about the project
Over a three-year period,
Northern Powergrid and its partners will be trialling
smart grid solutions on the distribution network within the electricity grid as well as creating smart-enabled homes to give customers more flexibility over the way they use and generate electricity. The results will help the industry make sure the electricity networks can handle the mass introduction of
solar PV panels, electric cars and other low-carbon technologies.
Find out more about
smart grids and about the
project timeline.
The project will be taking advantage of
British Gas’s leadership in the roll-out of
smart meters and will involve around 14,000 customers with
smart meters, mostly in the North East and Yorkshire. Around 2,500 customers taking part will also be installing
solar PV panels,
heat pumps or provision for charging
electric vehicles. Knowledge gained from these households will be extended to the whole of the UK using data from around 200,000 smart meters.
The project will put customers in major cities like Durham, Leeds, Newcastle and Sheffield, as well as those in some of the more sparsely populated parts of the country, at the forefront of the low-carbon agenda. Durham University will be providing academic rigour to the project through its multi-disciplinary
Durham Energy Institute but will also be a customer in the trials.
As well as exploring the impact on electricity demand of customers using
solar PV panels,
electric vehicles and
heat pumps, the project will explore the use of new technology on the electricity network and commercial solutions, such as different pricing structures. This will help the electricity industry find the best way to keep down the cost of connecting customers to the grid and minimising the cost of meeting their electricity needs.
Mike Lees, Technical Director of EA Technology Ltd , said: “A smart grid solution that benefits customers will need a combination of commercial techniques and technology, as well as involvement of both suppliers and distributors. What makes this project fascinating is that we have the right combination of well-motivated thought leaders, with the ability to deliver, in order to drive through to a successful conclusion.”
Although the new technologies being trialled by the project will be located in
Northern Powergrid`s distribution area, the project is designed such that the knowledge generated will be applicable across the UK. All the results from the project will be published and therefore made freely available for use by others in the industry.
This £54 million project has received £27 million funding via the
Low Carbon Networks Fund.