Monitoring & Metering
Will Darby is managing director of Carlo Gavazzi UK
Metering must not be overlooked
A comprehensive metering strategy will be a fundamental part of the government’s plans to boost Britain’s energy security and the move to a low-carbon future, says Will Darby
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he UK’s transition to a cleaner, low-carbon future took a step forward with the Prime Minister’s recent announcement of plans to boost Britain’s energy security by weaning Britain off expensive fossil fuels through boosting renewable energy supply. This plan comes in light of rising global energy prices, provoked by surging demand after the pandemic as well as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Gas prices are set by international markets over which the UK has no control, so the government wants to boost the UK’s homegrown energy generation for greater energy security in the long-term. Speaking about the announcement, Energy and Climate Change Minister, Greg Hands, said: “Boosting our renewable energy supply is the only way for us to take control of energy prices. We are already a world leader in offshore wind, but we want to go further and faster so that clean, cheap energy becomes the norm.” This bold commitment to supercharging clean energy and accelerate the deployment of renewables could see as much as 95 per cent of Great Britain’s electricity low carbon by 2030. While the plans do include new nuclear, significantly they also include: ● an ambition for up to 50GW of offshore wind by 2030 - more than enough to power every home in the UK; ● a consultation developing partnerships with communities to host onshore wind infrastructure in return for guaranteed lower energy bills; and ● plans to increase the UK’s current 14GW of solar capacity to 70GW by 2035 by changing the rules for solar projects on domestic and commercial rooftops. An electrical grid with a significantly greater proportion of electricity from renewable sources has the potential to turn electricity pricing strategies on their head. At the moment fossil fuel-powered generating capacity can be turned on and off to meet demand. But renewables cannot be switched on
three phase applications, such as public fast charge points, Carlo Gavazzi’s EM340 or EM24-E1 energy analyser are the perfect solution. Both meters are MID certified making them suitable for cost allocation and sub-metering and for fiscal/legal subbilling. For residential charge point applications, Carlo Gavazzi’s single phase energy meter EM111 & EM112 is suitable for active energy metering and can measure imported and exported energy.
Electric heat pumps
and off and so demand will increasingly have to follow supply. That means harvesting cheaper energy when renewables are providing through battery storage, for example, and minimising energy use when that is not the case. Battery storage controls are also becoming more sophisticated. For example, companies produce a grid-parallel energy storage system designed to work with battery storage systems. Many include a Carlo Gavazzi energy meter to monitor and measure power import/export, so the system knows when to charge or discharge the battery to increase self-sufficiency.
a £1.3bn investment in electric vehicle infrastructure. Electric vehicle charging stations consume significant amounts of electrical power when drivers refuel their vehicles. The amount of power consumed needs to be metered to ensure fair and accurate cost allocation for the energy used. For Accurate metering will be key to the roll out of many smart future energy systems
Battery storage systems
Alongside the growth in domestic and commercial battery storage systems there is also the growth in electric vehicles. These are really just battery storage systems on wheels. In much the same way that domestic and commercial battery storage systems can be used to store excess power generated by grid renewables, smart electric vehicle charging points can vary the charge rate of the vehicle’s battery in response to the available power. The government wants to accelerate the rollout of charge points for electric vehicles in homes, streets and on motorways. Its recent announcement of a Ten Point Plan for a green industrial revolution included
Renewables have the potential to turn electricity pricing strategies on their head
The plans to boost Britain’s energy security also include a £30m initiative to encourage electric heat pumps to be made in Britain to “reduce demand for gas.” For new single phase heat pump metering applications, Carlo Gavazzi’s EM100 series of energy meters offer a cost effective, compact and MID certified solution to measure the electricity consumption of the heat pump. While the EM300 series is an MID certified meter for 3-phase commercial and domestic applications. It is clear that ditching gas and oil heating in favour of cleaner, greener electric heat pumps will have huge environmental benefits. These benefits can be further enhanced by extending the lifetime and reliability of the heat pump compressor motor by eliminating the start capacitor. Carlo Gavazzi’s High Dynamic Motor Starter (HDMS) eliminates the need for a starting capacitor altogether. It features an innovative algorithm to ensure sufficient torque is generated to soft start the single phase capacitor start/capacitor run (CSCR) motors used in some heat pump compressors. Carlo Gavazzi’s soft starters optimise scroll compressor start-up while delivering unmatched inrush current protection. The RSBS, RSBD and RSBT scroll compressor soft starters are suitable for single and three-phase controlled motor starts respectively to help heat pump manufacturers further extend the lifetime and reliability of their equipment to further enhance the UK’s transition to a cleaner lowcarbon future.
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