Smart grids: A forgotten key to decarbonisation

Ireland’s ambitious decarbonisation targets for 2030 are putting unprecedented demands on the electricity grid. Colm O’Neill and Rodney Doyle of our Energy practice explain below.

By 2030, the network will need to manage a tripling of intermittent renewable generation capacity, up to 600,000 new heat pumps, and up to 1 million electric vehicles in addition to increased demand from new tech loads and data centres. The national electricity network is already facing substantial constraints and substantial upgrades to the network are needed in the coming years.

Despite sustained high demand growth in Ireland, the development of new physical grid infrastructure has proven to be a slow process over the last decades. Even if the will and permits were there, the international supply chain for grid infrastructure remains significantly constrained, requiring alternative faster solutions to complement physical expansion.

Optimising the grid

Optimising the operation of the Irish electricity network is therefore an absolute necessity. Ireland’s grid must embrace the data analytics, and digitalisation tools available and develop a truly smart grid, from generator to end-user and everywhere in-between. Adopting smart grid technologies hold a range of advantages over physical upgrades alone though both are required.

Grid optimisation is more cost-efficient, requires fewer interruptions, and delivers lower carbon footprints quicker than adding physical power lines. Solutions such as dynamic line ratings, power flow controllers, and grid optimisation software are offered as off-the-shelf solutions and can often be incorporated with modest lead-times.

EirGrid & DS3

Ireland’s system operators are already endeavouring to prepare the grid for the challenges of a net zero energy system. On the transmission level, EirGrid’s DS3 programme has been a success story in terms of adding flexibility and resilience to the grid, enabling higher penetrations of renewable energy.

Created to meet the challenges of securely operating the electricity system while achieving Ireland’s renewables targets, the DS3 programme procures 11 different system services to support the increasing penetration of intermittent renewables. These system services improve grid security and stability by providing services that complement intermittent generation, such as fast frequency response, and services that were traditionally delivered by fossil generation, such as inertia.

EirGrid is currently in the process of implementing a new mechanism for procuring Low Carbon Inertia Services (LCIS) reflecting the growing demand for system services to match increasing renewable penetration. This is expected to have a significant impact on the carbon intensity of the grid and redispatch costs once the LCIS assets are operational.

ESB network initiatives

ESB Networks are also making strong efforts to increase Ireland’s power system flexibility and meet the Climate Action Plan’s target of 20-30% flexibility by 2030. The National Network, Local Connections (NNLC) initiative is a flagship programme for improving flexibility in Ireland.

Since its inception in 2021, NNLC has created Ireland’s first local flexibility market, introduced new flexible demand products, brought in new technology for predicting demand and generation, and enhanced low voltage network monitoring, monitoring, and mapping.

Introduced in the wake of the energy crisis, ESBN have also launched the Beat the Peak Business initiatives in 2022 to incentivise commercial electricity users to reduce demand during peak hours (weekdays between 4.30pm and 7pm). This Demand Response Scheme will reduce strain on the grid as well as the need for flexible fossil fuel generation and run until at least 2025.

Flexibility can also be provided at home either manually or through home energy management systems coordinating smart devices (EV chargers, heating systems, solar panel inverters). To procure domestic flexibility, ESBN has launched the Is this a good time? initiative to reward domestic users for reducing usage during peak hours and taking advantage of periods with high renewable generation. More than 18,000 electricity customers have signed up to the initiative to date.

ESBN has also conducted a 3-year pilot-scale smart-grid project. The Dingle Project, which ran from 2018 to 2021, trialled a range of new technologies to develop a smart, resilient, and low-carbon electricity network. Among the technologies trialled were solar PV systems, residential batteries, heat pumps, EVs with vehicle-to-grid bi-directional chargers, and a number of smart systems and devices.

Other operators

In addition to the system operators, other entities are also working to make the grid smarter. EnergyCloud, an Irish non-for-profit company, aim to implement innovative solutions to utilise surplus renewable energy, which is a growing issue in Ireland.

One of their initiatives is a joint project with Cluíd Housing where surplus renewables is redirected to heat water in Irish homes. By using smart water heaters, this solution combats energy poverty as well as increasing renewable electricity penetration on the grid.

In summary

Smart grids are a key pillar of the future of electricity transmission in Ireland. As technology continues developing and renewable electricity generation increases, the future is likely to bring continued adaptation of smart grids, smart energy systems, and smart devices at all scales in Ireland.

If you have any queries, please contact our Energy Team; we'd be delighted to hear from you.