Electricity Engineering Standards Review: Technical Analysis of Topic

Electricity Engineering Standards Review Technical Analysis of Topic Areas Report prepared for BEIS Final December 2020 SYSTEMS AND ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY FNC 62482/50117R FINAL Issue Authors The primary authors of this report are Steven Fletcher, Thomas Bransden and John Devlin. For any inquiries regarding this work please contact [email protected] Acknowledgements We would like to thank Professor Keith Bell from the University of Strathclyde who provided guidance and advice to the project team. Frazer-Nash worked closely with the Panel in the development of this report and appreciated their expert input throughout the course of the project. During the project, Frazer-Nash and the Panel engaged a number of industry stakeholders. We would like to acknowledge all those who engaged and thank them for the input provided. We are also grateful for the support provided by BEIS and Ofgem in delivering this work. Please note This publication and the advice contained within has been prepared by Frazer-Nash Consultancy Ltd with the specific needs of BEIS and the Panel in mind under their instruction. Frazer-Nash Consultancy Ltd cannot guarantee the applicability of the advice contained within this publication for the needs of any third party and will accept no liability for loss or damage suffered by any third party. Frazer-Nash Consultancy Ltd would therefore advise any third party to seek their own confirmation of the detail contained within for their specific requirements. © FNC 2020 Page 2 of 161 FNC 62482/50117R FINAL Issue EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The UK government has commissioned an independent panel of experts to conduct an Electricity Engineering Standards Review1. Frazer-Nash consultancy has provided technical support to the expert panel throughout the review. This report summarises our analysis across six key topic areas related to the supply of electricity. These are: Voltage limits; Frequency, operability and stability; Reliability and security of supply; Resilience and black start; Network capacity for new developments and network reinforcements; and, Smart energy system interoperability. We have mapped out relevant engineering standards for each topic area. We then identified opportunities for change and analysed evidence to establish benefits and risks. The analysis conducted was broad ranging and identified a number of opportunities for change within the electrical system which would create benefit. Key opportunities we have identified include: The reduction of voltage limits within ESQCR – this facilitates a range of benefits relating to energy efficiency, increased capacity for new load and increased connection of renewable generation; Redefining the Value of Lost Load to better reflect the value of electricity to consumers and of flexibility. The system requirement for supply availability (which is incentivised), security of supply (which is standardised) and resilience (the black start elements of which are soon to be standardised) will all flow from this; The development of a set of well-defined interoperability standards to enable system flexibility and consumer services. This should ensure coverage of all relevant system use cases to avoid emergent issues during implementation; and, Ensuring that long term views are taken for new developments and asset reinforcement; this is likely to drive the installation of larger components (e.g. conductors) to achieve through life cost benefits. In many cases the industry has made efforts to capitalise on these opportunities, either through recent changes to standards, ongoing initiatives to change standards or through innovation projects. Other BEIS funded work is also ongoing which will facilitate the materialisation of these opportunities. However solutions must be adopted consistently and at scale to realise the potential benefits. The conclusions from this technical report will inform the recommendations made by the independent panel of experts in support of the realisation of the benefits identified. 1 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electrical-engineering-standards-independent-review © FNC 2020 Page 3 of 161 FNC 62482/50117R FINAL Issue CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 6 1.1 OBJECTIVES OF THE REVIEW 6 1.2 ROUTE TO DECARBONISATION 6 1.3 TECHNICAL APPROACH 8 1.4 TOPIC AREAS 9 1.5 STRUCTURE OF REPORT 10 1.6 ALIGNMENT WITH THE EXPERT PANEL REPORT 11 2. OVERVIEW OF ENGINEERING STANDARDS LANDSCAPE 12 3. VOLTAGE LIMITS 15 3.1 BACKGROUND AND STANDARDS LANDSCAPE 15 3.2 OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHANGING VOLTAGE LIMITS 16 3.3 CHALLENGES AND RISKS FOR CHANGING VOLTAGE LIMITS 23 3.4 INCENTIVE FOR VOLTAGE REDUCTION 26 3.5 VOLTAGE LIMIT ADOPTION AND COMPLIANCE 26 3.6 FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS ON VOLTAGE LIMITS 27 3.7 CONCLUSIONS 27 4. FREQUENCY, STABILITY AND OPERABILITY 29 4.1 FREQUENCY STANDARDS LANDSCAPE 29 4.2 FREQUENCY LIMITS 30 4.3 RATE OF CHANGE OF FREQUENCY LIMITS 34 4.4 SYSTEM INERTIA 38 4.5 SYSTEM STRENGTH AND FAULT LEVEL 40 4.6 CONCLUSIONS 41 5. SECURITY OF SUPPLY AND RELIABILITY 43 5.1 THE VALUE OF A RELIABLE AND RESILIENT ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 43 5.2 SECURITY OF SUPPLY STANDARDS LANDSCAPE 47 5.3 SECURITY OF SUPPLY FROM THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM 48 5.4 SECURITY OF SUPPLY FROM THE TRANSMISSION SYSTEM 53 5.5 CONCLUSIONS 55 6. RESILIENCE 57 6.1 DEFINING RESILIENCE 57 © FNC 2020 Page 4 of 161 FNC 62482/50117R FINAL Issue 6.2 INCREASING RISKS FOR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM RESILIENCE 58 6.3 RESILIENCE STANDARDS LANDSCAPE 61 6.4 FAULT CONTAINMENT AND SYSTEM DEFENCE 62 6.5 SYSTEM RESTORATION 65 6.6 MONITORING AND MEASURING SYSTEM HEALTH AND RESILIENCE 68 6.7 CONCLUSIONS 71 7. FUTURE INSTALLED NETWORK CAPACITY 72 7.1 CAPACITY THAT CONSUMERS NEED, WANT AND SHOULD EXPECT 72 7.2 PLANNED NETWORK SUPPLY CAPACITY FOR NETWORK REINFORCEMENTS AND NEW DEVELOPMENTS 77 7.3 TYPES OF CONNECTIONS FOR FUTURE HOMES 80 7.4 CONCLUSIONS 81 8. SMART ENERGY SYSTEM INTEROPERABILITY 83 8.1 EV SMART CHARGER INTEROPERABILITY 83 8.2 ELECTRICITY SYSTEM DATA 87 9. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS 92 10. REFERENCES 96 11. GLOSSARY 104 ANNEX A - FREQUENCY STANDARDS AND MANAGEMENT 106 ANNEX B - NATIONAL GRID ESO OPERATIONAL DATA 111 ANNEX C - CONDUCTOR RATING COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS 118 ANNEX D - ELECTRICITY SYSTEM DATA INITIATIVES 128 ANNEX E - ELECTRIC VEHICLE SMART CHARGING 133 © FNC 2020 Page 5 of 161 FNC 62482/50117R FINAL Issue 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 OBJECTIVES OF THE REVIEW BEIS and Ofgem established an independent Panel to review electricity system standards. The purpose of The Panel was to assess how planning, operation and investment engineering standards should be updated, with a view to maintaining the high levels of security of supply currently provided to consumers at lower cost and achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 in Great Britain as whole. To realise this goal, BEIS selected Frazer-Nash to undertake research and project planning work to support the Panel. The fundamental objectives of the Panel are to: Identify where current standards are locking in cost to Great Britain’s consumers, or may be insufficiently flexible to facilitate the transition to a decarbonised electricity system; and, Make actionable recommendations to relieve these issues or constraints These recommendations should seek to address: Technical changes which could be addressed in the short-term (i.e. within the current standards landscape); and, More fundamental changes to the engineering standards landscape and the process of engineering standards governance which will support the long-term needs of customers and facilitate the transition to a decarbonised electricity system. The timing of this review is such that it is anticipated that network companies will accommodate relevant recommendations in their RIIO 2 business plans2 (starting April 2021). 1.2 ROUTE TO DECARBONISATION The decarbonisation of the GB energy system will have a wide ranging impact on the electricity system. A range of possible scenarios exist, with National Grid Electricity System Operator’s (NGESO) Future Energy Scenarios (FES) providing different views on the future energy landscape and the demands on the electrical system. Reviewing the way the annual FES scenarios3 have changed with respect to the uptake of low carbon technology such as electric vehicles (EV) helps reveal the scale of their potential impact on the network and the pace with which planning considerations have changed in a short space of time. For example, Figure 1 shows a large shift in the considered EV uptake between 2016 and 2019. Figure 2 also highlights the vastly different way these EVs could present themselves to the network as demand. The 2020 FES (the full details of which had not been released when conducting the analysis below) highlights that Steady progression (that is slow incremental change) will not achieve net zero. Furthermore, the scenarios which do achieve net zero will necessitate high societal change. A Committee on Change (CCC) report highlighted that a fully decarbonised electrical system could be achieved by increasing the share of renewables and firm low-carbon power from around 50% today to around 95% in 2050 [1]. 2 Note this is more relevant for Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) given that RIIO T2 business plans have already been developed. The RIIO 2 period for DNOs starts in April 2023. 3 Data on each of the annual FES scenario sets are available from the NGESO website. © FNC 2020 Page 6 of 161 FNC 62482/50117R FINAL Issue Figure 1: EV uptake within the FES Scenarios between 2016 and 2049 (focussing on high uptake scenarios) Figure 2: Peak EV power demand on the electrical system with and without smart charging and vehicle to grid capability Significant legislation, market drivers and policy initiatives are already beginning to necessitate this change. Figure 3 presents an outline of significant policy decisions and market drivers against the anticipated price control periods for transmission and distribution companies. Within Figure 3, the 2050 Net Zero legislation is the overarching goal. The various steps along the way will shape the needs of the electrical system.

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