Exploring new solutions for integrating DER
“The challenges of integrating DER”, Tim Spearing, Lucy Electric, UK and Kewarin Wisetjindawat, Lucy Electric, Thailand.
Presented at the IEEE Conference, Bangkok, March 2019
The electricity industry is operating in a changing world. Renewable and distributed energy sources are becoming an increasing part of the energy generation mix. The decarbonisation of the network has been a key driver of change in recent years.
This brings increasing complexity to distribution networks and many challenges in network management. Utilities are having to accommodate temporary constraints on their networks, a diverse range of generation and rapid clustering, such as electric vehicles and photo voltaic (PV) installations.
Accommodating the growth in energy usage and the diversity of the energy sources would require substantial investments in a traditionally passive grid infrastructure, which would be under-utilised most of the time. So how are network operators responding to these challenges?
Many companies are moving to more dynamic ways of operation and smarter alternatives to network upgrades. Our latest white paper “The challenges of integrating DER”, explores the solutions that utilities are developing to make the best use of network flexibility, demand side response, storage and renewable generation at all network levels.
The paper examines how increasing capacity of existing assets, introduction of flexible connections and real-time control using Active Network Management (ANM) techniques will increase the hosting capacity and help ensure that distributed energy resources can be added to networks that would otherwise be considered “full” without running the risk of exceeding operational limits.
These new solutions are helping companies to move towards a new role of Distribution System Operators (DSOs) and support decarbonisation ambitions to deliver an efficient, resilient and future proofed energy system.
Read or download the white paper here