SANND (Discovery)

Client's Needs:

EA Technology, Northern Powergrid and Energy Systems Catapult secured funding for the Discovery phase of the “Scenario Analysis for Non Domestic Network Decarbonisation” or “SANND” project. This project is funded by energy network users and consumers through the Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF), a programme from the UK’s independent energy regulator Ofgem managed in partnership with Innovate UK. The project investigated the feasibility of developing a tool to forecast scenarios for electricity distribution network demand, combining central forecast data and locally nuanced sources enabling accurate pre-emptive forecasting of future load.

Focusing specially on the High Voltage network, the proposed tool will facilitate establishing an accurate understanding of future energy requirements of industrial and commercial organisations. This is especially pertinent as large energy demand users take individual decarbonisation routes to Net Zero operation, often influenced by locational specifics. The project investigated the potential for incorporating other data sources that would assist accurate predictions of the speed and scope of changing demand in specific localities enabling efficient network investment while ensuring the network is prepared for the future.

Our Approach:

The SANND project team engaged with stakeholders to determine the current landscape, examined the range of local data sources potentially available to add nuance to this approach and assessed the most effective method of using this data to provide benefit to load forecasting while also maximising benefit to electricity customers.

Benefits:

EA Technology drew on their previous experience of managing innovative projects that bring benefit to the electricity network operators and customers. Energy Systems Catapult brought extensive knowledge of large energy decarbonisation projects, gained via work such as Modern Energy Partners (MEP), to ensure their stakeholder knowledge was incorporated. The project investigated potential savings to the customer and the network operator through more accurate network load forecasting. General electricity customers will benefit through reduced costs for socialised network reinforcement and the accelerated adoption of low carbon technologies and load decarbonisation that this project will enable.