A new project by Electricity North West to boost energy capacity and help cut carbon emissions has been awarded nearly £8m by regulator, Ofgem.
The funding will go to the Quest scheme, which has been designed to find a way of managing peaks and troughs of power supply caused by surges in demand – and the transition to more variable, renewable electricity generation.
The project works by automatically monitoring and managing the voltage levels of the electricity network during times of peak demand or low supply, without compromising parts that are sensitive to fluctuations, such as manufacturing and industrial sectors.
The funding will allow the firm to develop the system’s design before implementing it through a trial – while engaging customers with feedback.
Dan Randles, Head of Network Innovation at Electricity North West, said: “To help meet its decarbonisation targets, the Government is encouraging customers to take up more and more low carbon alternatives to heat their homes and power their cars. This is resulting in additional demand on our network, requiring us to develop advanced voltage management techniques which will help ensure customers get the power they need.
“The funding we’ve been awarded is crucial for allowing us to trial a highly innovative system to coordinate existing technology on our network.
“Through optimisation, Quest will boost the benefits currently available and enable people and businesses in the North West to embrace low carbon technologies helping to cut emissions and support the transition to net zero.”
