Archives Jan. 1, 2020

As the DNOs manage the transition to a flexible, smart grid, one key operational parameter is fault level. While modelling software may generate a prospective value, is it reliable enough to underpin investment and safety decisions? Since 2011, SP Energy Networks and signal processing specialist Outram Research have collaborated to develop two fault level meters: an award-winning portable device that uses normal disturbance to calculate the fault level, and now a Real Time Fault Level Monitor that gives read outs in seconds and can monitor network capacity in real time. In our special report, Outram Research explains its technology and ...

As US lawmakers debate the first major energy policy legislation since the Energy Act of 2005, leading expert Rob Gramlich of US consultancy Grid Strategies presents a webinar on advanced transmission technology incentives and how to optimise the grid.

The inevitable shift towards renewable energy has prompted a fresh focus on incentives to expand and optimise the US transmission grid, as wind and solar resources tend to be located far from population centres.

Transmission costs will make up an increasing share of customers’ bills while generation costs decline, as congestion increases and grid operators have to redispatch more expensive sources ...

What exactly makes a smart city? Andrew Palmer, Consulting Director at CGI UK, argues that 5G is not the measure of one. Instead, he believes it is the interconnectivity between citizens, devices and buildings, allied to infrastructure and ecosystems which support a coherent vision.

When applied to complex environments such as cities, enterprises or utilities, the term ‘smart’ does not begin to describe the level of interoperability, connectedness, control and two-way interaction envisaged. I would suggest that the word ‘connected’ as opposed to ‘smart’ should be used. For example, we have ‘connected communities’ instead of ‘smart cities.’ One of the ...

Austria´s leading utility Verbund has created a new digital execution department to help different business units with digitalisation projects.  

The team is already examining which technologies are the best fit for various challenges in Verbund’s operations, from its more than 100 power plants to the retail supply group. Verbund has a demonstration power plant in Rabenstein, Styria under the Digital Hydropower Plant 4.0 project in conjunction with the European power plant association, the Graz University of Technology and with technology partners.  

It has a diving robot that can inspect the turbine and a digital twin to help ...

Date: 12th March 2020
SGI Response to CRU Discussion Paper on PR5

Dear Mr Lindsey

Smart Grid Ireland (SGI) with offices in Dublin City West and Belfast welcomes the opportunity to respond to the CRU discussion paper on the approach for Transmission and distribution Price Review 5 Electricity Networks 2021 – 2025. Smart Grid Ireland is an independent industry led networking cluster influencing government and regulation, promoting good corporate citizenship and actively driving technology solutions that accelerates the cultural and societal changes needed to achieve a digitalized, decentralized and decarbonised electricity network and improve the Island of Ireland’s international competitiveness ...

The BRIDGE General Assembly gathered in Brussels on the 11th-12th of February to create a better understanding of the BRIDGE projects, learn more about projects results and help to establish closer cooperation for European best practice standards.

On the 11th and 12th of February, the BRIDGE General Assembly 2020 took place in Brussels, organised by the European Commission in cooperation with DOWEL Management, Zabala and RSE. The event was well attended (around 150 participants) with a diverse audience composed of energy system stakeholders involved in BRIDGE projects, such as consumers, grid operators, regulators, local energy communities representatives, power technology providers ...

The EU Islands Facility NESOI is asking all Islands in Europe to help in the assessment of their needs regarding the implementation of Energy Transition solutions on their territory.

The EU Islands Facility – NESOI is an EU funded Horizon 2020 project that aims to unlock the potential of EU islands to become the locomotives of European Energy Transition by mobilising more than 100 M€ of investment in sustainable energy projects.

To do so, NESOI is developing a platform providing islands with training, technical support, cooperation opportunities and robust funding openings. The selected island projects will receive customised on-site support from ...

The European Technology and Innovation Platform Smart Networks for Energy Transition (ETIP SNET) is continuing its series of short stories on successful energy transition technologies to inform citizens and facilitate their involvement in the European energy system of the future, with 2 new stories on the Underground Sun Storage and 3D Decision Support System projects.

As reported previously, it is in everyone’s long-term interest to have a rapid transition towards a cleaner, more sustainable and less carbon-intensive energy future. Indeed, many projects across Europe are developing the necessary technologies to make Europe’s transition to greener energy as smooth ...

The ETIP SNET Working Group on Reliable, economic and efficient smart grid system (WG1) release White Paper on Sector Coupling: Concepts, State-of-the-art and Perspectives.

Sector coupling has recently gained increased attention, bringing new complexity into infrastructure investment decisions but also new opportunities for its smart operation. In a multi-energy system the benefits of an investment in one system may spread over other connected sectors, calling for new metrics when evaluating the cost-benefit analysis (CBA) and for widening scenarios of investment decisions to alternative solutions in the cross-energy system which can be more economical.

Sector coupling brings new challenges such as ...

The 13th Governing Board meeting of the European Technology and Innovation Platform for Smart Networks for the Energy Transition (ETIP SNET) on the 31th of January 2020 in Brussels presented an opportunity for key energy stakeholders to come together to reflect on last year’s achievements, appoint new Working Groups Chairs and co-chairs and discuss the 2020 action plan.

After an eventful and successful 2019 which included the nomination of Guido Guida chairman, a series of multistakeholder workshops and webinars, regional workshops in Petten and Paris, ETIP SNET continues 2020 with the same ambition of shaping the energy system of ...