Ministers back household fridge plan to help wind ambitions
Tuesday 02 December 2008
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| The lowly household fridge could provide a "virtual power station" by changing the way it uses power in co-ordination with millions of others |
The nation's fridges could help the UK cope with the intermittent power generated by thousands of new wind turbines, according to a study to be published by the government today, writes James Cartledge.
"Dynamic Demand" technology would allow tiny changes in the way millions of household fridges use electricity to counter any drop in power generation from wind turbines or surge in demand from consumers - on a "second by second" basis.
The results of the study from Imperial College were unveiled today as it was announced that a formal demonstration of the Dynamic Demand technology has been given a green light by Ofgem.
Electricity giant npower has signed a contract with direct demand technology pioneers RLtec to test out the system in ordinary household fridges beyond the laboratory testing that has already been carried out.
The minister for energy innovation, Lord Hunt, said the technology was an "exciting technology" with potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as increasing the grid's capacity to absorb wind energy.
He said: "The report shows the potential of dynamic demand and I welcome the demonstration project led by NPower and RLtec. The trial will help us gain a better understanding of how dynamic demand can work to reduce our use of fossil fuels.
"If successful it could help pave the way for the uptake of this technology nation-wide, which could result in significant carbon savings of around 2 million tonnes Co2 a year or higher."
Study
The research into Dynamic Demand technology was commissioned by the government back in April 2008 and carried out by the UK Centre for Sustainable Electricity and Distributed Generation at London's Imperial College.
Dynamic demand technology involves individual household fridges reacting to changes in the amount of power flowing through the national electricity network. If the frequency of mains electricity changes from the normal 50hz level because the supply of electricity is not meeting national demand, software installed in the fridge changes the timing of the fridge's cooling activities (see this New Energy Focus story) .
The Imperial study concluded that the technology could make a "useful" contribution to National Grid's work balancing the national electricity system, although it would depend on the numbers of fridges involved.
Currently, system balancing is generally carried out by fossil fuel powered plants, along with some hydroelectric stations, but if the government moves to more renewable and nuclear power plants instead, there could be a need for other options to balance the national grid.
The government's Renewable Energy Strategy predicts as much as 30% of UK electricity coming from wind power by 2020, which will add a new dimension to balancing the electricity networks
Modelling suggested that 40 million 20-watt fridges fitted with the technology could offer between 728MW and 1,174MW of system balancing capacity.
Chris Bennett, National Grid's future transmission networks manager said: "Dynamic demand has the potential to be an exciting tool in helping us to balance supply and demand. It could play an important role in a future where a high proportion of our electricity comes from variable wind generation as well as reducing the need for high emission power stations to help in balancing the peaks and troughs of demand."
The Dynamic Demand technology would also save up to 44kg of carbon dioxide emissions a year for each fridge taking part - and save the average household taking part up to £5 a year on electricity a year, without their lifting a finger.
It would mean between £28.8 million to £222 million nationally wiped off energy costs according to the study, as well as a potential reduction in the £770 million spent each year by National Grid on balancing the network.
Demonstration
One of the key recommendations of the Imperial study is to demonstrate the technology outside the laboratory, and this is what npower and RLtec will now do in a trial involving initially 300 fridges, expanding to 3,000 after the first phase.
Dynamic demand has the potential to significantly reduce the amount of carbon emissions.
The trials, which will help npower meet its Carbon Emission Reduction Target obligations to cut its customers' carbon footprints, should begin in 2009 with results known in 2010.
Bob Jackson, carbon savings manager at npower said: "Dynamic demand has the potential to significantly reduce the amount of carbon emissions - so these trials with domestic customers are very important and we hope they will show the impact that this technology could have in the UK and around the world."
London-based RLtec, which is backed by the investment group Low Carbon Accelerator, said its technology had already undergone "rigorous laboratory testing", and has been testing the system in 100 fridges in a European trial.
"Our analysis shows that more than two-thirds of the UK's balancing capacity comes from carbon emitting sources," said RLtec chief executive Andrew Howe. "The technology has the potential to create a ‘virtual' power station and if widely used in the UK could eliminate the need for these carbon emitting balancing stations and save 2,000,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year."
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