Publications

Public Consultation on Innovation for the Network of the Future

The consultation period for this document has now closed.

ESB Networks would like to thank all those who submitted and shared their feedback on this document.

Public Consultation on Innovation in ESB Networks. 

The purpose of this consultation is to seek views and comments from stakeholders on Innovation in ESB Networks.

Background and Process

In order to realise our vision of delivering a sustainable, low carbon energy network that will serve Ireland’s future energy needs, we have developed an Innovation Strategy to manage every stage of the development and implementation of strategic initiatives, from setting the vision to establishing business as usual (BAU). Our Innovation Strategy has been applied to a balanced portfolio of projects covering eight roadmaps that broadly cover our ambition to deliver new and improved services.

• Connecting Renewables
• Customer Engagement
• Electrification of Heat and Transport
• Asset Optimisation
• Flexibility on our Networks
• Operational Excellence
• Network Resilience
• Working with the Transmission System Operator (TSO)

During 2018, 16 projects were completed and the others continued to progress.  We have over 20 new ideas that we have identified for further consideration and possible progression into our roadmaps.

Consultation Question

1. As part of this on going collaboration and communication, we are interested to seek your views on our innovation processes, activities and priorities to date as summarised in this update document. In particular, we are interested in feedback on our proposed new projects listed at the end of the document.

Next Steps

The consultation period will close on Friday 13th September 2019. At the end of the consultation period, ESB Networks will review and consider all the comments.

Please send your comments to:

innovationfeedback@esbnetworks.ie

Contact Email: innovationfeedback@esbnetworks.ie

Closing Date for Responses: 17:00 on 13th September 2019

PLEASE NOTE: ESB Networks may publish responses that we receive, so if you do not want your response published you should mark your response as confidential.

As extreme weather events and cybersecurity threats become more frequent, and our economy electrifies, ESB Networks will need to build network resilience to mitigate disruption, ensure the security of supply. 

With the use of data analytics ESB Networks pursued a new avenue in identifying metering anomalies and developing a tool that can identify suspicious readings related to meter interference. The project developed an algorithm that can rank a pool of different meter readings based on statistical probability. ESB Networks revised the initial algorithm to a more complex version that is fine-tuned over time as more data is collected and analysed. The expected roll out of smart meters should lead to an increase in data volume and allow further fine tuning of the algorithm with AI.

As Ireland works meet its renewable energy targets, distributed generation assets will increasingly play a role in contributing to the national power supply. In order to ensure the security and sustainability of the system, EirGrid launched the DS3 Programme. As the DSO, ESB Networks is working with the TSO to deliver the DS3 through a number of programmes designed to deliver innovative technologies, processes and standards to ensure that non-synchronous generation from renewables such as wind, deliver maximum benefit and minimal disruption to the network and our customers. 

The provision of DS3 system services from Distribution Energy Resources (DER) ensures frequency and voltage stability on the transmission network. These system services or flexibility products are typically provided by existing generation and demand customers who are connected to the distribution network. This project entailed necessary learning, procedures, modelling and testing to enable the advance technical assessment by ESB Networks to detect any adverse impacts on distribution network planning or operations from the provision of DS3 System Services.

The aim of the Heatmap project is to provide an interactive map showing the available network capacity in terms of how much demand or generation could be added into a substation without reinforcement.

Decarbonisation of the electrical network will see a significant impact on the Low Voltage (LV) network with the increasing integration of Low Carbon Technologies (LCTs) such as heat pumps, solar PV and Electric Vehicles. The effect on the LV network as a consequence of the integration of these new technologies is not yet fully understood. To gain valuable knowledge of these technologies, ESB Networks are trialling a number of different innovative monitoring devices to fully understand what is required to effectively monitor the LV network.

It is essential for ESB Networks to assess the advances in materials and technologies relating to network assets, and to understand how they can be deployed to optimise existing network assets.

This project, Introduction of Fibre Glass Stay Blocks investigated the testing of fibre glass as an innovative substitute for existing wood material stays for end and angle overhead line poles. It also investigated different wood types and various types of wood treatment. The project objective was to consider learnings in regard to material science characteristics, handling and installation requirements and life time versus cost.

As Ireland works meet its renewable energy targets, distributed generation assets will increasingly play a role in contributing to the national power supply. In order to ensure the security and sustainability of the system, EirGrid launched the DS3 Programme. As the DSO, ESB Networks is working with the TSO to deliver the DS3 through a number of programmes designed to deliver innovative technologies, processes and standards to ensure that non-synchronous generation from renewables such as wind, deliver maximum benefit and minimal disruption to the network and our customers. 

This project is a key enabler to ensure distributed generators are able to withstand system frequency changes driven by the increased amount of renewable generation connected to the network. In order to operate the power system with up to 75% of the instantaneous power coming from non-synchronous sources new Rate of Change of Frequency (RoCoF) relay settings are required for distributed generators. Failure to achieve this would have resulted in the ratio of non-synchronous generation on the system being capped at 60%, as opposed to the target of 75%.

As our customers choose technologies including air source heat pumps (ASHPs), storage heating, private electric vehicles (EVs), electric buses, freight and trains in ever higher numbers, greater demands will be placed on the network. 
ESB Networks must innovate in network planning and operation, to meet these new demands, without compromising our customers’ comfort, security or quality of supply, and at an economic cost reflecting our customers’ needs and values. 

Central to the electrification of heat and transport is to ensure the Low Voltage (LV) network can support and enable the increasing electrical demands from customers’ low carbon technologies. The project will deliver new and consistent design approaches for new and existing LV networks. This will support the economic integration of customers’ low carbon technologies and distribution energy resources such as electric vehicles, solar PV and heat pumps. This involved robust statistical analysis to derive new metrics, values and design tools for the LV network.

Traditionally, large fossil fuel based generation provided flexibility on our systems. New flexibility technologies such as energy storage, vehicle to grid (V2G), web based domestic control systems, Smart Meters, advanced information sensing, advanced data analytics and new supplier business models are now emerging to take the place plant of large fossil fuel generators and decarbonize flexibility. 
The aim of the Flexibility on Our Networks roadmap is to understand the impacts and the possibilities provided by the use of flexibility in the overall electrical energy system and also develop systems and processes that cost effectively enable the provision of flexibility from within the distribution network. 

Real Value was a H2020 project to investigate the impact of controllable electric heating to provide a more flexible network and a solution to Demand-Side Management (DSM) at Low Voltage (LV) level.  This allowed energy users of all kinds to act as “virtual power plants”. The project was completed in collaboration with Glen Dimplex, EirGrid, Intel, SSE, UCD and Oxford University and included physical demonstrations in Ireland, Germany and Latvia where the Smart Electric Thermal Storage (SETS) units were installed into 1,250 homes. 

RESERVE is an EU H2020 funded project with 10 other consortium partners to develop solutions capable of enabling 100% renewable generation on electricity networks. ESB Networks focused on Voltage Control techniques which utilise inverter-based technologies to provide voltage support to the distribution network. The project successfully demonstrated that a Voltage Control solution can be implemented in real world scenarios utilising multiple types of DER technologies, are inherently scalable, can be integrated with additional external monitoring devices and is capable of positively contributing towards the resolution of constraints encountered by the distribution network.

It is essential for ESB Networks to assess the advances in materials and technologies relating to network assets, and to understand how they can be deployed to optimise existing network assets.

This project implemented the rollout of Digital Polling Radio System for Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) communications to provide a nationwide resilient and secure UHF radio communications. The system connected 564 HV stations via 80 radio base stations and implemented a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) approved cyber security standard for the encryption of electronic data. The Network Management system was commissioned to provide remote monitoring and management to enable fast resolution, a reduction in site visits by engineers and the provision of advanced notice of any system deteriorations.