A £4million investment scheme has begun to rebuild parts of Derby’s electricity network in response to an anticipated surge in demand. The work will involve laying 7km of new underground cable and a complete rebuild of Mackworth’s primary substation. The project is needed to replace ageing equipment – some of
It has recently been highlighted by Ofgem that DNOs should follow in the footsteps of Western Power Distribution in a bid to develop the operational capacities of their grids. The call-out to other DNOs has been made after recognition for Western Power Distribution’s move towards maximising the capacity it has
Increasingly, with the advancements made in consumer (and corporate) technology, apps are being launched to assist customers in both monitoring, and managing their relative services. This is most noticeably the case in areas concerning energy and utilities and, most specifically, Western Power Distribution has taken the decision to launch a
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
A £4million investment scheme has begun to rebuild parts of Derby’s electricity network in response to an anticipated surge in demand. The work will involve laying 7km of new underground cable and a complete rebuild of Mackworth’s primary substation. The project is needed to replace ageing equipment – some of which has been in place for more than 50 years – and to meet an expected growth in demand for electricity, as a result of new developments in and around Mackworth. It will benefit around 100,000 customers. The first part of the job will be to lay 3.75km of new cable from Derby to Mackworth. Work is expected to take up to six months and will begin in the city centre, before moving out towards the A38. There will be some road closures as a result of the scheme. Paul Squires, WPD Engineering Specialist based at Derby, said: “This is a huge investment for the people of Derby which will enable us to meet their electricity needs for decades to come. This takes into account the changes to electricity use that will arise from an anticipated switch to electric vehicles and other low carbon technologies. “We have worked closely with the local authority to plan the work and to keep disruption to a minimum. We will also be working 10 hour days and at weekends to complete the work as quickly as possible. We apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused during this essential project.” All WPD staff will be observing strict social distancing and hygiene regulations while working on site, to protect themselves and customers during the coronavirus pandemic. The roads affected will be Sowter Road, St Marys Gate, Cathedral Road, Queens Street, Jury Street ,Willow Row,St Alkmunds Way, Agard Street, Bridge Street, Friargate, Vernon Street, South Street, Uttoxeter Old Road, Stepping Lane, Hanford Street, Stanley Street, Morley Street, Napier Street, Mackenzie Street, Lyttleton Street and Greenwich Drive South. There will be some rolling road closures on Stepping Lane, Handford Street, Stanley St, Napier Street and Mackenzie Street with short diversions in place, along with some temporary parking restrictions. Temporary traffic signals will be used on some of the larger streets.
It has recently been highlighted by Ofgem that DNOs should follow in the footsteps of Western Power Distribution in a bid to develop the operational capacities of their grids. The call-out to other DNOs has been made after recognition for Western Power Distribution’s move towards maximising the capacity it has within its grids through the provision of flexible connections to renewable developers. As of right now, Western Power Distribution has queued approximately 7.6GW of generators, which some 4.8GW of that comprising of solar panel schemes set to improve the ratio between renewable and non-renewable energy sources – something which is widely regarded as a positive step forward in ensuring the sustainable future of the market. Most specifically, Ofgem nodded to Western Power Distribution’s reconfiguration of subsections of the grid to allow for connections to be made far more swiftly, as well as how the organisation has been pioneering the usage of flexible connections, such that generators commit to cutting their output during period of considerable demand without any form of compensation to then be reconnected. Additionally, as a result of the increasing size of the renewable energy market, Ofgem has also called for DNOs to also look into new methods through which they may be able to deliver further capacity and improve the speed of connections; this is primarily to be through the use of funding in price controls. Presently, Ofgem has also been assessing schemes put forward by DNOs to facilitate investment. Dermot Nolan, Chief Executive of Ofgem commented: “We want DNOs to take creative approaches to speeding up renewable connections,” then adding that such organisations should also be looking to enable earlier investment into expanding capacity where necessary, allowing for a minimisation of energy bills across the board. Additionally, it has been stated that Ofgem has also issued a consultation to collate feedback from renewable generators on how well they feel that DNOs are actually communicating with potential network customers.
Increasingly, with the advancements made in consumer (and corporate) technology, apps are being launched to assist customers in both monitoring, and managing their relative services. This is most noticeably the case in areas concerning energy and utilities and, most specifically, Western Power Distribution has taken the decision to launch a brand new app for its customers, allowing them to report power cuts directly on their devices as well as enabling them to receive the latest information on faults and issues. As of this moment, Western Power Distribution is now the only DNO with an app of this type, allowing customers increased communication with the company, and visa versa. As a company dedicated to providing the highest standard of service possible, the app is a clear move in the right direction for improving the customer experience and the level of information and support at their fingertips. Although the app won’t quite revolutionise the service Western Power Distribution offers, it does support a responsible approach to the delivery of its service by allowing the customer to keep in the know, on the move. As the app also provides the company’s customers with a live stream of communication directly to Western Power Distribution’s helpdesk, which is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, this will also allow for the easy pinpointing of fault locations and communication of advice direct to the customer. Additionally, past and present reports area also archive-able for reference at a later date. And finally, the app also allows for owners of multiple properties to monitor multiple locations simultaneously through the storage of multiple postcodes. Then commenting on the launch of the app, the Corporate Communication Manager for Western Power Distribution said: “We hope [customers] will find our new mobile app a useful addition to the range of resources that are currently available.”
