Low Carbon Ready

Flexible Urban Networks – Low Voltage

On this page

What the project is about How we’re doing it What makes it innovative What we’re learning Reports & Documents

Project Data

Start date:

02/01/2013

End date:

01/12/2016

Budget:

£8m

Summary

Flexible Urban Networks – Low Voltage (FUN-LV) demonstrated the potential of power electronics devices to help defer network reinforcement.

What is the project about?

Efforts to decarbonise energy generation, heat and transport will place increasing demands on distribution networks, particularly so for the low voltage (LV) networks closest to our customers. Analysis carried out by Imperial College to support UK Power Networks’ RIIO-ED1 business plan predicted an increasing trend of voltage issues and demand rises that could overload transformers and underground cables, requiring £132.6m of network reinforcement during the RIIO-ED1 period if reinforced by conventional means.

How we’re doing it

The three core objectives of the project were to:

  • Demonstrate the optimisation of capacity on the LV network closest to customers. This would aim to accommodate the
    forecasted growth in electric vehicle charging, heat pumps and microgeneration on existing connections by making the network more flexible and resilient
  • Enable improvement in the connection offer process (both in terms of time & cost) in urban areas
  • Advance the sector debate on future network architecture

Meshed networks have been identified as a means of increasing capacity on the network without resorting to traditional reinforcement. In meshed networks, customers are supplied by two or more independent routes through the LV network, with the result that their demand can be shared across substations reducing heavily loaded assets, voltage fluctuations tend to be suppressed, losses are reduced, and customers benefit from in-built resilience to high voltage (HV) network faults.

What makes it innovative

This project trialled power electronics devices for the first time on low voltage distribution networks to assess the potential to release existing, latent spare capacity in shorter timescales as an alternative to conventional reinforcement.

What we’re learning

The overarching aim of the Flexible Urban Networks – Low Voltage (FUN-LV) project was to explore the use of power electronics to enable the deferment of reinforcement and facilitate the connection of low carbon technologies and distributed generation in urban areas. This was achieved by meshing existing networks, which are not meshed, and by breaking down boundaries within existing meshed networks.

Flexible Urban Network achieved its overarching aim, which was to explore the use of power electronics to enable the deferment of reinforcement and facilitate the connection of low carbon technologies and distributed generation in urban areas. In these cases, the project proved that strategic, targeted use of power electronics could be used to facilitate a more flexible network that enables further decarbonisation efforts and delivers benefits for UK Power Networks customers.

Reports & Documents

June 2014
December 2014
June 2015
December 2015
June 2016
December 2016

Closedown Report

SDRC 9.1 – Successful Completion of Design and Planning for Power Electronics Devices
SDRC 9.2 – Successful and Safe Installation, Commissioning and Operation of LV Switches and Circuit Breakers on LV Networks
SDRC 9.3 – Integration of IT Systems to Facilitate the Planning and Operation of LV Networks
SDRC 9.4 – Successful and Safe Installation, Commissioning and Operation of Power Electronics Devices in London and Brighton
SDRC 9.5 – Successful Demonstrations of Enhanced Modes of Operation of Power Electronics Devices
SDRC 9.6 – Cost Benefit Analysis

Appendix A – EOS 09-0080 LV Remote Control Equipment
Appendix D – Site Information Documents
Appendix E – FUN-LV CB Operations Instruction Card
Appendix F – Advanced Use Cases

Appendix A – EOS 09-0043 FUN-LV Dual-terminal Power Electronics Device
Appendix B – EOS 09-0042 FUN-LV Multi-terminal Power Electronics Device
Appendix C – 255-018 Two Terminal PED Installation Manual
Appendix D – 247-062 Multi Terminal PED Installation Manual
Appendix E – Testing of Soft Open Point PED (PNCUKPN-001FR-01)
Appendix G – Autonomous Power Transfer Report
Appendix H – UKPN FAT Test Record

Appendix A – Dissemination of Learning
Appendix B – EA Technology FUN-LV PORA Report
Appendix C – 547-004 UKPN PED Analysis
thinking outside the box icon
Share your ideas

If you have an idea that could reshape or revolutionise the way we work, we want to hear from you.

Submit an idea
cta-bg-details