Exploring Open Source Smart-grid Technology for Mini-district Heat and Storage Energy Centres: Including a Practical Case Study
Msc Sustainable Engineering: Renewable Energy Systems & The Environment Group Project 2020/2021
Introduction to Smart Grids
Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, society has been largely impacting the environment, particularly due to the emissions of greenhouse gases. Politicians, corporations and the general public have not taken responsibility for these emissions until recently due to the climate crisis. Due to climate change and the global renewable energy goals many countries including Scotland have set, sustainable engineers have an ambition to create a clean energy system which is more environmentally friendly.
A smart grid is an approach to designing more a environmentally friendly energy system where energy data is monitored and used to make informed decisions when distributing energy across the system reliably. This is done to both reduce energy costs and increase renewable energy usage and can be achieved by implementing energy storage systems, renewable energy systems and controls based on monitored data.
Figure 1 : Smart grid schematic
Aim, Objectives & Approach
Aim: To Explore Open Source Smart-grid Technology for Mini-district Heat and Storage Energy Centres: Including a Practical Case Study
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Objectives & Approach:
Figure 2 : Approach and Objectives
Motivations
The problem with smart grids is the intermittency and volatility of renewable energy sources due to their reliance on the weather. In order to overcome this, some form of energy storage must be utilised to allow for sporadic renewable energy to be distributed over time. Implementing this requires monitored energy data as well as smart controls. Furthermore, energy demands must be kept at a reasonable level to reduce overconsumption. This makes the implementation of these technologies into the real world much more complex than it might appear. A wide array of emerging smart technologies are currently available and it is our intent to bring to light their functionality and usability as discussed in our Industry Review.
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In order to investigate the real-life behaviour and implications of these emerging smart energy systems, prototypes of new smaller micro-grid systems are studied. Findhorn ecovillage has a long history of partnership with the University of Strathclyde with the goal of designing the infrastructure for smart grids. West Whins, a cluster of six small flats located within the Findhorn ecovillage was built utilising wind energy, solar thermal energy, air source heat pumps and thermal storage, however no controls are in place. Studying West Whins enables us to monitor and analyse the performance of a mini-grid and to investigate the opportunities and limitations that may occur. Once this can be proven successful, smart grids may be widely implemented. Further details can be found in our West Whins Case Study.
It is our primary incentive for this project to study the current state of the art smart grid technologies and apply this knowledge to the West Whins system in order to contribute a solution towards some of the problems associated with smart grids. The work done is detailed in The Project where the West Whins case study is modelled and analysed. From this the framework for a proposed smart control is developed along with analysis of alternate system configurations. Our primary findings are summarised in the Conclusion.
Find out more about the team and our organisation that helped to achieve the Aim and Objectives.