THE value of research and development (R&D)
projects underpinned by Smarter Grid Solutions’ (SGS’s) technology has broken
through the £20 million mark as the Glasgow-based energy software company,
which has offices in New York and California, continues to help grid operators
tackle the climate emergency and move towards net zero carbon dioxide
emission targets.
SGS is involved in R&D programmes on both sides of the Atlantic that
include managing the grid to accommodate more renewable power and energy
storage, connecting more electric vehicle (EV) charging points to the
network, and setting up smart micro-grids that can manage resilient supply and
demand across cities, rural areas or even individual industrial sites.
As well as underpinning many R&D projects with its ground-breaking
technology, SGS has also enabled more than £300 million of investment in clean
energy assets and has connected 425MW of DER to the grid. It has also
saved £150 million in capital expenditure in network assets as one of the
primary grid value streams.
In Europe, the firm is working with UK Power Networks to connect more
distributed energy resources (DERs) such as renewable energy devices and
batteries to its grid, with Scottish & Southern Energy on an
innovative “energy as a service” platform, and with SP Energy Networks on EV
smart charging and a fault level management project that will allow more
DERs to be connected to existing network infrastructure, avoiding more costly
grid upgrades.
In North America, SGS is working with Con Edison on the deployment and market
integration of large utility scale batteries in New York City, and with Tucson
Electric Power to explore how DERs, such as rooftop solar panels,
residential batteries, smart appliances and EVs, can provide flexibility
services. It is also working with Avangrid in New York and Connecticut on
innovative technical solutions to reduce the cost of interconnecting new solar
farms, and with New York State Energy Research & Development Authority
on two projects under its Future Grid Challenge on smart inverter technology.
The next steps in SGS’s R&D work will include projects to integrate
electric heating and alternative fuels such as green hydrogen into the grid.
Bob Currie, chief technology officer (CTO) and co-founder of SGS, said:
“Reaching net zero to tackle the climate emergency isn’t simply about replacing
fossil fuels with renewable energy – it’s also about becoming smarter in
how we use that energy and control our electricity grids.
“Progress is already being made to decarbonise our power grids, but the real
victories will come when our heat and transport networks are also electrified
to remove or minimise carbon dioxide emissions.
“That means connecting cars, vans and other EVs to the grid so they can be
recharged, and also heating and cooling our homes, businesses and factories
using electricity instead of gas, oil or other polluting fuels.
“To achieve these goals, we need clever software that can manage the complex
balance between supply and demand, and that’s where SGS’s existing programs and
its next-generation R&D work comes into play.”
