Watt works: Delivering stability, flexibility and value in modern grids
At a glance
Following the Accredited Technical Masterclass Watt works: Delivering stability, flexibility and value in modern grids, this page brings together the questions raised during the session alongside the responses shared. Electrical grids are becoming more distributed and flexible, with growing renewable generation and distributed energy resources reshaping how networks operate and how decisions are made.Your questions answered
1) Inertia is a key issue/ SynCons are a good solution, but ultimately add cost without delivering additional generation or storage. We are hopeful that with advances in BESS and grid forming inverter tech, we can remove SynCons from the system. What is GHD's view about the feasibility of this for large scale systems in
the short to medium term?
the short to medium term?
2) What are the financial remedies or liquidated damages if performance guarantees are not met?
3) How are the growing number of Data Centres effecting the distribution and transmission system?
These high-power load cells are being developed alongside and near to growing communities. They are linked to communication transmission highways on concentration hubs to provide very low communication latency timescales. The grids required to connect them are often limited for the vast load that they consume from a single connection point.
4) How should thermal machine sizing change in order to meet the flexibility now required? Are there clear benefits in reducing size to step more effectively with the load?
Thermal machine sizing along with their capability of multiple starts and generation output trimming may evolve to determine better operation for grid flexibility and the load profiles associated. The use of gas blends to further decarbonise output emissions and the co-location of energy storage with conventional thermal plant may be optimal for efficient system design and flexibility management and market participation.
5) Are there jurisdictions in the world implementing FCAS markets that you view as admirable, or worth studying?
Both the UK and Australia have effective mechanisms for balancing the grid and have merit in their study, but there are many other examples. In general, a network with a moderate to high penetration of renewables will have developed market mechanics to balance load and demand with flexibility solutions.
6) What is the basis for the data, in terms of energy demand? Has it been vetted?
7) How do the challenges you've discussed shift when we're applying them to last-mile electrification for communities where electrification is a development priority - designing new systems in this dynamic context and with the risks of traditional design approaches changing more swiftly?
8) Can "flexibility" be a solution to PV curtailment without increasing storage capacity?
9) Do you see a need for a mid-duration such as 6 hours in the Australian market? What's your view on NaS technology? Are they safe?
10) Could you tell us more of how such orchestrating system works?
11) Some of the projects that are part of energy transition mostly rely on their financial performance, how would this effect orchestration? Is it something that requires a balance between performance and
sustainable transition?
12) In terms of energy storage, there's more reliance on lithium batteries. But doesn't that become the next source of resource exploitation with the targets we set globally. What could be the other storage alternatives we could introduce for a resilient grid?
The key answer is that technologies are advancing at pace, synthetic chemical solutions, solid state devices and alternatives to chemical batteries will also play their part in the future system designs – compressed, liquified air, reuse of redundant gas networks for storage, hydro power facilities and flywheels are other options that are developing for medium to long term storage solutions.
13) Fossil fuels have set the benchmark for productivity in construction heavy machinery. Will the shift to electrification of this sector require a paradigm shift in how this sector schedules its work?
There has been significant improvement in the electrification of heavy machinery. E.g. mining logistics trucks, heavy load cranes and general heavy goods vehicles each displaying trends of a huge quantities of fossil fuel use avoidance and reduced cost of operation. The designs of these solutions should be linked to their use case and expected schedule to lower any risk of being unfit for its task. There will be a required investment in infrastructure to electrify this solution that may involve power network reinforcement and extension or provision of charging facilities for battery powered assets.
14) The lines between network operators and providing grid stability and the various commercial loads plugged in such as EV chargers and microgrids is continuing to blur and become harder to achieve through historical demarcated lines of DNSP and energy retailer. Is this an Achillies heel to rollout of grid stability and what
market mechanisms could be adopted to counter this? What is the government(s) role?
Potentially the risks are great, with possible failures of grid infrastructure, communication and control solutions. They can be somewhat mitigated by designing in effective sectionalised control solutions that can reroute power when affected or avoid system wide fault propagation, and can be better informed by satellite supported weather forecasting that could assist in determining real risk of impact to the power network at a locational basis. I would recommend more work could be done to evaluate this phenomenon and determine control interventions to reduce risks where plausible cause exists.
15) How vulnerable are we to major solar storms, what if anything, can be done to protect our grids?
Potentially the risks are great, with possible failures of grid infrastructure, communication and control solutions. They can be somewhat mitigated by designing in effective sectionalised control solutions that can reroute power when affected or avoid system wide fault propagation, and can be better informed by satellite supported weather forecasting that could assist in determining real risk of impact to the power network at a locational basis. I would recommend more work could be done to evaluate this phenomenon and determine control interventions to reduce risks where plausible cause exists.
16) Cybersecurity; Are there purpose-built standards to implement Cybersecurity in Grid control system? i.e. IEC 62443 is sufficient to govern?
17) How does Ontario’s grid stability compare to other global markets?
18) For North America, how important is the political lobby and energy industry positioned in both Ottawa
and Washington DC?
19) Is it possible to innovate wireless electricity transmission?
Localised power solutions for low power application are developing. Large scale power solutions are plausible such as laser or microwave technology, e.g. power from space etc. But cost is currently a limiting factor along with line-of-sight characteristic currently being investigated.
20) In Texas, we have a choice of power companies. All those things like free days, free hours of the day, are available in Texas. Can this de-monopolization of electricity be extended elsewhere? One disadvantage is the cost of advertising for the many companies who are supplying power for a profit.
ERCOT is a very unique system in North America, but that said, competition and consumer choice mechanisms are in place in the UK and Germany and other spots in the US. Whether this is a better strategy than others remains to be seen – there is no perfect system that we have seen.
Retail competition and consumer ability for choice has been extended in various countries like the UK and Germany, and other selected states in the US, the former are tightly regulated and are less promotion driven that allows consumers to make informed choices, some driven by comparison engines. Recent changes in dynamic pricing are seeing promotion offers like free windows and even days as you mention to draw new customers. Interestingly the most successful are those that maintain lower prices, provide some benefits for loyalty, promote or guarantee sustainable power resources and importantly strive for excellent customer service scores.
21) How do you see electricity markets evolving to address these challenges? Both in developing adequacy, capacity but also delivery?
Flex markets, auctions, aggregation providers, demand responsive loads, energy system arbitrage battery managements schedules, fast frequency markets, operational reserves and dynamic tariff pricing are all driving flexibility in one way or another.
22) This really points to AI adoption at some level, it’s difficult to move away from copper-based connections within substation equipment at Transmission level due to the Standards we adopt (TS/TP in NG world)) to have gateways and control to allow monitoring and control. IEC61850 started that journey but we need the next stage. What appetite exists due to the Cyber Security aspect of this requirement to roll OUT these new technologies to help in the management and control of the new Grid operation?
23) Flexibility appears to have significant social implications. How have those been considered?
Flexibility has been driven somewhat by the privileged asset owners, whether that be those with renewable generation, EV’s or smart appliances, however future flexibility can be rewarded to the masses though aggregation and the application of dynamic tariffs which should reduce the social factors and reduce the financial barriers for entry into the market. Regulators and energy suppliers could incentivise this through further non network solutions like free to access app driven engagement and saving sessions (e.g. cheaper or free power during time windows).
24) As long connection times and capacity constraints push data centres and other developments towards private wire or off‑grid solutions, what impacts do you see that having on the wider power system?
Power constraints due to large load cells, integration of on-site generation to provide headroom release where required, and effective voltage and frequency management of the grid will determine the effectiveness of the future power system. The grid may evolve to be a back-up power solution for some, possibly many, and the cost nature of how much is paid for that service will need to be determined.