Commercial Deployment of Smar

RNS Number : 5551D

Scottish & Southern Energy PLC

03 December 2009

 



SCOTTISH AND SOUTHERN ENERGY PLC

COMMERCIAL DEPLOYMENT OF SMART GRID TECHNOLOGY

Scottish and Southern Energy ("SSE"), in conjunction with Smarter Grid Solutions Ltd ("SGS") has commercially deployed Smart Grid technology on SSE's power distribution network on Orkney, allowing the connection of increased amounts of new renewable energy generation. 

The Orkney 'Smart Grid' is based on the principle that capacity exists in real-time on the power distribution grid due to variation in demand for electricity and diversity in the output of grid connected generators. This innovative Smart Grid technology permits greater numbers of renewable generators to be connected to the existing electricity network, in a cheaper and faster way than traditional means, by allowing generators to access power network capacity not normally available under conventional network planning requirements. 

The realisation of the Orkney 'Smart Grid' is the culmination of over five years of work, beginning with the research and development of the technology by SSE in collaboration with University of Strathclyde. SGS was spun-out from the University of Strathclyde in 2008 to commercialise the technology and offer it to constrained grid locations in the UK.  

Yesterday the UK Government published "Smarter Grids: The Opportunity", which makes the case for developing smart grids in the UK. As part of this announcement, Energy and Climate Change Minister Lord Hunt, said: "Smart grids will help manage the massive shift to low carbon electricity such as wind, nuclear and clean fossil fuels. Globally the business of developing smart grids has been estimated at £27 billion over the next 5 years and the UK has the know-how to be part of that."

Commenting on the deployment of the Smart Grid technology on Orkney, Colin Hood, Chief Operating Officer at SSE, said: "Smart Grid technology has the potential to significantly improve the efficiency of the electricity distribution and transmission network in the UK. This deployment provides a blueprint for how Smart Grids can be used to connect high penetrations of renewable generation in a cost effective way and resolve grid congestion as a result. 

"The connection of similar levels of renewable generation on Orkney by the conventional means of network reinforcement would have cost around £30 million. The total cost of developing and delivering this innovative solution has been substantially less than this and taken far less time."

SGS Managing Director, Alan Gooding said:

 "SGS's technology is an ideal means of connecting more renewable generators quickly and cheaply, reducing the queue for generator connections and helping the UK to meet its 2020 renewable energy targets. We have ambitious plans for growth building on our unique experience of having deployed, in a commercial way, a key component of the Smart Grid.  We are delighted to be at the forefront of this new and rapidly growing market".

 

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