1. Power Potential: A New Market for Reactive Power
Dr. Biljana Stojkovska, National Grid
Dr. Ali Ahmadi, UK Power Networks
LCNI, Low Carbon and Innovation Conference, 6-7 December 2017, Telford

2. Power Potential - Key Facts
PROJECT PARTNERS:
Funding Mechanism:
Ofgem Network Innovation Competition (NIC)
Project Lead/funding licensee: National Grid
Start date: January 2017
End Date: December 2019 1

3. Area of Focus 2

4. Why Power Potential? 3

5. The How ? Technical solution Dynamic voltage control from DER
Active Power Support for constraint management and system balancing
Commercial solution
Establishing new reactive power market from DER
Prove of the concept of the whole system approach
Business Change
Concept of transition from DNO to DSO 4

6. Wind Farm Central Controller
Copying an idea from offshore wind farms
Wind Farm Central Controller 5

7. Power Potential Operation
GSP
GSP
DERMS
GSP
GSP 6

8. Power Potential Video 7

9. Power Potential Approach8

10. Distribution/Transmission System Coordination and Control
Constraint Headroom/Footroom
MW and Mvar Service Cost Curve
Constraint Flows
DER MW setpoints
Sensitivities
National Grid
GSP
DNO Thermal
DERMS
Target voltage
Direct DER Dispatch
Canterbury North SGTs
PX route
ANM
DERMS is providing visibility and availability of DER services to National Grid.
DERMS is avoiding conflicts of services by informing National Grid of the constraint headroom & footroom, hence the direct dispatch of other DER Services sitting behind ANM schemes are not nullified by ANM operation.
Centralised dispatch of distribution resources through a centralised platform which has full visibility of DNO network. In other words DERMS is acting as a gateway to accessing services on the distribution network.
These are all significant steps towards a whole system strategy in UK and becoming a DSO.
Dynamic Voltage Stability: 1-5secs
I²X losses over 224km circuit
High probability when levels of DG are high, HVDCs importing and circuits are lightly loaded
High Volts: Sec, min, hrs
Decline in Q/P ratio
Increase in DG no longer confines this to an overnight scenario
Thermal: mins
Network capacity is insufficient to permit full output under maintenance conditions across the area following a further double circuit fault
ANM Controlled DER
STOR DER
Power Potential DER 9

11. Voltage Response Example
Service Mode – Low Voltage Occurs
NGET Control Room
GSP
400/132kV
Low Voltage
NGET receives the service at the GSP and is active until further instruction B
UKPN Control Room
ANM → Constraint Headroom → DERMS
ANM PP Software measures the V drop and calculates further setpoints to achieve maximum response as requested at least cost.
DER1
Mvar response
Power Potential Software
DER2
Mvar response
Additional V-droop setpoints
The Power Potential Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS) will calculate the optimum Distributed Energy Resource (DER) production dispatch that satisfies the dynamic voltage and active power services request from National Grid at the lowest cost.
DERMS will manage other conflict of services such as STOR, Frequency Response and Reserve Services and avoid dispatching services behind Active Network Management (ANM) schemes prior to resolving distribution constraints.
This project will significantly enhance Transmission and Distribution systems coordination and control. It will open up new revenue streams and reduce constraints on renewable energy providers while giving National Grid additional tools to manage transmission system constraints.
These are all significant steps towards a whole system strategy in United Kingdom.
132/33kV A
132/33kV
DER self-dispatch as per changes in voltage in their Point of Connection
Distributed Energy Resources
Issues MW setpoint
ANM
DER3
Mvar response
33/11kV
DERMS 10

12. DER Engagement & Active Participants
Power Potential team is actively engaged with DER developers:
Webinar
1-to-1 dissemination events
1-to-1 surgeries
Issuing the DER Technical Characteristic Document
Developing MW and MVAr effectiveness heatmap
Over recent period we have held a series of one to one discussions with DERs to engage on participation in Power Potential.  
The DERs engaged with are:
Aggregators / (portfolio of CHP and diesel)
Batteries
Solar
Offshore wind farm
The key themes from our meetings have been:
Generally positive atmosphere – it has been beneficial from both a DER and project perspective to meet face to face and discuss individual projects
Total approximate volume for project discussed is 130 MW. Mvar volume is less certain as some parties have not previously considered their reactive capability
A number of parties have raised interest about similar services in other areas of GB, indicating a general appetite for participation in reactive markets for DERs
Our next steps following this phase of engagement are:
Publish summary of bilateral discussions on Power Potential website and follow up with actions taken away from each meeting
Follow up meeting with other larger players in the project area, in order to increase potential volume participation
Engage with the Solar Trade Association and Renewable Energy Association
Define what success looks like for DER participation (building on as much as possible DER providers covering a diverse range of technologies 11

13. Customers & Stakeholder Benefits
The project will :
enable more DER customers to connect in the South East
providing services to National Grid, reducing operating costs
accessing additional revenue streams for DER
defer network reinforcement needs in the transmission system
When deployed, Power Potential can deliver:
3720 MW of additional generation in the area by 2050
Savings of £412m for UK consumers by 2050 12

14. Where we are? Study results done  High Level Design 
Technical Detail Design
Commercial Detail Design
Engagement with DERs
Academic research (Imperial College & Cambridge University) 13