Project Summary
The LVOE project focuses on innovative LV (Low Voltage) power electronic devices (LV Optimiser, Dynamic Voltage Optimiser and Smart ZigZag) designed to address voltage quality and imbalance, enabling the vast adoption of Low Carbon Technology (LCT) connections within the LV network.
LV protection relies on fuses, which are reliable but lack sensitivity. Using novel Al protection algorithms faults can be separated from LCT which traditional fuses could not. Al algorithms will also plan the location and sizing of LVOE solutions for optimal benefits.
LVOE will provide technical solutions to dynamically operate the network, allowing for the widespread introduction of LCTs.
Innovation Justification
LVOE will demonstrate novel and ambitious innovation by developing the design of an Al fuse, which can protect radial LV feeders, with high penetrations of LCTs, and maximise the benefits of the Al protection, by coordinating with LV STATCOMS, on difficult to treat networks. The Al fuse is low cost, easy to install and fit & forget, making favourable for rollout in very large volumes. SP Energy Retail have been included as the renewable partner after wide market engagement.
This project builds on insights gained from innovation projects, such as LV Engine (SPEN), FUN-LV (UKPN), and Active Response (UKPN), by taking the learning to optimally size, rate, and place LV PED on radial feeders. The learning will be taken for trial operational performance reports. The SIF Discovery phase developed a novel control algorithm, for an LV optimiser, which addresses LV voltage quality and imbalance. In Alpha, the learning will be used to find similar PED, capable of responding to the new requirements, able to suit the selected location, also considering appropriate sizing and technical specifications. It will adopt a comprehensive approach to hosting capacity, involving the use of Al applications, edge computing devices (reliable embedded systems) and power electronics to cover several aspects with proposed solutions:
Protection of LV networks against short circuits, overloads and fire risk prevention.
Voltage control of feeders, considering imbalance, load increase or generation.
LVOE solution design, for improving the condition of LV network for flexibility and vice versa, CBA for accommodation and facilitation of customer behaviours with LCTs.
Planning tools for the deployment of solutions in complex generation and demand scenarios.
LVOE does not fall within categories set out in other funding areas, such as BEIS Net Zero Innovation Portfolio or DESNZ Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme. The SIF should bring LV PED and Al fuses to BaU and commercial readiness.
SP Manweb has been working with Bcare, as technology developer, and key LV PED experts, from previous innovation trials, to promote, challenge and refine the SIF Alpha LVOE Project, through engagement and review of the Alpha Project scope, plan and outputs. The process has provided transparent scrutiny, which has ensured the project is not an incremental innovation, but a significant step forward when compared with traditional solutions and Network Innovation Competition PED trials.
The key innovative aspects are a holistic solution for the deployment design and planning for LV devices strategically installed at the middle or end of feeders (opposed to conventional substation-focussed solutions), including:
Local power electronic devices (PEDs) applied for voltage control for LCTs where the problems of phase imbalance and voltage quality take place.
Intelligent feeder protection applied either at the beginning of the feeder or in a point of the feeder upstream the point with inadequate protection.
To address issues caused by LCT uptake, the above innovation is opposed to the current counterfactual of installing larger capacity fuses (which risk not tripping and overheating, during a transient faults) and graded fuses at new feeder locations, which will be more costly and increase the operational burden on LV operational engineers.
The proposed 6 months Alpha-phase Project as a follow-on from the successfully completed Discovery phase, is requesting funding of £500k. This scale is determined by allowing initial simulation study and case identification. Therefore, it is the most appropriate for this project and associated risks before the Beta Project can be developed. The TRL, CRL and IRL of LVOE will rise from 2-4 to 4-6 based on the work undertaken in the Alpha and Beta stages of this project, should it be successful in achieving its aims.
Impacts and Benefits
Our CBA provides a clear indication of the size of the great potential of this technology with the £600m for the GB customers. These £600m benefits include:
- Financial (investment saving): £318m
- Societal (customer revenue gains): £255m
- Environmental: £38m
Financial Benefits
The key objective for the LV Optimiser Alpha stage, is to provide a technical overview on how a LV STATCOM and an Al fuse will be coordinated, to release maximum technical benefits for LV network operators and for customers. To assess the potential value this combination of technologies, a conservative Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) has been carried out and scaled for a GB wide implementation to provide a nationwide benefit estimation.
Through the CBA process, key input variables, affecting the CBA Net Present Value (NPV) have been determined and compared with the baseline approach, such as avoided reinforcement and operations costs, which have shaped the Alpha Project Work package deliverables, to provide evidence for the potential benefits of the innovation project.
To estimate the number of devices rolled out it has been assumed that the Al fuses will eventually be installed on radial networks requiring intervention, with feeders longer than 250 meters. Just over one in ten of these feeders are estimated to eventually host an LV STATCOM. The traditional reinforcement cost is calculated based on the average cost of different traditional solutions for feeder reinforcement as per ED2 load related investments. One intervention resolved by the traditional reinforcement by using multiple fuses will be £16k whereas an Al fuse will only cost £7k. These assumptions reflect the facts that the Al fuses are low cost, effective, fit and forget devices, and LV STATCOMs can provide further value in difficult to treat 'Al fused' networks.
For the GB roll out calculation, all other DNO license areas have been included where the predominant LV network configuration is radial. These areas include the WPD and SSE networks supplying a total of 6.9m customers.
Comparing the LV Optimiser and counterfactual deployment expenditures, the solution provides CAPEX and OPEX savings over the deployment and operating period of the device. Additionally based on historical examples, there are savings associated with the reduction in customer minutes lost (CML) and customer interruption (CI) reduction.
In summary, Al Fuse and LV STATCOM solutions are calculated based on the device prices and operational costs rolled out till 2050. The expected net financial benefit for the conservative approach is {317.6m for GB-wide approach.
Societal
Distributed Energy Resource (DER) penetration of solar photovoltaics is taken into consideration as a sensitivity study. Based on the studies carried out in Denmark, 5% to 40% more of PV generation can be integrated without triggering reinforcement, when STATCOMs are installed on the LV network. This can be estimated to be £10k per annum per feeder, providing additional income for our community, based on a 20% uplift on a LV network fed by a 100kVA secondary transformer. Benefit is computed using a capacity factor of 33% and a single feeder. The expected net societal benefit for conservative approach by 2050 across GB is £254.5m.
Environmental
Carbon reduction can be measured by the renewable electricity generated due to earlier access to the network and the reduced emissions associated with deferred/eliminated need for LV STATCOM reinforcement. The expected net environmental benefit for conservative approach across GB is £37.8m.
