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ESB NETWORKS LTD
December 2012/January 2013 www.esb.ie/em
The North Atlantic Green Zone
ESB Networks, NIE, EirGrid and SONI made a ground-breaking submission for EU smart grid infrastructure funding in September.
THE JOINT submission was the culmination of months of collaboration and drew heavily from the experience and technical insights delivered through ESB Networks’ ongoing Smart Green Networks initiatives. In early 2012, the European Commission a €9.2bn fund dedicated to its energy infrastructure legislative package may be made available for smart grid infrastructure deployments. To qualify for funding, a proposal by two distribution system operators and two transmission system operators, from two EU member states, must demonstrate significant cross-border, system-wide impact and North Atlant benefit. The infrastructure project must be deployed on the MV and HV networks of a region of greater than 100k customers with more than 20% of energy capacity supplied from renewable resources.
The North Atlantic Green Zone comprises Donegal, Fermanagh and Tyrone and parts of north Sligo, Leitrim and Cavan. and it will see a full roll-out of mature smart networks infrastructure, including distribution automation, self-healing networks, fault-passage indicators, medium-voltage arc-suppression, 20kV conversion, reactive power compensation and single-phase reclosing. In order to enable the optimised management of the system, the electrical network will be overlaid by a robust communion and IT system, including fibre to each 38kV station and a wireless communication solution to every remote device on the MV network. A distribution management system will enable operational innovation, including dynamic line-ratings, active network management and advanced protection schemes.
“The project has the full support of the Department of Communications and Natural Resources and its counterparts in Northern Ireland and the UK.
An onerous design process, KPI evaluation and cost/benefit analysis for the full zone, coordinated by ESB Networks Smart Networks team, was undertaken over the summer. This relied on the results of ESB Networks Smart Networks demonstrations and significant contributions from Asset Management experts in planning, operations and protection. This analysis showed that the project would result in huge benefits to society.
The cornerstone of this submission is its focus on energy-efficiency and the integration of high levels of wind generation. It is an opportunity to bring together individually proven initiatives, pioneered since 2009, in a region where the benefits can be greatest. Connected wind in the combined region is already twice the peak demand and quickly growing, so the northwest of Ireland is already facing the challenges that will eventually be faced by the rest of Europe. With the Single Electricity Market removing barriers to cross-border electricity system development, this project offers a blueprint for network development across the continent, if EU targets for renewables and market integration targets become a reality.
The project has the full support of the Department of Communications and Natural Resources and its counterparts in Northern Ireland and the UK. As part of the first stage of assessment, the proposal was presented to the European Commission’s Smart Grid Expert Group who, with the regulators, will review the project. ESB Networks and its partners in the project were highly complemented for the quality of our submission.
The North Atlantic Green Zone (NAGZ) is located to the North West of the island of Ireland, straddling the border of two member states Ireland and Northern Ireland, UK. The zone is at the forefront in facing the challenges of renewables (RES) integration. The existing installed variable wind capacity is already over 180% peak demand in the region while a remote, exposed location, results in customer interruptions already as high as 201% of the national average in much of the zone. Technical innovation and the opportunities of an already implemented Single electricity Market across the two jurisdictions will be leveraged to greatest effect in delivering the benefits of Smart Grid deployment to users in this zone.
The project zone
The two electrical systems have developed independently but form a Single Electricity Market since November 2007. The NAGZ includes:
- 186,000 Customers (106 RoI and 80,000 in NI, UK)
- 1,400 GWh Load per year
- 183% energy supplied by non-Dispatchable resources
- Four Project Partners
- ESBN, DSO Ireland
- NIE, DSO Northern Ireland, UK
- EirGrid, TSO Ireland
- SONI, TSO Northern Ireland, UK
The Impact of Cross System Collaboration
The Ireland/Northern Ireland electricity system has an integrated market but no wider synchronous connection and already sees instantaneous wind penetration levels of over 50%. To maintain system stability the TSOs currently curtail RES to below this 50% cap. With the help of initiatives in this project, this cap will be lifted to 75%. As over half the RES are connected to the Distribution system, this challenge vitally requires all system operators. To maximise benefits across the system for all users-
- Optimisation must be across the WHOLE System - Distribution/Transmission and Cross-Border, further integrated, avoiding sub-optimisation and maximising overall capacity
- New innovative technologies and operational capabilities from generators, network operations devices, communications and ICT advances, reactive and demand side resources must be available and leveraged in active system control.
National Skills Competition
Fleet Management System with GPS Technology (FMS)
A vehicle for change in ESB Networks
Two years ago, Fleet and Equipment identified a number of problems that face ESB Networks in terms of effective management of our fleet of vehicles.
These included: high fuel and maintenance costs; the very wide range of work vehicles that need regular servicing, and replacement and the relatively large number of collisions involving ESB vehicles.
There was a review of technology that could help contain and reduce costs and, after a tendering process, Traffilog UK won a contract to provide equipment and software for every vehicle in the fleet. This is a Fleet Management System with GPS Technology.
The image above shows how it works. Each vehicle is fitted with equipment that monitors how the vehicle performs mechanically and how safely it is driven.
The system monitors the condition of the vehicle and can identify the optimum programme for servicing and maintenance, which can be based on usage rather than time since last service. The system can also provide feedback to the driver, via a small LCD display on the dashboard, on how well they are driving in relation to braking, acceleration, etc. The vehicles also contain a satnav. With Bluetooth connections, and a very useful data base of all ESB Networks lines and sub stations, to help in getting to a specific location. It also facilitates carbon emission reductions, which the ESB corporate strategy aims to reduce by 30% overall by 2012.
From the New Year on, the use of the system technology will help ESB Networks deliver a more efficient and effective fleet as well as helping to deliver improvements in our business and safety performance.
As there are some 2,000 ESB vehicles, installation of the system in the fleet was a major task. A central team from Fleet & Equipment worked closely with Traffilog and local supervisors around the country to coordinate this and to ensure that all was done safely and ontime.
“The process for Fleet and Equipment was project managed by Richard King, who worked in partnership with the business line champions and the F&E project team.
The team included John Seale, Mick Davy, Rachel Mowlds, Emer Hogan and Domhnall O’Connell. The process for Fleet and Equipment was project managed by Richard King, who worked inpartnership with the business line champions and the F&E project team. The system was installed on time and within budget to a high standard of quality. The installation plan gave every vehicle a one-hour appointment, in any one of ten garage locations, over three months. Great credit is due to all staff of ESB Networks and the installers, for successfully cooperating with the installation over the period. This was done without disrupting the normal work of our garages or our work programmes.
In the first month of operations, there has already been a reduction in fuel consumption. We hope the feedback to the driver in the cab will also improve driving and so improve safety on the road as well.
