Microgrid helps UK communities to become carbon neutral

(07/11/2008)

The Cheshire village of Ashton Hayes is being used by power engineering specialist EA Technology as a test bed to develop a new way of generating and managing energy communally. The model would then be available as a ready-to-use template for other communities.

The Ashton Hayes Going Carbon Neutral project has already seen success in reducing its energy usage. EA Technology is working with the project team to take the work a step further by developing a highly innovative scheme, based on creating a new type of community energy services company (ESCO). With the village residents and facilities such as the village school as shareholders, the ESCO would be responsible for generating electricity locally to match the needs of the community.

EA Technology consultant Dr Mary Gillie said: “If we can make the Ashton Hayes microgrid model work, it could provide major economic benefits for many local communities, especially in rural areas. It could also have an enormous effect on carbon emissions nationally.

“The trick is to build a new type of local energy economy. This has never been tried in the UK before, but is potentially far more effective at achieving energy self sufficiency and carbon neutrality than people taking action on their own.

“The challenge is not so much about installing renewable generation hardware, which is readily available and understood. It is to create a new type of local energy economy, which would be financially viable for the community as well as energy efficient.

“Our job is to iron out all the potential problems, so the model can easily be taken up by other communities throughout the UK. We expect to deliver a full feasibility report in Spring 2009. To do this we are consulting closely with the community and working with the Parish Council. The community engagement is key to success.”

Garry Charnock of the Parish Council commented: “It is really exciting to be part of such an innovative project.”

Electricity would be generated communally from renewable sources sited in the village, including wind, solar and biomass, with the possibility of using underground energy storage systems. Sources of power installed at the school and shareholders’ houses, for example, would be owned and maintained by the company and contribute to the village supply grid.

The company would then sell power to the local shareholders, as well as managing the import and export of energy on behalf of the community, in partnership with an external supplier.

Dr Gillie explained: “An example of how the community energy economy would work is that during the holidays when children are at home, the ESCO would sell electricity from solar panels on the school to householders. When children are in class and parents are at work, the ESCO would sell the electricity generated on people’s houses to the school.

“As with any conventional energy business, the challenges include balancing demand with supply, and creating efficient pricing and payment systems. We also need to give people in the community the tools to manage their consumption efficiently, including the latest intelligent meters and power controllers.”

EA Technology is in talks with the electricity regulator OFGEM and external electricity suppliers to ensure that effective energy import and export arrangements are in place for community microgrids.

The project is a collaboration between EA Technology and the University of Chester, supported by an £86,000 grant from Carbon Connections UK, an investment body based at the University of East Anglia. They are working in partnership with Ashton Hayes Parish Council.

Related categories:  Biofuels and biomass   Eco-friendly Power generation   Environmental technologies for Residential and Green homes   Solar power and photovoltaics   Wind power