Scottish Hydro Electric (SHE) Power Distribution is continuing to roll out its innovative Active Network Management (ANM) system in the Bridge of Dun area of North East Scotland.
Local developers are invited to a stakeholder event to be held in the Links Hotel, Montrose on 28 January to find out more about connecting to the electricity network on a ‘managed’ basis.
The event will give developers an opportunity to discuss connections and other factors which can affect access to the grid, for example the impacts of microgeneration and other issues including weather and changes in domestic and commercial demand.
SSEPD Network Investment Manager Mark Smith said: “Currently, the local electricity network has reached capacity under conventional connection processes around the Aberdeenshire and Angus border, making it more difficult for renewable developers to secure a connection.
"Traditional reinforcement to the network is very expensive, however following the success of a similar research and development project in Orkney which was the first of its kind in the UK, another area of the distribution network is now set to benefit from this technology.”
The ANM system uses advanced technology to collect data from various points on the grid and then monitors the power flows to identify when they are approaching the limits of the network power rating so that instructions can be sent to generators to reduce their output.
This new zone will be opened around the Bridge of Dun area providing a solution to developers without incurring high network investment costs.
Director of Policy at Scottish Renewables Jenny Hogan said: “Getting more generation onto the system and keeping down costs is good news for the renewable energy sector and local projects that want to get connected.
"Upgrading grid infrastructure is one of the biggest challenges in reaching the 2020 target of generating the equivalent of 100 per cent of our electricity needs from renewables and it is investment projects like these in the Aberdeenshire and Angus areas which will help us achieve this.”
Places at January’s event can be booked by emailing stakeholder@sse.com