Current & Future Power Supply

Question 1

Name four key influences on the evolution of the grid.

Answer 1

• Acid rain.
• North sea oil and gas.
• Increasing international demand.
• Aging infrastructure.

Question 2

Name and briefly describe three key papers on GHG emissions in electricity generation.

Answer 2

1. Energy White Paper 2003
   - Identified current challenges.
   - Prioritised efficiency and low carbon electricity.
2. Large Combusion Plant Directive 2007
   - Control of SO2.
   - Dirty plants to close by 2015.
3. Climate Change Act 2008
   - Legally binding CO2 targets.

Question 3

What is the best way to reduce grid emissions? Why is there an increase in grid demand expected from the mid-2020s?

Answer 3

• By cutting demand.

- Increased uptake in electric vehicles and low carbon heating (potentially doubling the existing grid requirements!)

Question 4

Name the five key sources of electricity.

Answer 4

• Unabated cleaner fossil fuels.
• Nuclear.
• Intermittent renewables.
• Dispatchable renewables.
• Carbon capture and storage.

Question 5

Consider ‘unabated cleaner fossil fuel’. Give at least two advantages and two disadvantages.

Answer 5

Advantages

• Dispatchable.
• Easy to roll out.
• Well characterised.

Disadvantages

• Not that clean.
• Future availability questioned.

Question 6

Consider ‘Nuclear’. Give at least two advantages and two disadvantages.

Answer 6

Advantages

• Meets baseload.
• Low carbon.

Disadvantages

• Long lead-in times.
• Public opinion.
• Expensive.

Question 7

Consider ‘Intermittent Renewables’. Give at least two advantages and two disadvantages.

Answer 7

Advantages

• Short lead-in times.
• Well characterised.
• Relatively cheap (onshore wind).

Disadvantages

• Some methods very expensive.
• Public opinion.
• Land requirements.

Question 8

Consider ‘Dispatchable Renewables’. Give at least two advantages and two disadvantages.

Answer 8

Advantages

• Dispatchable.
• Short lead-in times.
• Well characterised.
• Relatively cheap.

Disadvantages

• Land requirements (biomass).
• Lack of suitable sites.

Question 9

Consider ‘Carbon Capture & Storage’. Give at least two advantages and two disadvantages.

Answer 9

Advantages

• Dispatchable.
• Can meet baseload and peaks.

Disadvantages

• Expensive.
• Unproven & inefficient.
• Relies on fossil fuels.

Question 10

Why does the price for electricity peak from 1600-2000hrs?

Answer 10

• To disincentivise excessive use.

- Relieve pressure on grid.

Question 11

What typically provides the baseline for UK electricity? How are the peaks met?

Answer 11

• Nuclear/Coal baseload.
• Gas subpeaks.
• Oil peaks.

Question 12

Define the ‘Duck Curve’. Describe its behaviour.

Answer 12

• Extensive use of solar generation during daylight hours to replace gas subpeaks where possible.
• Negative price from 1000-1300hrs incentivises consumer storage during these times.
• Consumers, having stored electricty during day, relieve evening grid pressure.

Question 13

How could EVs broker the intermittency of renewables?

Answer 13

• ‘Vehicle to grid’.
• By acting as short-term electricty storage solutions, capable of storing and distributing power when plugged into the grid.
• Requires two-way charging units.

Question 14

Name two incentives and two ‘sticks’ for mitigating future challenges and encouraging customers to adopt energy-efficient behaviours.

Answer 14

Incentives

• Payments to reduce operation at peaks.
• Duck curve negative pricing.

Sticks

• High peak prices.
• Compulsion to act.

Question 15

List 8 sources for raising the £200bn required to improve the grid.

Answer 15

• Transmission/ Distributed Use of System.
• Capacity charges.
• TRIADs.
• Climate Change Levy.
• VAT.
• Carbon Reduction Commitment.
• Contract for Difference.
• Non-commodity charges for large customers.

Question 16

Name four ways in which the University can become more energy efficient. What are three difficulties?

Answer 16

Methods

• Voltage optimisation.
• Reboilering.
• Insulation.
• Lighting controls

Difficulties

• HVAC.
• Control in heated residences.
• Listed buildings.

Question 17

How could energy storage solutions be used to manage our power supply and make it more resilient?

Answer 17

• Stored when cheap/excessive and discharged when expensive/scarce.
• Achieved at grid or local level.

Question 18

What is the Faraday Challenge? Name some of the targets.

Answer 18

£246m investment in battery technology.

• Defer investment in network reinforcement.
• Reduce the need for conventional generation.
• Meet binding targets with lower renewable capacity.
• Maximise low carbon, inflexible generation use.
• Optimise balance of system on a minute-by-minute basis.

Question 19

What is the Electric Nation programme?

Answer 19

• Charging is automatically managed to relieve local grid pressures.
• Uses Amazon incentives.
• Results distributed through to network operators to determine whether a smart grid is the solution.