Could Microgrids transform UK’s rural energy supply?

Sep 12 2008 By the University of Chester

Microgrid

A small Cheshire village is at the centre of a pioneering renewable energy ‘microgrid’ model that could transform the way in which power is generated in rural communities.

Thanks to an £86,558 grant from Carbon Connections UK, an investment body based at the University of East Anglia, the University of Chester-backed Going Carbon Neutral project is conducting a feasibility study into a new approach for generating and distributing electricity.

If successful, the study could have far-reaching implications for every rural community in the United Kingdom. A ‘microgrid’ would see buildings continue to take power from conventional sources, while also generating their own energy using renewable methods.

The study in Ashton Hayes, which is a collaboration between the University of Chester and EA Technology Ltd of Capenhurst, will look into:

• the possibility of generating electricity within the community using wind, solar and biomass sources;

• the feasibility of matching the power generated to demand within the area, taking into account how much power is required and when and how electricity is used by particular buildings; and

• the likelihood of the village embracing the necessary technologies for the scheme to be viable.

Resident of Ashton Hayes and RSK Professor of Environmental Sustainability at the University of Chester, Roy Alexander, said: “As far as we’re aware, this idea has not been tried in any other rural area in the country, so once again Ashton Hayes is leading the way in grassroots-driven action on climate change.

“This study will be used to inform engineers throughout the UK about the practicalities of the model, so it could have implications which spread far beyond Ashton Hayes. The study will focus on the development of a scheme for implementation in all communities, and will include a business and management model looking at how it would link in with current suppliers, and its overall management.”

Buildings involved in any potential ‘microgrid’ could trade renewable energy generated between themselves, and any excess power could be sold back to the conventional supplier to help balance energy consumption and generation within the area.

During the study, the area’s potential for generating energy and its pattern of consumption will be measured. The study area comprises a suitable mix of housing and community buildings along Church Road in Ashton Hayes, which are fed by one power line.

Throughout the 12 month assessment period, only monitoring equipment will be installed – the study will only look at the feasibility of a ‘microgrid’ and will not involve the actual establishment of the grid itself. Anemometers will be set up to measure wind speed, the network operator will measure the load on its wires, and ‘Wattson’ electricity monitors, supplied by DIYKyoto, are being installed in a number of buildings to measure peaks in demand and establish an overall pattern.

Dr Mary Gillie, of EA Technology, commented: “It is really exciting to combine our technical expertise with the University’s knowledge of the social and environmental aspects for such a groundbreaking project.”

Garry Charnock, Chair of Ashton Hayes Parish Council’s Going Carbon Neutral sub-Committee, said: “This is an exciting development for our enthusiastic community that has already saved over 20% on its energy use in two years. We are now keen to see if the installation of a renewable energy microgrid could take us a long way down the road to being England’s first carbon neutral community. It would also be fun to be shareholders in our own energy company.”

While the project aims to develop a model within the existing regulatory framework for the energy industry, there is interest in its innovation from the national government and Ofgem. When implemented, the project could show the direction in which the regulations may evolve over the next few years.

Laura Chellis, of Carbon Connections, stated: “Carbon Connections supports innovative projects, offering early stage funding for the application of university expertise in the development of technologies and change models that will have a tangible impact on Carbon emissions. This novel project will address questions regarding the feasibility of installing ESCOs in rural environments, and the outcomes will be of interest not only to other communities, but particularly to the suppliers and regulators of the energy industry.”

The Going Carbon Neutral project in Ashton Hayes has been an international trailblazer for grassroots action on climate change since its launch in January 2006. Aiming to become the first carbon neutral village in England, the initiative has achieved recognition throughout the world as a global pioneer.

As well as being showcased on film to two billion people worldwide during the Live Earth 2007 concerts, the project won last year’s Community Initiative Award from the Energy Institute, while its promotional DVD won an International Visual Communication Association (IVCA) Clarion Award for Climate Change Communications. Ashton Hayes is quoted as an outstanding example of citizen engagement in tackling climate change in the White Paper, Communities in Control: real people, real power, issued by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, in July.