ENA invites feedback on Open Networks Project

The consultation details project priorities, scope, time-scales and those areas where further consultation is proposed through the year, and anyone interested in the future of energy networks is encouraged to participate and provide feedback.

A webinar, open to all interested parties, is planned for 15 February with the project leaders, designed to give those interested a one-stop shop opportunity to ask questions directly and allow stakeholders an opportunity to submit live feedback.

Entering its second year, the Project continues with four main workstreams: interactions across distribution and transmission; the customer experience; the evolution of distribution system operators (DSOs); and network charging.

The ENA’s work in 2018 will be focusing on early implementation of DSO functionality, whole system investment process improvements, and analysis of options and trials to develop market models for DSO. The 2018 workplan is significantly larger in scope than 2017, with 29 products expected to be delivered throughout 2018, which include:

• Investment processes; taking a whole system approach towards utilising a range of investment and operability options across transmission and distribution.
• Reliability standards and emergency requirements, ensuring that emerging whole system investment and operational processes maintain security of supply across transmission and distribution and cover requirements under emergency conditions.
• Information on flexibility services, including a review of how information should be provided to customers on potential DNO requirements for flexibility services.
• Continued modelling and analysis on future DSO market models using the Smart Grid Architecture Model (SGAM) Framework.

David Smith (pictured), CEO of Energy Networks Association, said: “The Open Networks Project has, from the start, been designed to be adaptable and flexible in response to feedback from stakeholders. This consultation continues that process into 2018, and indicates our commitment to carrying out extensive and comprehensive assessment of the transmission-distribution interactions and future distribution system operator functionality. The project takes a “whole system” approach, with consideration of gas, heat and other cross-vector industries, as well as taking into account other network-led and wider industry work, including the Future Power System Architect (FPSA) initiative.”

The next phase of the project, expected to begin in 2019, will focus on implementation of process improvements, further trials to test DSO functionality and providing a robust evidence base and support to any regulatory changes that might be required to allow implementation of preferred DSO models.

Randolph Brazier, ENA head of innovation and development, said: “The 2018 workplan consultation sets our areas of focus in the year ahead and we are looking for feedback primarily on whether the right areas have been identified, but also on how stakeholders would like to provide their input to the project and how they want to be kept informed of developments in the future.

“This is an opportunity for stakeholders to provide feedback directly to us on areas that they feel might need looking at sooner rather than later, or identify areas they feel are missing. Gap analysis and stakeholder review carried out during 2017 allowed us to identify new products, so stakeholder feedback really is essential to the success of the overall Project.”

The consultation documents can be found online at the ENA website here.

Respondents can submit feedback electronically to until 23 February 2018.

---

Comments

Login on register to comment

Login Register