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stephen browning

BIO: stephen browning, Development engineer

I spent many years with the CEGB then National Grid, working in the fields of generation, system operation and the development of models for Generation Economics - Commitment, Scheduling, Dispatch and Ancillary services with the associated representation of Demand, Fuel, Market, Interconnection flows and Transmission security constraints. I retired in 2003, then got into Renewables and Distributed Energy Resources and have produced (so far) 21 overview documents on Future Power Systems (FPS), covering the principles and characteristics of main power plant (FPS1-3) and future developments. I have studied the characteristics of renewable and distributed generation and their 'drivers', in particular issues of output predictability at different lead timescales (see FPS 4, esp wind), the potential for storage, plus the ability of ICT to provide effective monitoring and trading/control of distributed resources (DER - covers customer demand, generation and storage) and maintain network security (various of FPS 6-14,17-19). I have also analysed the issues with the Smart Enterprise as regards Objective (flatten the fossils) and Forecasting impact (existing Top-Down methods rendered useless) in FPS 20. In FPS 21 I go through Customer Engagement in some detail where I develop a proposal for 'empathic constructive dialogue' and a staged approach to introducing more dynamic pricing. As part of online forum discussions on Electric Vehicle integration, we managed to develop workable strategies, using exchangeable vehicle batteries, for systems with different types of large scale renewables penetration (Distributed PV or Centralised Big Wind). The Power System of the Future will be radically different, with penetration of unpredictable variable output renewables. We have a lot of potential new technology and control mechanisms to utilise. We need to determine what combination of Generation (Big+Little), Storage, Distributed Resources management, Interconnection trading, Ancillary services provision and Transmission/Distribution management will deliver the goods as regards safe, secure, efficient, and economic operation with reduced fossil fuel burn. All parts of the electricity business are involved; generation, supply, transmission, distribution, system operation and the market, together with the customer, in a commercial/technical framework in which the target can be hit while maintaining system security, quality of supply and accuracy of settlement. Better commercial and technical interfaces are required between member states and across Interconnectors between Electricity Pools. This forms the 'Smart Enterprise', incorporating Smart Grid and Smart Meter initiatives. The main issue is the need to evaluate the various scenarios correctly; full nested time series simulations (Commitment-Schedule-Dispatch-Outturn) in respect of the Power System, with Fuel supply allocation and emissions calculations.