An overview of the development,
operation and future challenges of the
electrical grid
Dr Jenny Cooper
Outline (not necessarily in this order but with some interchangeability)
Who am I? The Energy Industry – an overview and the
challenges Innovation landscape funding Skills Thoughts
3
Who am I?
Grew up in Warwickshire, educated at a girls school Graduate physicist from Durham University Doctorate in Electrical Engineering from the
University of Manchester Worked for over 27 years in the energy industry Volunteer in charities, hospital and education Wife and Mum
Generation
Distribution132kV & lower
Transmission400 & 275 kV
Consumer
The electricity industry – an overview
5
National Grid’s Business
50:50
Transmission
UK US
Distribution
Electricity Gas
6
Gas: From Beach To Meter
Terminal
Compressor Station
Compressor Station
Underground Storage
Storage Network Offtake
StoragePressure Reduction
StationGovernors
Terminal
Compressor Station
Compressor Station
Underground Storage
Storage Network Offtake
StoragePressure Reduction
StationGovernors
7
National Grid - UK
Regulation
Making a positive differencefor energy consumers
The energy industry is regulated by:
Revenues are set by Ofgem for Price Control Periods
Companies must prove they are spending customers money wisely
They are incentivised to:
Work sustainably
Provide good customer service
Invest efficiently to ensure safe & reliable service
Include stakeholders in our decision making process
Use innovation to develop solutions to challenges
What is Demand?
Where are the biggest demands?
MW Average Demand 2010
Greater London 12000
Manchester 3300
Birmingham 1200
Leeds 1000
Glasgow 850
Edinburgh 730
Sheffield 680
Liverpool 570
Bristol 530
Cardiff 470
Newcastle 380
Southampton 300
Plymouth 300
Oxford 250
Norwich 170
Source: DECC
By Night…
…It Becomes Obvious
Passive Demand
Active demand
Industrial
Distributed generation
Domestic
DomesticIndustrial
GenerationDemand
Balancing Generation with Demand
Variable generation
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
1,600
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
1,600
01-J
an
05-J
an
10-J
an
15-J
an
20-J
an
25-J
an
30-J
an
01-J
an
05-J
an
10-J
an
15-J
an
20-J
an
25-J
an
30-J
an
MW
Large generation
Inflexible generation
National Electricity Control
1938 – Start of National Control 1939 – Move Underground for WWII
1950 – Move to Paternoster Square 1950 – Inside Paternoster Square
14
Minute-by-minute control
Energy Balancing Seasonal Effects
50.0
49.5
50.5
Typical Summer Day
Minimum Summer Day
Typical Winter Day
Maximum Winter Day
00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00 24:00
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
Maximum Winter Day
Typical Winter Day
Typical Summer Day
Minimum Summer Day
Time
GW
Generation Demand
What Influences Demand?
Whatinfluencesdemand?
Events
Cooling Effect of
windTemperature
EmbeddedGeneration
Day of Week
Timeof Day
Rain
Clouds
52.0 Generators tripping50.5 Upper statutory limit50.0 Normal operating frequency49.5 Lower statutory limit48.8 Demand disconnection starts47.8 Demand disconnection complete
Frequency
Royal wedding 29th April 2011
30000
31000
32000
33000
34000
35000
36000
37000
08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00
Time
Nat
ion
al G
rid
Dem
and
(M
W)
49.8
50
50.2
50.4
50.6
50.8
51
51.2
Fre
qu
en
cy
(H
z)
Forecast Demand29th April 2011Frequency
2300MWincrease
3100MWdecrease
Arrival at Palace
Service Begins
Palace Balcony
Wimbledon Men’s Final 2013Wimbledon Men's Final 7 July 2013
Murray v Djokovic
29800
30000
30200
30400
30600
30800
31000
31200
31400
31600
31800
13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00
Time (BST)
Dem
and
(M
W)
End of 1st set300 MW
End of 2nd set300 MW
People gather to see Murray
Win800 MW
dropMurray wins
End of presentation630 MW pick-up
The walk of glory270 MW
Djokovic breaks220 MW
Murray breaks125 MW
Djokovic breaks back300 MW
Match begins
Murray breaks for match drop220 MW
Murray finishes his winning speech430 MW pick-up
End of broadcast280 MW pick-up
Murray breaks back200MW
07-Jul-13
30-Jun-13
What’s Happening in Energy?
Sustainability and Climate
Change.
Changes in Generation
Asset Replacement
Skills
2 Double circuit faults6 Simultaneous faults
105 Single circuit faults
2000 Protection orCommunication failures
5 Cable faults
10 Transformer
21 Circuit Breaker faults
Faults on the System and Annual Stats
4 Busbar faults
22
When it goes wrong : Willesden QB Failure
23
The Times They Are A-Changin’
Future Transmission Network
25
Innovation Lifecycle
25Technology Push ... ... Market Pull
Pilot Plant Constructed
Product Considered “Commercially Proven” - 100’s of MW (equivalent) deployed
First Full-Scale Plant Operational
Demonstration DeploymentResearch & Development
Basic R&D
New Ideas
Commercially Available New Technologies
R&D to address technical issues
R&D to mitigate perceived technical & financial risks
UKERC
Financial incentives – EMR ETC.
UK innovation support landscape
26
Innovation funnel for integrated energy - concept to Business as Usual possibly 10-15 years
Idea to concept Tested technology in simulated environment Into deployment
RIIO: NIC
DECC funding/development
Research Councils / academia ETI funding / capability
Local authorities
Private investment funds
Electricity & Gas transmission and distribution operators
RIIO: NIA
Innovate UK funding
EU Funding - various
BAU
27
Climate Change/extreme weather
28
28
It’s a £200 billion Engineering Challenge - that needs people with skills.
29
Why engineering?
Research, Design and Develop
Create, Manufacture,
Build
Operate, Maintainand improve
Decommissionand Dismantle
30
Thank you for listening
Questions?