An overview of the development,

operation and future challenges of the

electrical grid

Dr Jenny Cooper

Outline (not necessarily in this order but with some interchangeability)

Who am I? The Energy Industry – an overview and the

challenges Innovation landscape funding Skills Thoughts

3

Who am I?

Grew up in Warwickshire, educated at a girls school Graduate physicist from Durham University Doctorate in Electrical Engineering from the

University of Manchester Worked for over 27 years in the energy industry Volunteer in charities, hospital and education Wife and Mum

Generation

Distribution132kV & lower

Transmission400 & 275 kV

Consumer

The electricity industry – an overview

5

National Grid’s Business

50:50

Transmission

UK US

Distribution

Electricity Gas

6

Gas: From Beach To Meter

Terminal

Compressor Station

Compressor Station

Underground Storage

Storage Network Offtake

StoragePressure Reduction

StationGovernors

Terminal

Compressor Station

Compressor Station

Underground Storage

Storage Network Offtake

StoragePressure Reduction

StationGovernors

7

National Grid - UK

Regulation

Making a positive differencefor energy consumers

The energy industry is regulated by:

Revenues are set by Ofgem for Price Control Periods

Companies must prove they are spending customers money wisely

They are incentivised to:

Work sustainably

Provide good customer service

Invest efficiently to ensure safe & reliable service

Include stakeholders in our decision making process

Use innovation to develop solutions to challenges

What is Demand?

Where are the biggest demands?

MW Average Demand 2010

Greater London 12000

Manchester 3300

Birmingham 1200

Leeds 1000

Glasgow 850

Edinburgh 730

Sheffield 680

Liverpool 570

Bristol 530

Cardiff 470

Newcastle 380

Southampton 300

Plymouth 300

Oxford 250

Norwich 170

Source: DECC

By Night…

…It Becomes Obvious

Passive Demand

Active demand

Industrial

Distributed generation

Domestic

DomesticIndustrial

GenerationDemand

Balancing Generation with Demand

Variable generation

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

1,600

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

1,600

01-J

an

05-J

an

10-J

an

15-J

an

20-J

an

25-J

an

30-J

an

01-J

an

05-J

an

10-J

an

15-J

an

20-J

an

25-J

an

30-J

an

MW

Large generation

Inflexible generation

National Electricity Control

1938 – Start of National Control 1939 – Move Underground for WWII

1950 – Move to Paternoster Square 1950 – Inside Paternoster Square

14

Minute-by-minute control

Energy Balancing Seasonal Effects

50.0

49.5

50.5

Typical Summer Day

Minimum Summer Day

Typical Winter Day

Maximum Winter Day

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00 24:00

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

Maximum Winter Day

Typical Winter Day

Typical Summer Day

Minimum Summer Day

Time

GW

Generation Demand

What Influences Demand?

Whatinfluencesdemand?

Events

Cooling Effect of

windTemperature

EmbeddedGeneration

Day of Week

Timeof Day

Rain

Clouds

52.0 Generators tripping50.5 Upper statutory limit50.0 Normal operating frequency49.5 Lower statutory limit48.8 Demand disconnection starts47.8 Demand disconnection complete

Frequency

Royal wedding 29th April 2011

30000

31000

32000

33000

34000

35000

36000

37000

08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00

Time

Nat

ion

al G

rid

Dem

and

(M

W)

49.8

50

50.2

50.4

50.6

50.8

51

51.2

Fre

qu

en

cy

(H

z)

Forecast Demand29th April 2011Frequency

2300MWincrease

3100MWdecrease

Arrival at Palace

Service Begins

Palace Balcony

Wimbledon Men’s Final 2013Wimbledon Men's Final 7 July 2013

Murray v Djokovic

29800

30000

30200

30400

30600

30800

31000

31200

31400

31600

31800

13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00

Time (BST)

Dem

and

(M

W)

End of 1st set300 MW

End of 2nd set300 MW

People gather to see Murray

Win800 MW

dropMurray wins

End of presentation630 MW pick-up

The walk of glory270 MW

Djokovic breaks220 MW

Murray breaks125 MW

Djokovic breaks back300 MW

Match begins

Murray breaks for match drop220 MW

Murray finishes his winning speech430 MW pick-up

End of broadcast280 MW pick-up

Murray breaks back200MW

07-Jul-13

30-Jun-13

What’s Happening in Energy?

Sustainability and Climate

Change.

Changes in Generation

Asset Replacement

Skills

2 Double circuit faults6 Simultaneous faults

105 Single circuit faults

2000 Protection orCommunication failures

5 Cable faults

10 Transformer

21 Circuit Breaker faults

Faults on the System and Annual Stats

4 Busbar faults

22

When it goes wrong : Willesden QB Failure

23

The Times They Are A-Changin’

Future Transmission Network

25

Innovation Lifecycle

25Technology Push ... ... Market Pull

Pilot Plant Constructed

Product Considered “Commercially Proven” - 100’s of MW (equivalent) deployed

First Full-Scale Plant Operational

Demonstration DeploymentResearch & Development

Basic R&D

New Ideas

Commercially Available New Technologies

R&D to address technical issues

R&D to mitigate perceived technical & financial risks

UKERC

Financial incentives – EMR ETC.

UK innovation support landscape

26

Innovation funnel for integrated energy - concept to Business as Usual possibly 10-15 years

Idea to concept Tested technology in simulated environment Into deployment

RIIO: NIC

DECC funding/development

Research Councils / academia ETI funding / capability

Local authorities

Private investment funds

Electricity & Gas transmission and distribution operators

RIIO: NIA

Innovate UK funding

EU Funding - various

BAU

27

Climate Change/extreme weather

28

28

It’s a £200 billion Engineering Challenge - that needs people with skills.

29

Why engineering?

Research, Design and Develop

Create, Manufacture,

Build

Operate, Maintainand improve

Decommissionand Dismantle

30

Thank you for listening

Questions?