Smart grids & consumers

R&D Smart Grid, Network Peaks & ConsumersJamie SilkPowerco / 05/02/2013

Electricity, reliably delivered, on demand, a wonderful thing….?

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Kodak Moments

• Whatever happened to Kodak?

• “Chorus pushes to keep (copper) prices up”.

• Social change.

3R&D Smart Energy & Network Peaks

Agenda

• About Powerco

• Why does a distributor care about peaks

• And what more is changing

• Lessons in home management

• Flow batteries – intro, Q&A

• A self managing home – INTELLIPOWER

4R&D Smart Energy & Network Peaks

Fast Track Context

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Peak Management

• A peaky network profile

• Peaks drive investment

• A flatter profiles increases utilisation/ efficiency (to a point)

• Flexibility & savings

- from better investments or

- deferred upgrade or asset replacement

R&D Smart Energy & Network Peaks

Changes Drive Peaks & More Investment .. So Be Pro-active

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Consumer Technology Changes

- PV/ solar hot water

- Heat Pumps

- The internet of things (HEMS)

- EVs

Other Changes

- Consumer needs & behaviours

- Smart meters

- Price trends

- Business strategies (retailers etc)

R&D Smart Energy & Network Peaks

Less billable (kW) hours.

More volatility. But people

think they have cut costs.

Finding another $5bn or so .. no worries mate

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Fast Track Overview

8R&D Peak Management EoI

Dynamic line

monitoring. Distribution

automation. Intelligent

Fault Repair

Example PV - surprises ahead

The individual consumer

• Buy PV to save $s

• PV good in the day – so export (6 cents)

• Use electricity in evenings – import electricity (23 cents)

• You don’t get the returns

A street of consumers

• PV good in the day at the same time in a street – so export

• A lot of PV can’t squeeze in to small (LV) pipes

• Voltage rises – inverters trip or we spend more on the network

• You don’t get your generation, or our costs increase (prices)

A lot of consumers

• Buy PV to save $s

• Large installs of PV cut network kWh esp in summer

• Winter peaks do not change – network costs stay

• Prices rise to compensate (regulated model)

9R&D Smart Energy & Network Peaks

Residential Environment

The variables

• Volatile domestic usage

• Variable PV (solar) generation

• New pricing, retailer strategies & consumer needs

• Future energy storage

• Discretionary home energy management solutions

• Fully automated, pre-set home load shifting

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Lots Of Questions

R&D Smart Energy & Network Peaks

Pricing & Technology – Consumer Peak Demand Impacts

International Studies

• Electricity consumption & delivery patterns are not a given

• Consumers can respond to information but less than prices

• Highly differentiated, critical peak prices, occasionally used will get the best response

• Technology doubles the response

The Lines Company

• NZ consumers respond too

• Pricing without proven technology solutions is not an option – high pain for everybody

Messages For Network Operators

• Price structures will change (retailers)

• Behaviours & kit will change

• What are the choices/ solutions that make this good for all

11R&D Smart Energy & Network Peaks

Initial Observations

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House electricity consumption is volatile .. How to smooth

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Home demand volatility

not match PV. It may

make flows worse.

Energy storage and/ or

demand management

can help.

Technical Stuff – the R510

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Technical Stuff – IntelliPower

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It’s messy when you add in energy storage, ripple control, PV…

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& consumers who

will do something

else!

Early Days But …..

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Consumer Drivers

• Time of use prices

• Peak demand prices

• Getting value from PV

• 50 billion inter-connected devices

• Eco & other motivations

Will drive

• New behaviours

• Different costs

• New opportunities (storage, markets)

• A Kodak moment (or Telecom trend)

There are simple, smart choices

• Smart demand management for peaks, cutting bills

• Smart design & management using PV in the home

The End

For more information about Powerco visit our Facebook page or www.powerco.co.nz or www.basepower.co.nz

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Thanks to

EDMI

RedFlow R510 Energy Storage

Zinc Bromine energy storage unit

• Calibration testing (baseline) & cycle performance testing against different network peak profiles.

• Power harmonics analysed to household and network harmonic data collected.

• Noise testing.

• Start temp and charge rate ramp up tested (8.3A to 9.7A). Power factor correction (VAR) to be assessed.

• Early in product cycle & learning curve – cost dynamics with mass production will be key.

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Performance is

stable

Best cycle

provided

14kWh