Yesterday we posted an article looking the role transmission and networks will play in the battle against climate change, as they transport renewable energy across the country.
But the production of green energy is just one part of the picture.
More electric vehicles(EVs) are going to required and more has to be done to electrify heat. How we approach the subsequent increased demand on the network is critical to that.
And continuing our series of SSE’s 2019 highlights, we’re looking at how SSE is innovating to address the infrastructure needs of net zero.
That is why Project Local Energy Oxfordshire (LEO), which is one of the most ambitious, wide-ranging, innovative, and holistic smart grid trials ever conducted in the UK, is our next highlight.
LEO launched in April as a £40 million project that has received an award of £13.8m from the UK Government Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, to test electricity network flexibility models and markets across Oxfordshire.
The Project will explore how the growth in local renewables, EVs, battery storage, vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology and demand side response can be supported by a local, flexible, and responsive electricity grid to ensure value for consumers and opportunities for communities and market providers in Oxfordshire.
Meanwhile in Scotland, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) also joined the Scottish Government, Transport Scotland and SP Energy Networks on a £7.5m strategic EV infrastructure partnership.
The partnership, which was announced in August, sees the trial of several projects to widen access to EV charging networks and provide the electricity infrastructure needed to support it.
A key part of this will be SSEN’s work in north of Scotland examining what electricity network infrastructure will be needed to support the increasing number of tourists expected to use EVs.
Infrastructure needs for new charging points along the route of the first-of-its-kind Electric A9 will be also be identified and mapped.