The Association for Decentralised Energy
800 flats in eight all-electric tower blocks have been fitted with smart meters, wireless gateways, ethernets and modems to aggregate storage loads onto the UK’s first “virtual” HH meters.
With all loads switchable remotely:
The innovative approach came about following UK Power Networks and EDF serving notice on London local authorities with the former LEB’s Cyclo control technology to withdraw support for the Cyclocontrol system.
CityWest Homes had to come up with a solution to ensure that the 800 or so residents could continue to use the night storage heaters to meet their heating needs.
CityWest Homes worked with Energy Assets to come up with a solution that not only ensured the continued use of weather compensated generation but also with the unique aggregation onto virtual HH meters, it was able to achieve lower electricity prices.
The total cost of the project was £225,400.
With flat receivers and contactors still in place from the former LEB’s Cyclocontrol service, the entire refit cost only £282 per flat - £157 per flat net of a £100,000 National Grid Innovation Award.
With the refit starting on 5th January 2015, payback was achieved within the currency of works thanks to an early 15% reduction in electricity tariff.
Under the Cyclocontrol service, the NHH meters were settled on a rare Elexon profile SSC 0421. With suppliers unable to balance and settle, residents paid up to 9.4p/kWh for exclusively night electricity from a monopoly supplier.
With NHH mpans extinguished and a HH pass-through contract agreed following competitive tender, residents will pay an all-in average of 6.69p/kWh from 1st October 2015. With this price including 30% of consumption shifted to afternoon and evening top-ups to compensate for heater half-life, residents will not need on-peak heating from their single tariff domestic supplies. National Grid have offered payment for 49.7Hz disconnection-equivalent to 0.5p/kWh off the all-in average electricity price.
PDHU has ambitious plans to increase revenues from CHP power generation and, subject to supply licence exemption, the switchable storage loads will reduce balancing charges incurred by a Balancing Mechanism Unit comprising Westminster City Council’s CHP engines, standby generators and HH supplies.
