A global innovation competition aims to boost the intelligence of the UK’s first smart substations and build resilience into the energy system.
Launched in 2020, Constellation is a flagship initiative by UK Power Networks revolutionising electrical substations by embedding powerful computing platforms within existing infrastructure.
Piloted in Maidstone and Thanet, these “smart” substations will analyse data in real-time, control local devices and adjust automatically when demand on the grid changes, effectively decentralising intelligence across the electricity network.
The Open Innovation Competition, delivered in partnership with Power Networks Demonstration Centre (PNDC), invited pioneering ideas from across the energy and technology sectors.
It focused on a suite of innovations areas ranging from voltage control to fault level estimation. Entrants were assessed not just for their innovative thinking, but also for their readiness to move from laboratory testing into real-world deployment.
Shortlisted technologies will undergo a two-stage testing process — first at PNDC’s advanced research facilities near Glasgow, then on UK Power Networks’ live electricity network in the South East of England. These solutions are now progressing to full lab and field trials.
Among the companies selected to move forward with new energy technologies are Fundamentals and SMPnet. Fundamentals are developing a digital control system for transformer tap changers to help substations respond faster and operate more flexibly.
SMPnet is deploying its Omega suite to improve the way distributed energy resources are managed, with a focus on maintaining optimal voltage levels across the network in real-time.
Luca Grella, head of innovation at UK Power Networks, said:
“This competition has shown the strength of collaboration across our industry. We’ve uncovered exciting new solutions that have the potential to reshape how our substations operate, helping us build a smarter, more responsive, and lower-carbon electricity network.”
Will Dury, Chief Executive at PNDC said:
“As the energy sector advances toward smarter, more resilient infrastructure, solution test and validation is key. At PNDC we are proud to support the validation of OIC solutions ahead of network deployment.
“Working with UK Power Networks and OIC suppliers, PNDC is using its purpose-built test environment to ensure these solutions meet functional and performance requirements. This workstream highlights the flexibility of the Constellation architecture at the heart of future-ready digital substations.”
Nick Harper, head of technology development at Fundamentals Ltd said:
“We’re incredibly proud to have our Total Voltage Control technology selected for the Open Innovation Competition. This is a great opportunity to develop our digital control system, using smart, automatic voltage control to help substations respond instantly to fluctuations, and support a more stable, flexible, and future-ready grid.”
Anastasios Rousis, chief executive officer at SMPnet, said:
“We are excited to be part of UK Power Networks’ Constellation initiative, a game-changer for the digitalisation of power distribution. Our Omega suite is the world’s first autonomous power grid management software, readily available as a virtualised solution and we look forward to deploying it as a solution within the Constellation project.”
Image of UK Power Networks’ innovation leaders with Will Dury
