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
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
3
The electricity industry – an overview
Generation
Transmission
400 & 275 kV
Consumer
Distribution
132kV & lower
National Grid’s Business
50:50
UK
Transmission
Electricity
US
Distribution
Gas
5
Gas: From Beach To Meter
Terminal
Compressor
Station
Storage
Pressure Reduction
Station
Governors
Underground Storage
Compressor
Station
Network Offtake
Storage
6
National Grid - UK
7
Regulation
 The energy industry is regulated by:
Making a positive difference
for energy consumers
 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
Balancing Generation with Demand
Variable generation
Passive Demand
MW
1,600
1,400
1,200
1,000
800
600
400
Industrial
30-Jan
20-Jan
25-Jan
10-Jan
15-Jan
01-Jan
0
05-Jan
200
Large generation
Generation
Demand
Active demand
Industrial
Inflexible generation
Domestic
Domestic
Distributed generation
National Electricity Control
1938 – Start of National Control
1939 – Move Underground for WWII
1950 – Move to Paternoster Square
1950 – Inside Paternoster Square
Minute-by-minute control
14
Energy Balancing Seasonal Effects
50.5
Generation
55
Demand
50.0
49.5
50
45
Maximum Winter
Winter Day
Maximum
Day
GW
40
Typical Winter
Winter Day
Typical
Day
35
TypicalSummer
Summer Day
Typical
Day
30
25
Minimum Summer Day
Minimum Summer Day
20
15
00:00
02:00
04:00
06:00
08:00
10:00
12:00
14:00
Time
16:00
18:00
20:00
22:00
24:00
What Influences Demand?
Clouds
Day of
Week
Temperature
Rain
What
influences
demand?
Embedded
Generation
Cooling
Effect of
wind
Events
Time
of Day
Frequency
52.0
50.5
50.0
49.5
48.8
47.8
Generators tripping
Upper statutory limit
Normal operating frequency
Lower statutory limit
Demand disconnection starts
Demand disconnection
complete
Royal wedding 29th April 2011
37000
51.2
51
Forecast Demand
29th April 2011
Frequency
35000
50.8
Palace
Balcony
34000
50.6
33000
50.4
Service
Begins
32000
Arrival at
Palace
50.2
31000
30000
08:00
50
09:00
10:00
11:00
12:00
Time
13:00
14:00
15:00
49.8
16:00
Frequency (Hz)
National Grid Demand (MW)
3100MW
decrease
2300MW
increase
36000
Wimbledon Men’s Final
2013
Wimbledon Men's Final 7 July 2013
Murray v Djokovic
31800
End of broadcast
280 MW pick-up
31600
31400
Demand (MW)
31200
Djokovic
breaks
back
300 MW
Match begins
31000
Murray
breaks
Djokovic breaks
125 MW
220 MW
30800
30600
Murray
breaks for
match drop
220 MW
People
gather
to see
End of 2nd set Murray
Win
300 MW
800 MW
drop
30400
30200
30000
29800
13:30
Murray
breaks
back
200MW
14:30
15:00
07-Jul-13
30-Jun-13
End of presentation
630 MW pick-up
Murray finishes his
winning speech
430 MW pick-up
Murray wins
End of 1st set
300 MW
14:00
The walk of glory
270 MW
15:30
16:00
16:30
Time (BST)
17:00
17:30
18:00
18:30
19:00
What’s Happening in Energy?
Changes in
Generation
Asset
Replacement
Sustainability
and Climate
Change.
20
Skills
Faults on the System and Annual Stats
5 Cable faults
4 Busbar faults
2 Double circuit faults
6 Simultaneous faults
105 Single circuit faults
10 Transformer
2000 Protection or
Communication failures
21 Circuit Breaker
faults
When it goes wrong : Willesden QB Failure
22
The Times They Are A-Changin’
23
Future Transmission Network
Innovation Lifecycle
Research &
Development
Demonstration
Deployment
R&D to mitigate
perceived technical &
financial risks
R&D to address
technical issues
First Full-Scale
Plant Operational
Basic R&D
Pilot Plant
Constructed
New Ideas
Product
Considered
“Commercially
Proven” - 100’s of
MW (equivalent)
deployed
Commercially
Available New
Technologies
25
Technology Push ...
... Market Pull
25
UKERC
UK innovation support landscape
RIIO: NIC
RIIO: NIA
DECC funding/development
Research Councils / academia
ETI funding / capability
Innovate UK funding
EU Funding - various
Private investment funds
Electricity & Gas transmission and
distribution operators
Local authorities
Financial incentives –
EMR ETC.
Idea to concept
Tested technology in simulated environment
Into deployment
BAU
Innovation funnel for integrated energy - concept to Business as Usual possibly 10-15 years
26
Climate Change/extreme weather
27
It’s a £200 billion Engineering Challenge that needs people with skills.
28
28
Why engineering?
Research,
Design and Develop
Decommission
and Dismantle
Create,
Manufacture,
Build
Operate, Maintain
and improve
29
30
Thank you for listening

Questions?