UCL-Energy collaborates on Low Carbon Networks Fund project

Project Falcon is a major Low Carbon Networks Fund (LCNF) project led by Western Power Distribution. It aims to explore methods for coping with increased demand for electricity. Traditionally, increased demand for electricity has been handled using reinforcement - essentially making the network stronger, for example with thicker cables. Project Falcon will test six alternatives to reinforcement. This project is linked to smart grids development and is to explore methods to manage new patterns of electricity demand and local generation.

EST and UCL Energy Institute is working for Western Power Distribution to produce an energy model, which enable WPD to be able to build sub-station load profiles up from individual premise level analysis; understand the potential for export in a locality; look at various scenarios. The Dynamic Energy Agents Model (DEAM), developed from EleServe, by Dr. Mark Barrett and Dr. Catalina Spataru, is the core energy model to be used; it models individual consumers (domestic, non-domestic, transport) and supplier agents at half hourly intervals for the present and in assumed future scenarios. They are also developing a non-domestic consumer database called AgentsDb for use in the project.