We go Dutch to spread smart energy message

European Utility Week is being held in Amsterdam from today and attracts over 8000 smart energy professionals across more than 300 global utilities companies.

We will present the progress of their innovative Project FALCON (Flexible Approaches to Low Carbon Optimised Networks), which aims to reduce the carbon emissions levels within the electricity network. It is trialling six ‘smart’ techniques in Milton Keynes as an alternative to network reinforcement, understanding more about the 11kV electricity network and how to make it work harder and more efficiently, while securing supplies and supporting quicker and cheaper installation of generating equipment in future, such as solar panels.

Telecommunication is required to support the techniques. But rather than standard equipment, FALCON is installing pioneering technology that enables substations to communicate across a lower bandwidth, improving network communications.

"We are installing technology at 200 substations across Milton Keynes – the first time some of this equipment has been installed in large numbers in Europe and a first for the industry," said Sanna Atherton, Programme Manager for FALCON, who will present at the event.

She added: "Low voltage monitoring data from the devices at the substations can now be sent to our Control Centre for the first time. The FALCON telecoms solution is enabling the smart grid of the future by providing the communications infrastructure backbone that it needs."

The project has already received backing by The Joint Radio Company (JRC), a joint venture company of the National Grid and the Energy Networks Association, who manages a number of communications bands within the UK. "The FALCON project is attracting a lot of attention both within the UK and internationally," commented Adrian Grilli, Managing Director of JRC. "FALCON looks at a small area of the network in a new way and this is providing us with a number of key insights for the future management and operation of our network – both the power network and the communications network that supports it," said Sanna.