CLNR Power Quality Assessment – Impacts of Low Carbon Technologies
Overview
This report describes the results of power quality measurements made to assess the impact of new Low Carbon Technologies (LCTs) such as heat pumps, photovoltaic generation, micro-CHP and electric vehicles as well as the effects of network interventions such as electric energy storage and voltage regulators on the distribution networks to which they have been applied.
A key aspect of the Customer-Led Network Revolution project is to understand the effects of clusters of Low Carbon Technologies (LCTs) and a range of network interventions on existing distribution networks. This report examines the results of the power quality monitoring programme put in place to monitor the effects of clusters of solar photovoltaic generation, heat pumps and electric vehicles and the effects network interventions such as electrical energy storage devices.
The monitoring scheme comprised measurements at individual domestic customers’ premises with one of the following LCTs; heat pumps, electric vehicles, micro-CHP, or solar photovoltaic generation. In addition a number of customers without any LCTs in both rural and urban networks were monitored to provide a control group.
In addition to the clusters of LCTs on the Low Voltage (LV) distribution networks the effects of network interventions which may mitigate some of the anticipated effects were also trialled and monitored.
The monitoring requirements to demonstrate the effective operation of elements of the CLNR programme were outlined at the outset of the project. These generic requirements were refined and applied to the situation of the actual network locations selected.
