UK Power Networks Partners with GE Digital on Smart Substation Project to Drive Net Zero Outcomes
09 Dicembre 2021 - 04:00PM
Business Wire
- New Constellation innovation project will
enable more renewables to be integrated on to the electricity
distribution network and save approximately 17.8m tons of CO2
emissions by 2050
- Constellation provides a unique approach to
distribution network management through decentralized operation
using data analytics and machine learning, reducing reliance on
communications to and from the central control systems
GE Digital today announced that it is partnering with its valued
customer UK Power Networks on a world-first smart substation
project. The project, known as Constellation, is designed to
optimize utilization of the distribution network to facilitate the
rise of renewable energy generation across the United Kingdom.
Constellation is a world-first innovation project that will see
powerful computers installed in a series of substations, turning
them into smart substations. To do this, Constellation will
leverage advances in software engineering, machine learning, and
system optimization to make substations interoperable and secure.
The project aims to release 1.4 GW of capacity (enough to power
more than 700,000 homes) and save consumers more than £750 million
by 2050. It is also forecast to save more than 17.8m tons of
harmful greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
A key aspect of Constellation is the installation of GE
Digital’s PhasorController in substations to enable the deployment
of multiple smart applications. This will include functionality to
optimize distribution network utilization and contribute to
net-zero targets while reducing the need for investment in
additional infrastructure.
Ian Cameron, head of customer service and innovation at UK Power
Networks said: “UK Power Networks is adapting to increasingly
complex power flows by becoming smarter so we can safely release
more capacity and enable more renewable energy to connect at lower
cost – saving customers money and helping the environment at the
same time. We already have smart control rooms and grid edge
devices like smart electric vehicle chargers. Having smart
substations in the middle pulling it all together is a logical next
step.”
PhasorController distributes intelligence and control to the
substation and Distributed Energy Resources (DER) connections to
complement the existing central control, providing resilience and
continuity of DER operation when communications links are
unavailable. Currently, when a utility loses communications, it
will fall back to safe power level which can lead to time periods
when DER cannot operate. The solution uses data analytics and
machine learning (ML) to incorporate data from periods when
communication and the network is managed normally. This then
“trains” Machine Learning models centrally and then distributes the
models to the local renewable generation controls, so they are
ready to go live if/when communications are lost.
As the share of renewables in the electricity mix continues to
grow, network operators are increasingly looking at ways to
integrate them into the grid more efficiently. The Constellation
project will develop a model that can be used to help UK Power
Networks with an anticipated increase in distributed energy
resources and to move the country closer to its 2050 target for
zero carbon electricity. Renewable power generation and DERs like
electric vehicles and solar, connected to regional networks, are
forecast to grow tremendously by 2050. By accessing data regarding
the operations of various distributed grid devices, UK Power
Networks will leverage analytics to match its changing energy
demands with generation, and in turn, be able to expand its
portfolio of renewable energy resources and energy flexibility
capacity for grid reliability and improved customer services.
“Constellation marks a transformation in the way electricity
networks operate,” said Jim Walsh, General Manager of GE Digital’s
Grid Software business. “It will release reliable grid capacity in
previously constrained situations. The combination of
high-resolution data, advanced analytics, and flexible controls
enable the network to operate reliably within its capability
without over-conservative limits. It will also provide a foundation
for additional smart solutions, further benefiting customers.”
More information about GE Digital’s Grid Software solutions can
be found here.
About GE Digital GE Digital transforms how our customers
solve their toughest challenges by putting industrial data to work.
Our mission is to bring simplicity, speed, and scale to digital
transformation activities, with industrial software that delivers
breakthrough business outcomes. GE Digital’s product portfolio –
including grid optimization and analytics, asset and operations
performance management, and manufacturing operations and automation
– helps industrial companies in the utility, power generation, oil
& gas, aviation, and manufacturing sectors change the way
industry works. For more information, visit www.ge.com/digital.
About UK Power Networks UK Power Networks is the UK’s
biggest electricity distributor, making sure the lights stay on for
more than eight million homes and businesses across London, the
South East and the East of England. Network operators aren’t the
same as energy suppliers; network operators manage local power
lines and substations, while energy suppliers sell the electricity
that runs through the power lines. UK Power Networks continues to
be listed in the Sunday Times’ Top 25 Best Big Companies to Work
For. The company invests more than £600 million in its electricity
networks every year, offers extra help to vulnerable customers at
times of need, and is undertaking trials to ensure that electricity
networks support the transition to a low carbon future. It also
moves cables and connects new electricity supplies. If you have a
power cut ring 105, see www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk or tweet us
@UKPowerNetworks.
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Media: GE Digital Ellie Holman ellie.holman@ge.com
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