New Report - "Communications – the digital backbone of the distributed energy system"

The energy system is transforming

UK energy networks are undergoing unprecedented changes, to deliver a low-carbon, affordable, flexible, secure and resilient energy system.

As renewable generation, energy storage, electric vehicles and other distributed energy resources connect across the network, both supply and demand are becoming increasingly variable and decentralised. This is making the electricity system more dynamic, complex and challenging to operate than the largely predictable system of the past. 

Managing this complexity requires intelligent and connected networks. Visibility and control are fundamental to secure system operation; visibility to understand, and control to enable timely action. Without resilient communications visibility is lost, automation becomes ineffective, resilience decreases, restoration slows and customer connections take longer. The resilient communication infrastructure underpinning the energy networks is therefore a critical part of the digital backbone of the future energy system.

Electricity distribution networks are at the centre of this transformation. Historically power flowed in one direction from a relatively small number of large, centralised power stations to where it was needed. Today, generation, storage and flexible demand

The energy system is transforming; networks and in particular electricity distribution networks are undergoing unprecedented change as the UK transitions to a digitalised, affordable and low-carbon distributed energy system. Telecoms are the backbone infrastructure to this future energy system. Without resilient communications real-time visibility and control of the networks are lost, impacting automation and flexibility.

This report considers different potential communication approaches against the mission-critical requirements, and analyses different operating models for dedicated mobile networks implemented internationally.

With this report we are spotlighting areas for further consideration that need to be addressed to ensure energy networks have the mission-critical telecom solutions they need to achieve UK energy security and resilience objectives

Cristina Data, CEO Energy Connect (previously JRC)