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UPDATED 1 Sept: The EI library in London is temporarily closed to the public, as a precautionary measure in light of the ongoing COVID-19 situation. The Knowledge Service will still be answering email queries via email , or via live chats during working hours (09:15-17:00 GMT). Our e-library is always open for members here: eLibrary , for full-text access to over 200 e-books and millions of articles. Thank you for your patience.
A more flexible and responsive grid – Centrica trials
Energy company Centrica is claiming a breakthrough on the path to a more flexible and responsive electricity grid, after its Local Energy Market (LEM) trial in Cornwall saw the local Distribution System Operator (Western Power Distribution) and the Transmission System Operator (National Grid ESO) both procuring flexibility simultaneously via a single third-party platform, Centrica’s auctionbased marketplace.
The LEM programme, part funded by the European Regional Development Fund and delivered by Centrica Business Solutions, has been operating since 2017 and has seen solar and battery systems installed into 100 homes across Cornwall. In addition, more than 125 Cornish businesses, including Goonhilly Earth Station, have had a range of flexible, low carbon energy technologies and monitoring equipment installed.
The LEM platform seeks to benefit each of these participants, and the grid more widely, by providing a mechanism for the system operators to indicate when they will need an increase or decrease in generation or consumption to balance the grid or manage a local network constraint. These needs can then be met by the homes and businesses on the trial, in return for a financial reward – creating, says Centrica, significant opportunities for energy users who are flexible with their usage or able to call upon smart energy storage solutions.
Its LEM platform allows buyers (Western Power Distribution and National Grid ESO) to place bids for flexibility services, which are then matched with offers by sellers (homes and businesses) through auctions that run from months ahead all the way to intraday.
The platform manages the process for both sides from contract creation all the way to baselining and settlement, making it easy to trade flexibility.
Critically, the LEM portal and clearing engine at the heart of the auctions enable the transmission and distribution (T/D) networks to coordinate their procurement to avoid conflicting signals. This combination of T/D co-ordination and grid-secure contracts will be key to unlocking flexibility from distributed energy resources in the future, says Centrica.
Photo: Centrica
