WITH a rise in use of electric vehicles and more and more solar panels being fitted to homes, energy suppliers are preparing to reinforce infrastructure in one community to avoid disaster.
One substation in Dodworth, located near the entrance to the Miners’ Association, feeds multiple tenanted and private homes - as well as small businesses - with electricity.
However, if the take up of EVs, solar panels, heat pumps or any other low-carbon technology is to progress at anything like the targets both central government and Barnsley Council would like to see, the substation will need reinforcing - a costly upgrade.
Energise Barnsley is looking to challenge this expensive infrastructure dilemma, by seeing whether there are more efficient ways to balance the generation and demand of electricity from residential homes and small businesses on the feeder lines into the substation.
Andy Heald, director of Energise Barnsley, said: “At the moment we all have a very singular relationship with the electricity grid through our retail supplier, and a first come first served basis if you want an EV charger or solar panels.
“We need to start to look collectively together with our neighbouring properties on the feeder line, to see how frequently we can balance our supply and demand throughout the year.
“For example, we have tenanted homes in our project which are using 60 per cent less electricity from the national grid, ever since we installed solar and a smart battery.
“These homes have freed up capacity as they demand less from the grid, which in theory should mean that other homes which are large electricity users should benefit from the additional capacity whilst those using less are rewarded.
“In Dodworth it means that private homes should be able to install electric vehicle chargers because our tenanted homes are using less, and in return the electric charger will be flexible to soak up excess energy on the grid, perhaps from our excess solar generation in summer at midday.
“Within our own projects we are now installing solar PV on east and west-facing roofs, so it benefits the local grid, and does not stress it.”
The work in Dodworth is the first part of a £14.5m community DSO network innovations project, as providers look for further ways to help homes generate their own electricity.
In Andy’s words, it’s an opportunity to ‘look under the bonnet’ of the current set-up and find ways to improve efficiency.
Ashok Sinha, the CEO of national climate action group Ashden, visited some of the new solar installations in Dodworth on Wednesday, before the public were invited to a drop-in event where they could ask their questions about the upcoming changes.
Coun Andy Waters, who was in attendance, added: “You’ve got to be supportive of these types of things.
“Even though I’m not on the Labour side of things - I’m a Lib Dem councillor - I’m totally supportive of this type of project because we need to be investing in energy from renewable sources.
“It’s the type of thing I’m very interested in and it’s just the start, we’re getting people’s ideas and seeing what we can do within the community.”
