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New Energy World™
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‘CLASS’ voltage balancing – good news for DNOs, customers and net zero carbon
29/3/2023
6 min read
Feature
UK electricity networks need to change to cope with new generation, distribution and consumption patterns. Here, John Langley-Davis, Head of Technology at power systems technology manufacturer Fundamentals, argues that the adoption of new active voltage control technology is a smart move that can cut customers’ bills and deliver better quality and more reliable supply to users.
UK energy regulator Ofgem is encouraging electricity distribution network operators (DNOs) to deploy customer load active system services (CLASS) from April 2023 as part of its latest electricity price control mechanism. Ofgem’s ‘Regulatory treatment of CLASS as a balancing service’ consultation in March 2022 stated: ‘Our analysis shows that CLASS is a cost effective, low-carbon technology that has the potential to reduce energy bills for consumers. [It] would have the additional benefit of rewarding consumers for sound investments made by the DNOs in the form of lower distribution use of system (DUoS) charges when DNOs earn profits.’
We believe that CLASS has enormous potential for countries across the world that are facing similar challenges of balancing their transmission and distribution systems. In the UK, CLASS is projected to cut £1bn from customers’ bills over the coming years and improve the quality and reliability of supply for millions of consumers.
Let’s explore the rationale behind its development, the true potential of CLASS and the benefits it can bring to DNOs around the world.