Shetland’s energy system undergoes major upgrade at the end of five year trial
Smarter Grid Solutions has upgraded the existing system on Shetland to its ANM Strata software, moving SSEN from the original Active Network Management (ANM) system to a multi-functional Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS) platform to better connect and manage renewables on the island.
Shetland’s ANM upgrade comes at the end of the 5-year innovation project with Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) known as Northern Isles New Energy Solutions (NINES). The NINES project involved trialling of a number of ground-breaking projects and aimed to reduce the island's reliance on fossil fuels, increase the penetration of renewables, and improve the energy systems flexibility. Since the project commenced in 2011, SSEN has introduced 8.5 MW of extra renewable energy, which in one year generates over 9 GWh of renewable energy.
John Stapleton, ICT Project Engineering Manager at Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks said: “The NINES project provided valuable operational, commercial and technical learning outcomes. Working in partnership with SGS to deliver the upgraded ANM system has helped deliver a more advanced network management capability, improving the performance of the energy system on Shetland, increasing asset utilisation and enhancing overall operability.”
The upgrade to Shetland’s ANM system provides SSEN with the most advanced DERMS platform yet, combining different optimisation and control methods across different time horizons. The microgrid solution allows SSEN to maximise the renewable content of the energy mix while maintaining security and reliability standards.
Colin Gault, Head of Products at Smarter Grid Solutions said "The NINES project has been a landmark innovation project for both SSEN and Smarter Grid Solutions and we are proud to upgrade the island’s system to enable more intelligent control of distributed energy resources"
This upgrade marks the end of the NINES project trial period and enables more intelligent control of renewable resources to ensure the continued reliable delivery of energy to residents of the archipelago.
About SGS
Smarter Grid Solutions is a world-leading technology company formed in 2008 as a spin-out from the University of Strathclyde. Over nine years Smarter Grid Solutions has grown to a worldwide company with offices in Glasgow, London and New York and has enabled the grid connection and active management of over 250 MW of renewable generation.
