National Grid predicts all-time power demand summer lows

Posted: 14/04/16
National Grid has predicted all-time lows for power demand on the transmission system this summer due to the boom in distribution-connected solar PV. The system operator also warned that it may have to issue emergency instructions to inflexible generators over the summer, whom it will pay to stop exporting power onto the system. It may also need to call on Continue Reading »

ABB touts smartgrid and grid-scale battery knowhow

Posted: 14/04/16
Colin Green, UK head of regulatory affairs and technology at ABB’s Power Grids division, outlines how ABB is enabling the shift towards a smarter power system in this sponsored post. The UK’s power industry is entering a period of dramatic change, as we shift away from the traditional ‘top-down’ model of power generation, transmission and distribution to one where generation Continue Reading »

Which technologies have the greatest potential to transform the energy sector?

Posted: 14/04/16
The Energy and Climate Change Committee has launched an inquiry examining which technologies have the potential to disrupt the energy sector. To start gathering initial ideas, it seeks answers to a single question: “Which innovations have the greatest potential to revolutionise energy markets, and why?” The Committee asks for no more then three technologies or ideas per submission. It will examine Continue Reading »

Charge of the batteries: National Grid seeks 200MW of superfast frequency response

Posted: 14/04/16
National Grid will invite tenders for its new superfast frequency response service on 15 April. The system operator seeks an initial 200MW, but sees the service as an enduring regime as the UK power system continues to lose inertia. Technical details of the Enhanced Frequency Response service – which requires sub-second responses to deviations from the power systems standard 50Hz Continue Reading »

Keep calm and scale demand response, says Scottish energy security inquiry

Posted: 10/02/16
There is no need to panic about blackouts, an inquiry into Scotland’s energy security has been told. However, the committee has called for an increased focus on demand side response to help bolster system resilience. Scotland’s Economy, Energy and Tourism committee concluded that there is little to no immediate risk of blackouts despite thin supply margins, and that headlines suggesting Continue Reading »

National Grid plays down blackout fears but calls for more demand response

Posted: 10/02/16
National Grid has disputed figures that suggest the UK will face a significant power capacity shortfall next winter. However, it underlined the need to scale demand response as more generating plant comes off the system. Facing questions from the Energy and Climate Change Committee, the system operator reiterated that winter margins would get tighter but expressed faith in its ability to Continue Reading »

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