UK needs improved networks to meet demands of decarbonising the energy system
Energy Technologies Institute
The Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) has called for an adaption and enhancement of the existing network in order to optimise performance in a low carbon energy system.
The UK needs new or improved networks to meet both consumer’s needs and the demands of decarbonising the energy system, according to the ETI.
The organisation said that decisions need to be made about which energy networks to build, develop, maintain or decommission as well as when and where to do so and where the investment will come from.
Today it published a portfolio of reports from 10 years of research and technology development carried out in its energy storage and distribution technology programme.
The ETI also argued it is vital that network infrastructures can work efficiently across multiple energy vectors in real time to increase efficiency allowing them to make the most effective use of resources. Markets in response will need the right incentives and targeted investments to adapt and enhance existing networks.
Although a lot of focus is placed upon how to decarbonise energy generation and heating in buildings there are a number of challenges that must be overcome in how energy is distributed and stored if this is to be done in the most efficient way.
Energy is rarely created where it is consumed so networks play an important role transporting energy to where it is required. Whole energy system thinking is therefore critical because the challenge is knowing where, when and how to enhance and adapt the UK’s energy networks.
Energy storage is also part of the broader issue of energy system flexibility. A crucial facer of a functional energy system is ensuring the right amount of energy is delivered when it is needed. This is about ensuring energy supply is in balance with energy demand. An energy system needs to have sufficient operational flexibility to allow this to happen and energy networks have an important role to play within this.
The amount of storage employed in the energy system is dependent upon the route chosen for decarbonisation – for example today we have roughly a week’s volume of storage in the gas pipe network.
Liam Lidstone, the ETI’s Strategy Manager for Energy Storage and Distribution said: “In the years to come the UK will change how it generates, imports and distributes energy and people will change how they use it, so it is important to address how energy is physically moved to meet consumer demands whilst adapting to a low carbon future.
“The existing UK networks have evolved over time but were largely engineered to address a different set of operational challenges to those the country now faces.
“Therefore choices need to be made about which networks to build, develop, maintain or decommission as well as when and where to do so and the impact should be analysed across the whole energy system and not in isolation.
“Energy systems analysis undertaken by ourselves and others indicates that greater interaction between different parts of the energy system could emerge that would increase efficiency and lower investment costs. This identifies a need to develop a greater understanding of the opportunity for, and implications of moving towards integrating network operations to provide mutual long term benefits.”
Information from its ESD programme can be found at http://www.eti.co.uk/programmes/energy-storage-distribution
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