Comment & Analysis
I’ve had the great fortune to be immersed in electric vehicle-grid integration projects since 2012 (My Electric Avenue,
Smart EV,
Electric Nation). Electric vehicles are tangible, sexy, and the demand challenge and emerging smart solutions such as smart charging, are perhaps readily understood. My work in this area has also offered up fantastic opportunities for cross-sector collaboration. EA Technology founded the EV Network Group, now managed under the auspices of the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership, to facilitate cross-fertilisation of knowledge and learning to ensure that the local electricity network does not act as a barrier to electric vehicle uptake. The Institution of Mechanical Engineers is a key member of this group, along with the Office for Low Emission Vehicles, GB Distribution Network Operators, National Grid, Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders, Energy UK, BEAMA and other key representative bodies in the automotive-utilities space.
In recent months, I have been stepping outside of my electric vehicle comfort zone, and working on a project that has the potential to be a smart grid gamechanger. OpenLV is opening up local electricity network data for the first time ever. OpenLV, hosted by Western Power Distribution and managed and delivered by EA Technology, is trialling an open software platform in electricity substations that can monitor substation performance and electricity demand, as well as other important power quality measurements such as voltage and temperatures. It’s a bit like a smartphone for substations.
The great news is that we are making 10 intelligent substation devices (the LV-CAPTM platform, developed by EA Technology) available to business and academia to test new apps that could benefit the Low Voltage distribution network and energy customers alike. We are looking for ideas for apps that can utilise network data to provide benefits to Distribution Network Operators (DNOs), community groups, industry, academia and, of course, customers.
Let me offer an example of how this electricity data could be used to develop an app. I’ll use electric vehicles as my point of reference. This may not surprise you. We know that for electric vehicles to continue with their increasing rates of predicted uptake, the challenge of local electricity network capacity at peak times needs to be overcome. Currently, electricity network operators don’t have enough information about how much spare capacity there is on local electricity networks. This makes it difficult to know whether a cluster of EVs charging at peak times will push the demand over the limit. The OpenLV project will, for the first time, open up data from local substations, so that DNOs, and third parties, will have more information about whether networks can cope with rising EV numbers. If the data highlights a potential capacity issue, then other initiatives could be implemented – such as smart charging, vehicle to grid technology, energy storage, or joining networks together – in preference to more costly and disruptive infrastructure reinforcement works.
OpenLV presents a fantastic opportunity for smart thinking and innovation, from a range of sectors such as I.T., renewables, energy, smart buildings and cities, transport and energy storage. If you have an idea for an app using electricity network data, we would love to hear from you. The OpenLV project will provide a range of support, from the API for developers, testing environment and skeleton app, to the infrastructure and the physical hardware and sensors that enable LV monitoring data to be collected, and the background infrastructure.
So what’s not to like?! It’s a quick and easy process to register your interest in the project and in developing an app. Simply fill in this survey and the project team will contact you. All information and ideas are treated in utmost confidence.
Further information