electronics, optimisation, control and fault-management from UK and China.
Existing energy networks, especially electricity networks, were designed assuming power enters a city from remote power stations and the network inside the city distributes this. This led to a radial set of lines spreading out from substations. This structure is unable to support the formation of flexible microgrids around local generation and storage resources. We propose to re-structure the legacy networks using power electronics devices that give controlled power flows between previously unconnected networks points. This opens up dynamically restructuring the power flow in urban areas to allow greater local self-consumption of energy, for instance moving solar power residential properties to work-place charging of electric vehicles. It also allows islands to be formed in reaction to power cuts that keep essential services running while placing non-essential services on hold.
We also look at hardware and control issues. The hardware for electronic routing of power has been discussed in principle but it is too large and not efficient enough to be used in urban settings. We will work on new forms of modular power converter that raise efficiency, reduce physical volume and provide resilience to component failures.
Control systems for energy networks are centralised: they gather data from across large areas, make decisions and then issue commands. The microgrid concept changes this to a decentralised approach. A key benefit of decentralisation is the ready access to information about flexibility in energy consumption, e.g which electrical vehicles could delay charging or might supply power to aid with a power cut. Local control also gives opportunities to run the heat/cooling of buildings, the transport energy system and the electricity system as an integrated whole. This can lead better integration of renewable energy and therefore deep decarbonisation but requires a major step forward in managing uncertainty over the local energy resources and demands. We will bring the techniques of stochastic optimisation and machine learning to bear on this problem and devise a control and operations framework for smart urban energy systems.
Cities have traditionally been huge consumers of energy brought in from their hinterland and yet load growth in energy networks is inevitable as more services, notably transport, are decarbonised through electrification and building density increases through re-development of with taller buildings. The traditional response to this, adding more plant and equipment, is recognised as being an inefficient. An interesting trend is the emergence of Local Energy Systems (LES) and Multi-Energy Micro-Grids (MEMG). LES and MEMG are a means for raising self-consumption of local energy resources; tapping into sources of flexibility in how the services derived from energy; using local services for both local and national control and moving to a smart ways of ensuring resilience. The recent power outage in the UK (9/8/19) highlighted that transport systems and other urban infrastructure are particularly vulnerable. A re-imagining of how resilience is provided in the urban setting could hugely reduce that vulnerability.
Despite the differences between the histories and geographies of cities in China and the UK, we find common challenges and a complementary set of research expertise. This project brings together experts in power electronics, optimisation, control and fault-management from UK and China.
Existing energy networks, especially electricity networks, were designed assuming power enters a city from remote power stations and the network inside the city distributes this. This led to a radial set of lines spreading out from substations. This structure is unable to support the formation of flexible microgrids around local generation and storage resources. We propose to re-structure the legacy networks using power electronics devices that give controlled power flows between previously unconnected networks points. This opens up dynamically restructuring the power flow in urban areas to allow greater local self-consumption of energy, for instance moving solar power residential properties to work-place charging of electric vehicles. It also allows islands to be formed in reaction to power cuts that keep essential services running while placing non-essential services on hold.
We also look at hardware and control issues. The hardware for electronic routing of power has been discussed in principle but it is too large and not efficient enough to be used in urban settings. We will work on new forms of modular power converter that raise efficiency, reduce physical volume and provide resilience to component failures.
Control systems for energy networks are centralised: they gather data from across large areas, make decisions and then issue commands. The microgrid concept changes this to a decentralised approach. A key benefit of decentralisation is the ready access to information about flexibility in energy consumption, e.g which electrical vehicles could delay charging or might supply power to aid with a power cut. Local control also gives opportunities to run the heat/cooling of buildings, the transport energy system and the electricity system as an integrated whole. This can lead better integration of renewable energy and therefore deep decarbonisation but requires a major step forward in managing uncertainty over the local energy resources and demands. We will bring the techniques of stochastic optimisation and machine learning to bear on this problem and devise a control and operations framework for smart urban energy systems.
Planned Impact
Academic impact: The academic sectors that will benefit from the methodological approaches developed in this project include: power electronics - by creating circuit techniques that break the design trade-offs that have previously limited progress on footprint and losses and incorporating resilience models into converter evaluation; operation of Multi-energy system in cities - by addressing the optimal coordination mechanisms among alternative energy resources to enhance urban resilience; energy system control - by developing a joint-forecasting-aided decentralised MPC algorithm for urban energy system under limited communication resource; and fault management - by characterising fault current and converter impedances and developing signal processing and machine learning method to analyse travelling waves in uncertain networks
We plan to disseminate learning through a number of impact routes. First, results will be published in leading international journals and conferences. Secondly, project partners will disseminate results through personal networks, including the Energy Futures Lab, the Universities High Voltage Engineering Network and the FLEXIS network. Thirdly, by sharing findings through the Energy System Integration Group (www.esig.energy).
Economic impact: Energy is the lifeblood to these urban economies and essential to continued prosperity. By developing new technologies and methods to enable maximum flexibility and resilience on existing network infrastructure, expensive network reinforcements can be avoided and solutions which provide the best possible value to bill-payers and taxpayers can be achieved. These ideas will then be presented as policy evidence directly to Energy Networks Association (ENA), National Infrastructure Commission and others. We will also publish in the Policy Briefing Papers and Technical White Papers of Energy Futures Lab to bring evidence to the wider policy community. Prof Strbac has a strong track-record of creating impact from such techno-economic evidence through adoption in industry standards and regulatory policy. We will build on this experience.
We expect to make policy contributions on the economic benefits decentralised energy networks with advanced real-time control such as peer-to-peer (P2P) trading, vehicle to grid (V2G) systems and coordinated operation of multi-energy vectors. We believe these technologies could lead to lower bills for customers and a benefit to economic activity in the UK through new business creation.
We will work closely with project partners (covering network operators, control system vendors and energy market innovators) to maximise opportunities for field trials and demonstration projects.
The UK's leading position in decarbonisation of energy gives and opportunity for UK companies to demonstrate new technologies in their home market and then create export sales of products and consultancy services.
Societal impact: A re-imagined provision of energy services to urban communities is a major research outcome of this project that has broader societal benefits beyond the economic. By encouraging self-consumption of local renewable and recovered energy, through perhaps community energy groups, a dialogue can be promoted in communities on how the transition to a zero-carbon energy system can be turned to the advantage of the community. There are also benefits in local air-quality. We will engage Community Energy South to help understand the nature of this opportunity. We will also target dissemination across FLEXIS partners such as local authorities and the Welsh Assembly.
We plan to disseminate learning through a number of impact routes. First, results will be published in leading international journals and conferences. Secondly, project partners will disseminate results through personal networks, including the Energy Futures Lab, the Universities High Voltage Engineering Network and the FLEXIS network. Thirdly, by sharing findings through the Energy System Integration Group (www.esig.energy).
Economic impact: Energy is the lifeblood to these urban economies and essential to continued prosperity. By developing new technologies and methods to enable maximum flexibility and resilience on existing network infrastructure, expensive network reinforcements can be avoided and solutions which provide the best possible value to bill-payers and taxpayers can be achieved. These ideas will then be presented as policy evidence directly to Energy Networks Association (ENA), National Infrastructure Commission and others. We will also publish in the Policy Briefing Papers and Technical White Papers of Energy Futures Lab to bring evidence to the wider policy community. Prof Strbac has a strong track-record of creating impact from such techno-economic evidence through adoption in industry standards and regulatory policy. We will build on this experience.
We expect to make policy contributions on the economic benefits decentralised energy networks with advanced real-time control such as peer-to-peer (P2P) trading, vehicle to grid (V2G) systems and coordinated operation of multi-energy vectors. We believe these technologies could lead to lower bills for customers and a benefit to economic activity in the UK through new business creation.
We will work closely with project partners (covering network operators, control system vendors and energy market innovators) to maximise opportunities for field trials and demonstration projects.
The UK's leading position in decarbonisation of energy gives and opportunity for UK companies to demonstrate new technologies in their home market and then create export sales of products and consultancy services.
Societal impact: A re-imagined provision of energy services to urban communities is a major research outcome of this project that has broader societal benefits beyond the economic. By encouraging self-consumption of local renewable and recovered energy, through perhaps community energy groups, a dialogue can be promoted in communities on how the transition to a zero-carbon energy system can be turned to the advantage of the community. There are also benefits in local air-quality. We will engage Community Energy South to help understand the nature of this opportunity. We will also target dissemination across FLEXIS partners such as local authorities and the Welsh Assembly.
Organisations
Publications
Zhang T
(2023)
A Bayesian Deep Reinforcement Learning-Based Resilient Control for Multi-Energy Micro-Gird
in IEEE Transactions on Power Systems
Dong Z
(2023)
A distributed robust control strategy for electric vehicles to enhance resilience in urban energy systems
in Advances in Applied Energy
Wang Y
(2021)
A resilience enhancement strategy for networked microgrids incorporating electricity and transport and utilizing a stochastic hierarchical control approach
in Sustainable Energy, Grids and Networks
Ge P
(2022)
A resilience-oriented centralised-to-decentralised framework for networked microgrids management
in Applied Energy
Wang Y
(2023)
A stochastic distributed control approach for load restoration of networked microgrids with mobile energy storage systems
in International Journal of Electrical Power & Energy Systems
Wang Y
(2021)
A Three-Level Planning Model for Optimal Sizing of Networked Microgrids Considering a Trade-Off Between Resilience and Cost
in IEEE Transactions on Power Systems
Wang H
(2023)
An Efficient LP-Based Approach for Spatial-Temporal Coordination of Electric Vehicles in Electricity-Transportation Nexus
in IEEE Transactions on Power Systems
Luo J
(2020)
An optimal modal coordination strategy based on modal superposition theory to mitigate low frequency oscillation in FCWG penetrated power systems
in International Journal of Electrical Power & Energy Systems
Alvarado D
(2023)
Co-Optimizing Substation Hardening and Transmission Expansion Against Earthquakes: A Decision-Dependent Probability Approach
in IEEE Transactions on Power Systems
Hadjileonidas A
(2022)
Comparative Analysis of Transient Stability of Grid-Forming and Grid-Following Inverters
Wang Y
(2023)
Coordinated Electric Vehicle Active and Reactive Power Control for Active Distribution Networks
in IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics
Pan G
(2021)
Cost and low-carbon competitiveness of electrolytic hydrogen in China
in Energy & Environmental Science
Wang C
(2023)
Cyber-Physical Interdependent Restoration Scheduling for Active Distribution Network via Ad Hoc Wireless Communication
in IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid
O'Malley M
(2021)
Enabling Power System Transformation Globally: A System Operator Research Agenda for Bulk Power System Issues
in IEEE Power and Energy Magazine
Ge P
(2020)
Event-triggered distributed model predictive control for resilient voltage control of an islanded microgrid
in International Journal of Robust and Nonlinear Control
Chu Z
(2021)
Frequency-Constrained Resilient Scheduling of Microgrid: A Distributionally Robust Approach
in IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid
Ademovic Tahirovic A
(2022)
Heterogeneous network flow and Petri nets characterize multilayer complex networks.
in Scientific reports
Qiu D
(2022)
Hybrid Multiagent Reinforcement Learning for Electric Vehicle Resilience Control Towards a Low-Carbon Transition
in IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics
Li Y
(2021)
Impedance Circuit Model of Grid-Forming Inverter: Visualizing Control Algorithms as Circuit Elements
in IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics
Zhu Y
(2023)
Impedance-Based Root-Cause Analysis: Comparative Study of Impedance Models and Calculation of Eigenvalue Sensitivity
in IEEE Transactions on Power Systems
Li Y
(2022)
Mapping of Dynamics Between Mechanical and Electrical Ports in SG-IBR Composite Grids
in IEEE Transactions on Power Systems
Wang Y
(2022)
Multi-agent deep reinforcement learning for resilience-driven routing and scheduling of mobile energy storage systems
in Applied Energy
Wang J
(2023)
On Machine Learning-Based Techniques for Future Sustainable and Resilient Energy Systems
in IEEE Transactions on Sustainable Energy
Wang Y
(2020)
On microgrids and resilience: A comprehensive review on modeling and operational strategies
in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews
Angeli D
(2023)
On Optimal Coordinated Dispatch for Heterogeneous Storage Fleets With Partial Availability
in IEEE Transactions on Control of Network Systems
Zhu Y
(2022)
Participation Analysis in Impedance Models: The Grey-Box Approach for Power System Stability
in IEEE Transactions on Power Systems
Gu Y
(2023)
Power System Stability With a High Penetration of Inverter-Based Resources
in Proceedings of the IEEE
Hou X
(2022)
Priority-Driven Self-Optimizing Power Control Scheme for Interlinking Converters of Hybrid AC/DC Microgrid Clusters in Decentralized Manner
in IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics
Bugaje A
(2022)
Real-time transmission switching with neural networks
in IET Generation, Transmission & Distribution
Huang W
(2021)
Reliability and Vulnerability Assessment of Multi-Energy Systems: An Energy Hub Based Method
in IEEE Transactions on Power Systems
Wang Y
(2020)
Resilience-Driven Modeling, Operation and Assessment for a Hybrid AC/DC Microgrid
in IEEE Access
Wang Y
(2022)
Resilience-driven optimal sizing and pre-positioning of mobile energy storage systems in decentralized networked microgrids
in Applied Energy
Qiu D
(2024)
Resilience-Oriented Coordination of Networked Microgrids: a Shapley Q-Value Learning Approach
in IEEE Transactions on Power Systems
Ge P
(2021)
Resilient Secondary Voltage Control of Islanded Microgrids: An ESKBF-Based Distributed Fast Terminal Sliding Mode Control Approach
in IEEE Transactions on Power Systems
Xiang X
(2021)
Resonant Modular Multilevel DC-DC Converters for Both High and Low Step-Ratio Connections in MVDC Distribution Systems
in IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics
Li Y
(2022)
Revisiting Grid-Forming and Grid-Following Inverters: A Duality Theory
in IEEE Transactions on Power Systems
Ye Y
(2023)
Safe Deep Reinforcement Learning for Microgrid Energy Management in Distribution Networks With Leveraged Spatial-Temporal Perception
in IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid
Qiu D
(2022)
Safe reinforcement learning for real-time automatic control in a smart energy-hub
in Applied Energy
Wang Y
(2023)
Secure energy management of multi-energy microgrid: A physical-informed safe reinforcement learning approach
in Applied Energy
Description | OFGEM RII0-2 Challenge Group |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
Impact | Ofgem established the RIIO-2 Challenge Group with the objective to provide challenge to the energy network companies on their Business Plans for RIIO-2 and to Ofgem on their framework for RIIO-2, on behalf of existing and future consumers. Independent report was delivered to OFGEM. |
URL | https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/system/files/docs/2020/01/riio-2_challenge_group_independent_report_for_ofg... |
Description | Prof Goran Strbac appointed as Lead Author in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Working Group III |
Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
Impact | This will provide evidence to all governments related to the climate change mitigation, assessing methods for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. It is expected that work will be the core for the development of national and International policy frameworks to ensure cost effective reduction of carbon emissions at the global level. |
Description | Prof Goran Strbac appointed as a member of SAPEA - "Science Advice for Policy by European Academies" Working Group member of "A systemic approach to the energy transition in Europe" |
Geographic Reach | Europe |
Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
Impact | Informing the EU about many possible pathways towards a carbon-neutral future - it is demonstrated that it can be achieved by 2050, but this requires urgent action. This is the central conclusion of SAPEA's evidence review report on the energy transition, and the corresponding Scientific Opinion of the European Commission's Group of Chief Scientific Advisors. |
Description | Professor Goran Strbac appointed as a member of the Joint EU Programme on Energy Systems Integration of the European Energy Research Alliance |
Geographic Reach | Europe |
Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
Impact | The Joint Programme in Energy Systems Integration seeks to bring together research strengths across Europe to optimise EU energy system, in particular by benefiting from the synergies between heating, cooling, electricity, renewable energy and fuel pathways at all scales. The energy elements of the water and transport system are also included, as well as the data and control network that enables the optimisation. The Joint Programme in Energy Systems Integration is designed to develop the technical and economic framework that governments and industries will need to build the future efficient and sustainable European energy system. It is fully aligned with the recently published SET Plan Integrated Roadmap and potential impact include increased reliability and performance, minimisation of cost and environmental impacts and, in particular, increased penetration of renewable energy sources. This is informing the EU about the development of future energy research projects. |
Description | Professor Goran Strbac appointed as a member of the Open Networks Challenge Group of Energy Networks Association |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
Impact | Given the objectives of Ofgem and Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), the Challenge Group provides challenge on policy and regulatory progresses to ensure that the programme remains ambitious in delivery and implementation of key proposals related to development of framework for flexibility. The Challenge Group is giving stakeholders an increased role in challenging and shaping flexibility proposals and ensuring that the programme is sufficiently ambitious in its scope and is delivering change at pace. |
Description | Data-Driven Online Monitoring and Early Warning For GB System Stability |
Amount | £360,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Ofgem Office of Gas and Electricity Markets |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 04/2023 |
End | 12/2024 |
Description | Strength to Connect |
Amount | £282,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Ofgem Office of Gas and Electricity Markets |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 08/2022 |
End | 02/2024 |
Title | SimplexPowerSystem |
Description | A set of tools and models configured to run in Matlab has been created and made available in open-source form on GitHub. The tools allows basic data about an electrical power gird to be assembled in Excel spreadsheet form and converter into a SimScape model suitable for running time-domain simulations and a matching small-signal state-space model available for stability analysis using standard Matlab tools. Underpinning this area set of standard models for grid-forming and grid-following inverters and synchronous generators. Models and tool were created to allow rapid verification of new techniques for participation analysis but are more widely useful than that so are being made available to the research community. They will be expanded by adding further equipment types as our work continues. Alongside the tolls are documentation and example grids that can be used in tutorial fashion. |
Type Of Material | Computer model/algorithm |
Year Produced | 2020 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | No impacts at this early stage |
URL | https://github.com/Future-Power-Networks/Power-System-Analysis-Toolbox |
Description | Flexible Energy Systems (FLEXIS) |
Organisation | Government of Wales |
Department | Welsh European Funding Office |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | The research is focused on looking at low carbon electrical networks to include characterisation studies, modelling and interaction with other research teams from 3 Universities. The FLEXIS project is a large, multidisciplinary consortium in Wales. |
Collaborator Contribution | Collaboration with other Universities is a key part of this project. This allows a full understanding of multi-vector, whole system, as well as societal aspects of energy networks. In addition, close links with a large consortium of industry partners and government bodies supports the steering of the research towards the benefit of society and the country. |
Impact | Michail papers Amine's papers Chinese papers |
Start Year | 2021 |
Description | National Grid Strategic Framework Agreement |
Organisation | National Grid UK |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | This project was facilitated through the National Grid framework agreement between National Grid and Cardiff University. The main objectives are to examine system safety based on a new proposal for a second earth wire. The project will conduct extensive modelling and field testing. |
Collaborator Contribution | National Grid have contributed system date, insights into system operation and insights into practical aspects of communication. |
Impact | Initial stages of the research (£98k funded project). |
Start Year | 2021 |
Description | EERA (European Energy Research Alliance) ESI (Energy System Integration) workshop - presentation focused on Resilience of Multi-energy Micro-Grids (September 2022) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | The focus of the presentation was on the role of corrective and preventive control including investment in mulct-energy infrastructure, which can reduce the load shedding caused by power interruption in HILP events, to make the investment choice fully economical, while enhancing resilience of supply in urban areas. This is now getting on the agenda in EERA ESI and is informing EU policy. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Industry webinar "CYBER SECURE Grids of the Future: |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | 24% of all cybersecurity incidents in the UK in 2021 targeted the energy sector, making it the most attacked industry and 56% of utilities report at least one attack involving a loss of private information or an outage in the OT environment in the past 12 months. The threat is changing, listen to our experts as they discuss how to keep networks secure. Join us throughout this series as we dive deeper into how digital technologies are going to shape our Grids of the Future! Up next, CYBER SECURE Grids of the Future. Hear from our panel of; Host: Ben Gray, Schneider Electric - Marketing Manager Power & Grid UK&I Luc Manfredi - Director Cyber Security, PWC Dr Fei Teng - Director of Education at Energy Futures Lab and Lecturer at Imperial Collage London |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://community.se.com/t5/Power-Events-Webinars/CYBER-SECURE-Grids-of-the-Future/ba-p/402683 |
Description | Panel Presentation at ESIG Spring Workshop 2021 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Two-hour on-line panel discussing the cases for using grid-forming inverters in future inverter dominated electricity grids. Panel comprised 3 system operators, 2 equipment manufacturers, 1 engineering consultant and Prof Tim Green as an academic researcher Panel was an open session of the ESIG (energy Systems Integration Group, https://www.esig.energy) Spring Workshop with 330 attendees from Australia, Europe and North America, mostly drawn from industry (system operators, equipment manufacturers and consulting engineers). Recording available via ESIG YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXHxtUWwy7I |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXHxtUWwy7I |