Low-carbon LV networks: Challenges for planning and operation

Many national and local governments have in recent years adopted feed-in-tariffs (i.e., above market price payments for energy produced) to incentivize consumers to install domestic scale generation (e.g., photovoltaic panels) in order to curb CO2 emissions. Electrical vehicles are also being encouraged by tax credits or grants in order to reduce the upfront investment. These incentives and potential future ones that could include more efficient ways of providing heat to households (e.g., electric heat pumps) are paving the way towards a low-carbon future that will make low voltage (LV) networks, particularly urban ones, more active and with an increased demand. This scenario presents Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) with many planning and operational challenges requiring a paradigm shift. This panel presentation will discuss the technical impacts of these low-carbon technologies on urban LV networks, the potential solutions, and how the corresponding planning and operation aspects should be looked at in the future. © 2012 IEEE.