Our Head of DSO Graham Campbell, talks about how he sees the role of the traditional Distribution Network Operator (DNO) evolve into that of a DSO.
The question I am asked more than any other is ‘What is a DSO’?
The truth is that there is no definitive meaning for the term Distribution System Operator (DSO), although it is commonly agreed as the industry term used to describe the ‘’DNO of the future’’.
For us at SP Energy Networks, becoming a DSO means two things;
- Continuing what we do already as a DNO, but better; and
- Taking on new responsibilities and activities to enable the faster uptake of low carbon technologies
Point 1 is the easier of the two. We do a lot of things very well already, but we know there is always more we can do to continually improve.
For example, in the Dunbar area, we’ve used Active Network Management (ANM) to connect 105megawatts (MW) of distributed generation quicker than traditional reinforcement would have allowed. Our planned ANM schemes in Dumfries & Galloway and North Wales will facilitate up to 300MW and 200MW respectively of distributed generation in areas where reinforcement is not considered an economical option.
We continue to improve our monitoring and data analysis capabilities to improve our knowledge and use of our assets. The use of ‘dynamic thermal rating’ on overhead lines is an example of this, allowing us to push our assets further than ‘designed ratings’ would suggest.
We’ve also introduced technology to improve our inspection processes, such as the use of LiDAR and drones to inspect and survey overhead lines.
A number of our people are also heavily involved in the use of technology to improve LV fault management, to the point where we will seek to predict failures before they happen; allowing us to find and repair faults before customers are actually impacted. This technology will also provide us with data to facilitate our DSO transition by allowing us to understand what happens in real time on the LV network.
So in short, as we transition to a DSO we will continue to do what we do today, but we will consistently seek ways to do it even better.
Point 2 is where the future lies. This is where we need to use the system in a smarter, more flexible way to enable the uptake of low carbon technologies. Short term, in the next 3 or 4 years, the new activities we will take on are the use of flexible services from customers to manage constraints on the system. For example, asking customers, both demand and generation, to turn down or turn up at certain times of the year to avoid constraints and ultimately reduce, delay or avoid the need for reinforcement.
In the longer term, our ambitions extend to selling services to the system operator and facilitating a whole-system approach between heat, gas and transport sectors.
Of course, these new responsibilities and activities will bring new challenges, not least of all how to create, enable and manage these new services. However, it remains a controversial topic as there are stakeholders who think these activities should be delivered by other parties, not the DNO as the DSO.
We know it is in the best interests of our customers, best for security of supply, and we know we can enable the transition quicker. As a DSO we’ll be the cornerstone of the future electricity system.
Keep an eye out for my next blog where I’ll be chatting more on flexibility.
Graham Campbell
SPEN Head of DSO