With new details just published by the government, Gus McIntosh, director of energy futures at SGN, explains what Britain’s first Hydrogen Village will look like.
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Utility Week’s report explores the need for change to historical low voltage network monitoring approaches from DNOs and highlights advances in technology which can help them derive multi-layered value from new monitoring investments.
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The Utility Week Awards are returning to London’s Grosvenor Hotel this December. See a full list of categories and find out how to enter here.
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Over three quarters of senior utilities leaders have concerns that a lack of robust data about the sustainability of internal and supply chain operations will hamper delivery of net zero transition goals, according to new research conducted by Utility Week.
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Editor’s picks
DNOs regularly publish Distribution Future Energy Scenarios, but these often overlook the developing complexity on the low voltage networks. As UW Innovate reports, WPD has now devised a new methodology, called EPIC, to capture data from local authorities and use it for more sensitive and localised analysis.
Analysis
The circular economy is being increasingly mentioned but what exactly is it and what does it mean? What is its relevance to those operating in the water industry and how can it help them cut costs and be greener at the same time? This is the first of a series of articles from the BPF Pipes Group taking a closer look at understanding the circular economy and using as an example the role of plastic pipes within it. The series explains why we as an industry should take notice of its growing importance.
Analysis
As part of our Countdown to COP focus on decarbonisation of heat, ENA’s Matt Hindle gives his view on the role hydrogen will have to play. He also reviews some key projects aimed at bringing hydrogen into the home.
Opinion
Data-driven maintenance and asset management will improve both the customer experience and long-term sustainability. But collecting and managing data comes with costs that can be hard to swallow. Panelists at Utility Week Live Summit, and participants in the workshop session, looked at different use cases and the best way to build a business case.
Analysis
SP Energy Networks has successfully trialled the “world’s first” real-time fault level measurement system on a section of its network. The distribution network operator said the device developed by Outram Research achieved an error margin of less than 1 per cent at 11kV, “far outperforming” the 5 per cent margin it was originally targeting.
News
Adding biodiversity to sites is already a goal for most utilities, but soon they will be working to a tough new target of 10% biodiversity net gains under the Environment Bill. Katie Dawson, Costain’s lead on Geographical Information Systems for the environment, explains what’s involved.
Interviews
Building a 'smart network' where data can accelerate decarbonisation and cut operating costs is an agenda-setting priority for every distribution and transmission company. Already, network companies have chalked up their first trials and even moved into 'Business As Usual' territory. But as a recent debate and workshop discussion at the Utility Week Live Summit showed, there is still a long way to go.
Analysis
Greater flexibility could cut energy system costs by £16.7 billion per year by 2050, according to new research from the Carbon Trust and Imperial College London. The report said flexibility should be embedded into all sectors of the energy system – power, heat and transport – to reduce the impact and cost of their decarbonisation.
News
Electricity North West has become the fifth distribution network operator to join the Flexible Power platform originally developed by Western Power Distribution as part of an Ofgem-sponsored innovation project.
News
The gas sector is two-thirds of the way through a 30 year programme to replace 'at risk' iron gas mains, within 30m of buildings. But with each pipe presenting a unique set of risk characteristics and renewal costs and benefits, how can gas distributors plan their forward work programmes? Cadent has turned to software provider Probit, as Tim Watson explains.
Analysis
Data-driven maintenance and asset management will improve both the customer experience and long-term sustainability. But collecting and managing data comes with costs that can be hard to swallow. Panelists at Utility Week Live Summit, and participants in the workshop session, looked at different use cases and the best way to build a business case.
Analysis
Digital Catapult has launched a cross-sector IoT Discovery programme, offering organisations 1-2-1 support on investing in IoT, with Northern Gas Networks participating in the first cohort. Rukmini Prasad, product and partnerships manager for IoT at the Digital Catapult, answers UW Innovate’s questions.
Interviews
UK Power Networks (UKPN) has launched a new online portal that enables installers to get quicker and easier decisions on whether they can connect green technologies such as electric vehicle chargers, heat pumps, solar panels and batteries. The electricity distribution network said Smart Connect was developed in partnership with Octopus Electric Vehicles in response to feedback from customers, who said the old process was confusing and time-consuming.
News
Energy Systems Catapult is adding smart electric vehicle (EV) charging capabilities to its Living Lab of real-world smart homes. Cloud-based smart charging software developed by ev.energy will be incorporated into its new digital integration platform allowing suppliers, aggregators and home technology providers to trial new products and services in the 200 connected homes that now make up the lab.
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UK Power Networks has asked small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to express their future transport needs as it seeks to develop a strategy to assist them in making the switch to electric vehicles. The distribution network operator said it is keen to ensure that SMEs, which unlike larger firms may lack the time, resources or information to make the transition, are not left behind in getting the charging infrastructure they require.
News
Greater flexibility could cut energy system costs by £16.7 billion per year by 2050, according to new research from the Carbon Trust and Imperial College London. The report said flexibility should be embedded into all sectors of the energy system – power, heat and transport – to reduce the impact and cost of their decarbonisation.
News
An official for Cambridge City Council has raised concerns over a “headlong rush” towards air-source heat pumps, saying there are “lots of problems” with the technology, particularly within urban areas. Environmental quality and growth manager Jo Dicks made the comments during a discussion of retrofitting as part of Utility Week’s Future of Heat conference.
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A report backed by the four gas distribution networks has claimed that heat pumps would be impractical for between 37 and 54 per cent of UK homes currently using gas.
News
Data-driven maintenance and asset management will improve both the customer experience and long-term sustainability. But collecting and managing data comes with costs that can be hard to swallow. Panelists at Utility Week Live Summit, and participants in the workshop session, looked at different use cases and the best way to build a business case.
Analysis