Decentralised Integration of Renewable Energy sources through smart grid Technologies (DIRECT)

Renewable energy sources (RESs) open up new opportunities for improving sustainability, but they also introduce more risks or failures, e.g., widespread blackouts on 9th August 2019 in the UK were exaggerated by inadvertent tripping and disconnection of RESs. Hence it become urgent to develop more innovative and secure technologies for integrating RESs. Virtual Power Plant (VPP) is one of such potential technologies. It aggregates small embedded generation (e.g. solar), and then operates as a conventional power plant (from transmission system point of view) by complying with grid codes. DIRECT project aims to develop new decentralised VPP operation mechanisms for improving system security, and test them at Durham Smart Grid Laboratory that is equipped with £1m worth of real-time digital simulators (2 RTDSs) and RES emulators (wind/solar emulators). A particular focus will be placed on coordinating RESs with energy storage by exploiting data using machine learning techniques. Moreover, new p2p energy trading and multi-vector energy system mechanisms will be developed using Blockchain technologies. We will use this expertise to examine the impact of new PV technologies on the grid, for example, considering differing PV yield in low/diffuse light conditions. The key questions to answer will be what opportunities and challenges do new PV technologies present for future smart grids.