Sheridan Few from University of Leeds discusses decision making in Energy Networks
The next of many future interviews with Supergen members that looks at the diverse challenges and solutions that face Energy Networks. Dr Robin Preece talks us through transitioning to Net Zero and all the challenges that we face.
We sit down with Dr Robin Preece, Reader in Future Power Systems within the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Manchester and Deputy Director of Supergen Energy Networks Hub. Dr Preece talks to us about the who, what, how and whys of transitioning our power systems and all the factors that could effect the decisions made.
To find out more about Dr Robin Preece and his work, click below:
12th March 2023
The most recent Risk & Resilience Day 2024 workshop was organised by SEN CO’I, Robin Preece, on 12th March. More than 60 attendees (from 16 UK universities, 7 international universities and research institutes, and 8 UK industries) joined members of the SEN team in Newcastle. There was a marked increase in industry attendance, with industry attendees discussing strategic innovation fund (SIF) projects (the day aligning with the close of SIF Alpha projects in March). That growth enabled an industry session for the first time, as well as increased industry-academia discussion throughout the day.
Keynotes from Professor Liz Varga (Chair in Complex Systems, UCL) who discussed ‘Energy resilience in the context of infrastructure resilience’ and Martin Queen (OFGEM), whose talk was ‘Risk and resilience: a regulator’s perspective’. Attendee presentations were split across four workshop sessions (12 oral presentations), 24 posters presentations, plus the workshop’s first hardware demonstration.
For further information visit the Risk & Resilience Website or email: riskday@manchester.ac.uk
We will be hosting the free to attend Supergen Energy Networks conference in the Royal Academy of Engineering, London, from 5-7 September 2023.
.jpg)
Date/Time: 05/09/2023 – 07/09/2023
Venue: Royal Academy of Engineering, Prince Philip House, 3 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5DG
The free to attend conference will celebrate our successes within phase 1 of Supergen, as well as looking forward to the next 5 years. The 5th September will have development sessions for ECR’s, with the main conference starting on the 6th September. There will be a drinks and canapes reception on the evening of the 6th September for those who would like to attend. Registration is open now! Please signup using the following link: https://forms.office.com/e/w78i1dWVbU
8th March 2023
The EPSRC Supergen Energy Networks Hub Risk and Resilience Day contiuned the tradition of the previous Durham Risk Day series (2010-2014), an annual seminar for researchers involved in all aspects of risk and uncertainty analysis applied to current and future power and energy systems.
For further information visit the Risk & Resilience Website or email: riskday@manchester.ac.uk
The events supported by the EPSRC Supergen Energy Networks Hub include webinars on a range of topics. Recordings of the webinars are available to download following the event.
The Whole Energy Systems Team at Newcastle University have an exciting new list of webinar speakers this Spring. Talks are held late morning (UTC) every other Thursday. Details of speakers and dates are below: please register to join the talks:
17th Feb (11am – 12pm UTC)
Prof Mark Barrett and Dr Tiziano Gallo Cassarino, UCL.
“ESTIMO modelling of zero emission energy systems with renewables, storage and interconnector trade – with a focus on heating options”.
3rd March (12pm – 1pm UTC)
Dr Shandelle Steadman, Cranfield University.
“Local Energy For Sale: An Experimental Analysis of Consumers’ and Prosumers’ Decision-Making in Peer-to-Peer Energy Trading Platforms”.
17th March (11am – 12pm UTC)
Ryan Jenkinson, Centre for Net Zero and Dr Myriam Neaimeh, Alan Turing Institute.
“Designing a grid fit for the future: democratising distribution network analysis with an openly accessible online tool and real-world smart meter data.”
31st March (12pm – 1pm UTC)
Dr Liyang Han, Technical University of Denmark (DTU).
“A regression-based data market for energy systems”.
Previous Webinars
Past sessions are available to view online
- OPEN: An Open-Source Python Platform for Developing Smart Local Energy System Applications Thomas Morstyn
- Quantifying the sensitivity of European Power Systems to Climate Variability and Change Hannah Bloomfield
- Load Forcasting for Low Voltage Distribution Systems Stephen Haben
- From Transmission to Thermostat: Integrated Building/Grid Operations Kyri Baker
- Drivers and Challenges for Multi-Energy System Analysis Graeme Hawker
- Co-innovating the development of distribution systems to enable decarbonisation Pádraig Lyons
- The future of cooling and its links to the Sustainable Development Goals Nicole Miranda
- Open energy system models: overview, community, legal contect, emerging infrastructure Robbie Morrison
- Decarbonising heat and shipping Olivia Carpenter-Lomax
- Model-based decision-support for the energy transition with Calliope Stefan Pfenninger
- Smart Energy Network Demonstrators and Digital Twins Ian Lloyd
- A decision tool for real-time operation of public sector multi-energy systems Sathsara Abeysinghe
- CESI Operational model: Introduction and instances of application Hamid Hosseini and Adib Allaham
- Operating low-inertia grids: challenges and solutions Dr Luis Badesa
On September 17th, the EPSRC Supergen Energy Networks Hub Early Career Researcher Committee hosted an online networking event centred on the topic of “Data in Energy Networks”. The event was run through Gather to make it a bit different to standard online webinars and to enable a bit more freedom and flexibility for participants to strike up conversations with new contacts.
Things kicked off with an excellent opening talk from Dr Stephen Haben from the Energy Systems Catapult, summarising some of the projects that he and The Catapult are working on and ways for researchers to feed into them. Following this, the main topics of conversation in the themed rooms were Strategies and platforms for data sharing and academic-industrial collaboration – the latter being supported and facilitated by some attendees from Arenko.group.
Following the online event, there was even a small gathering for ECRs based in London – for most this was the first face-to-face networking event in well over a year!
The Role of Energy Networks Towards the 2035 Emissions Target
Friday, 3 September
(10:45 – 12:00)
Panellists from Industry and Academia:
- Phil Taylor – Supergen Energy Networks Hub, Bristol University
- Furong Li – Supergen Energy Networks Hub, Bath University
- Jianzhong Wu – Supergen Energy Networks, Cardiff University
- Bethan Winter – Wales and West Utilities
- Chris Harris – Npower
- Michael Pollitt – Cambridge University
- Adam Scorer – National Energy Action
- Jenny Cooper – EPSRC
Full speaker biographies are available to view.
The Supergen Energy Networks (SEN) Hub have been involved in a number of activities focussing on ‘The Role of Energy Networks Towards the 2035 Emissions Target’ and Net Zero. Activities have included participation in the EPSRC Net Zero Week, COP26 and Green Infrastructure Week.
EPSRC Net Zero Week (June 2022)
From the 20 – 24th June, we were involved in both online and in person events related to the EPSRC Net Zero Week which was held in Glasgow.
Slides Presented at Net Zero
Our Net Zero slide pack which was presented on our stand at Net Zero is available to view.
Online Webinars
Online sessions discussing ‘If Energy Storage becomes ubiquitous, do we really need Energy Networks’, hosted by the Energy Networks Hub and ‘What are the social implicatations of a move to Net Zero’ jointly hosted by all Supergen Hubs took place during the week. Experts from Industry and Academia presented and were involved in discussions.
Recordings of the sessions are available to view below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8u9rWi9sIc&ab_channel=SupergenEnergyNetworksHub
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYixLH9U8Zw&ab_channel=SupergenEnergyNetworksHub
COP26 Activities:
Net Zero Workshops
In June the hub hosted a series of workshops in which leading Academics and Industry experts joined live webinar discussions on the Market & Regulations, Social and Technical implications/aspects of future energy networks, towards the UK Government targets. Our Early Career Researchers held an online event as part of the workshops looking at Data in Energy Networks.
Policy Papers
Discussions from the workshops have resulted in 3 Policy Papers being produced by the hub, these are available to view (below) and will be showcased by our Director, Professor Phil Taylor during COP26.
Market & Regulations
The Markets & Regulations panel focussed on the question as to how low carbon technologies can be suitably incentivised to provide the flexibility needed to integrate high levels of new variable renewable energy technologies, explicitly considering how constraints of network infrastructure might influence the whole system approach.
The Policy Paper is available to view.
Social
Hosted by the Black South West Network (BSWN), the second workshop concentrated on the Social aspects of future energy systems. The panel discussed how we can better enable voices from underrepresented communities to engage with the sustainable energy discussion, the barriers hindering these communities and the unseen and unintended consequences of changes to energy networks.
The Social Policy Paper is now available to view.
Technical
Our third workshop focussed on the Technical challenges facing energy networks in light of the 2035 target. Focussing on whole energy networks transformation and significant investments, as well as the electrification of heat and transport, and the role of the gas network in a Net Zero world and uses of hydrogen in the economy.
The Technical Policy Paper is available to view.
Joint Supergen Hub Conference
In September SEN joined the Bio, Super Solar, Offshore Renewables, Storage+ and Hydrogen Hubs to run a 3 day online conference. The conference explored the role of energy research in the pathway to net zero. Over the course of 3 days, each hub showcased their research as well leading on cross-cutting panel discussions exploring topics such as Equality, Diversity & Inclusion and International perspectives on energy research. The Early Career Researchers (ECR) outlined their activities and the conference closed with a session outlining policy implications of Supergen research for COP26.
SEN led a session on Equality, Diversity & Inclusion as well as our own Networks Session exploring ‘The Role of Energy Networks towards the 2035 Emissions Target’ Running alongside the conference, our Early Career Researchers led an online session on ‘Data in Energy Networks’
Details of our sessions (below) as well as recordings of all conference sessions are available to view on the website.
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
COP26 – Energy Day
On the 4 November, Professor Sara Walker (Deputy Director SEN Hub) along with 3 SEN Researchers (Laiz Souto, Yang Gao and Ali Ehsan), joined representatives from the Supergen Hubs to attend Energy Day at COP26. The event enabled each hub to showcase their hubs perspectives on ‘The Role of Energy Research in the Pathway to Net Zero’.
A summary of the event by Dr Laiz Souto is available to read via our news page.
25 – 29 April 2022
As part of the Green Infrastructure Week, we are hosting 3 live online sessions discussing challenges to Net Zero Infrastructure.
Details for each session are below, with recordings of the live sessions being made available on our YouTube site and on the Green Infrastructure Website for those that are not able to join live.
More information about the events during 25 – 29 April, including relevant reports, can be found on the Green Infrastructure Website.
Panel Discussion – Vulnerabilities to UK CNI: Climate Change & Extreme Weather (29/04) 12:00 BST
Panel Discussion:
- Spyros Skarvelis-Kazakos, Sussex University
- Janusz Bialek, Newcastle University
- Chris Dent, Edinburgh University
- David Brayshaw, Reading University
Following submission of their written evidence to the Joint Committee on National Security Strategy, the Supergen Energy Networks Climate Adaptation panel will discuss the resilience of Power System Infrastructure, including vulnerabilities to extreme weather events and climate change.
If you missed the session this is available to view on demand via our YouTube Channel.
Joint Supergen Webinar – Challenges to delivering Net Zero Infrastructure (29/04) 13:00 BST
Panel:
- Andrew Wright, | Chair
- Phil Taylor, Director, Supergen Energy Networks Hub| Speaker
- Katie Chong, Topic Group Representative, Supergen Bioenergy Hub | Speaker
- Yulong Ding, Supergen Energy Storage Network+ | Speaker
- Jasmin Cooper, Research Associate at the Sustainable Gas Institute | Panellist
- Georgina Morris, Innovation Programme Manager – Energy Storage at BEIS | Panellist
- Zhongdong Wang, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean at University of Exeter | Panellist
- Aoife Foley, Reader, Queens University Belfast | Panellist
Supergen Bioenergy Hub, Supergen Energy Networks Hub and Supergen Energy Storage Network+, will examine the challenges to delivering net zero infrastructure in the UK. The format of the event will be a presentation from each Supergen hub, followed by a panel discussion with representatives from industry, policy and academia.
If you missed the session, this is available to view on demand via our YouTube Channel.
For more information on the speakers/panellists, please visit the Green Infrastructure Website.
Webinar: Climate Finance (25/04)
In the first of our 3 live events, Professor Iain Clacher, Leeds University gave an overview of Climate Finance based on his experience at COP26 in November 2021.
If you were unable to join us live, the session is available to view on the SEN youtube channel or via the Green Infrastructure Website.
Green Infrastructure SEN Publications
The Supergen Energy Networks Hub has published a number of articles related to Green Infrastructure.
Publications include written evidence submitted to the Joint Comittee on the National Security Strategy as part of a session on critical national infrastructure and climate adaptation as well as an article published in The Conversation, Heat pumps: UK to install 600,000 a year by 2028 but electrical grid will need massive investment to cope.
If you would like any further information, or have any questions/queries on any of the webinars, panel discussions or publications, please contact: supergenen@ncl.ac.uk.