CURRENT announced last week at the show that UK Power Networks and Western Power Distribution had selected the company's Connected Intelligence power quality analytic sensors for a pilot initiative in the United Kingdom. CURRENT's solutions are being trialed as part of the LV sensor evaluation project, which is being funded by the Office of Gas and Electricity Market's Low Carbon Networks Fund in support of Great Britain's transition to a low carbon economy. This is one project of many, which distribution network operators such as UK Power Networks and WPD are running as part of the fund.
Ofgem has allocated up to GBP 500M over five years to fund projects to prepare electricity networks for a low carbon future. The projects at UK Power Networks and WPD will use "smart analytics" to gather and analyse electrical grid information with the aim of better understanding the implications of the growing use of low carbon technologies on network planning. These projects also involve gaining a better understanding of user demand, managing network constraints, and illustrating the benefits of better communications between network operators and commercial customers.
CURRENT's Connected Intelligence product portfolio, which encompasses advanced sensing, event management, and communications solutions, is an integral component of the projects at both utilities. The products combine a power quality analytic engine with sensors capable of being installed on live networks providing comprehensive load profiling, power quality analysis, asset monitoring, and event detection at the distribution transformer station. In addition, CURRENT's OpenGrid enterprise software will be used for grid and network monitoring.
CURRENT exhibited its distribution and power quality sensors at IEEE PES T&D 2012 (Booth #4384) last week.
