Public Funding for Nortech Management Limited

Awaiting Public Project Summary

The UK Government recently announced it will end the sale of new conventional diesel and petrol vehicles by 2040\. This implies the future of cars and vans in the UK is electric. Electric Vehicles (EVs) contain batteries that are charged to store energy and then discharged to provide energy for the cars' operation. In Vehicle-to-Grid / Vehicle-to-Building (V2G/V2B) operation, the EV batteries are discharged not to operate the vehicle but to return energy stored back to the grid or to meet the building's energy demand. This project will provide a robust communications and control platform (VIGIL: VehIcle-to-Grid Intelligent controL) that supports different V2G/V2B charge-points while ensuring distribution network voltage and/or thermal limits are not breached. Our solution will achieve this by actively managing the network constraints at the connected substations, optimising assets (such as V2G charge points, EVs, buildings, car parks with V2Gs), and monetising energy flexibility via V2G/V2B. The platform will ensure fast response time required for integral grid operation and support the existing electricity distribution infrastructure for increasing low-carbon technologies such as wind turbines and solar PV. We will investigate battery-life performance and inverter power quality issues during V2G and Grid-to-Vehicle (G2V) operations. When large numbers of EVs require connection to the distribution network, the DNOs' significant network reinforcement costs are averted via the active network management component of our solution. Thereby reducing DNOs network operational costs and UK energy customers' electricity bill: ~15% of the electricity bill is paid to DNOs to operate, maintain, and upgrade the network \[ENA Distribution Charges Overview\]. Our solution also addresses the concern of EV/charge-point infrastructure owners (via price incentives and piece-of-mind charging enhanced by a V2G mobile app). Addressing the concerns of DNOs and EV/charge-point owners is vital for V2G technology adoption. The adoption of V2G technology and increased uptake of EVs will help the UK reduce energy costs, carbon emissions, and move towards a low-carbon network with secure electricity supplies for our energy demand. By 2040, at least 5GW of additional peak demand will be required by the UK to meet EV charging demands \[National Grid's Future Energy Scenario\]. To meet this future requirement, the VIGIL platform will include a communications adaptor that allows seamless integration of different V2G charge-points together for aggregator services.

Nortech is a small-to-medium enterprise (SME), focused on the design, manufacture, supply and support of monitoring and communications products for use by electricity distribution network operators (DNOs). In this feasibility study, part-funded by InnovateUK, we aim to develop a directional current sensor (SinePost) for electricity network control and fault detection systems. Various techniques will be investigated to establish a method for reliably measuring voltage on high voltage (HV) overhead line systems. This will overcome technical limitations with existing products on the market. When combined with electrical current sensing, the direction of power flows in electricity distribution systems can be determined. This is particularly important when new generators connect to the network (as they can reverse power flows and cause thermal overloads) and will allow DNOs to detect and respond to faults more effectively (restoring electricity supplies to customers more quickly). "SinePost for a Low Carbon Future" will help the UK move towards a low-cost, low-carbon network, with secure electricity supplies for our current and future needs.

A SME-led collaboration between EA Technology, Nortech and the University of Manchester to develop a common, low cost, robust monitoring and management system for the low voltage (LV) network. For retrofit, the solution will help DNOs to optimise asset replacement, reduce emissions and improve security of supply. As well as provide a low cost route to LV network management, the system will make data available to network planners and operation and control. This will focus asset management and support planners in understanding the load, generation and smart control at LV. The development will reduce the costs of connecting and managing low carbon technologies connected to the electricity distribution system.