Testing and validation of the ACCESS system

Abstract

With the increasing penetration of distributed renewable generation, a number of solutions have been developed to avoid network overloads. Several of the schemes already implemented are based on generation curtailment during times of high generation and low demand. The assisting communities to connect to electric sustainable sources (ACCESS) system implements a more sophisticated predictive solution: the generation resource and electrical demand are predicted and the storage heating load is managed accordingly, providing a demand side management instead of a generation curtailment solution. The ACCESS system was installed, tested and demonstrated in the power networks demonstration centre (PNDC), a research facility that enables realistic testing of novel hardware and network operation schemes in a controlled environment, in 2015. Following the testing at the PNDC, the ACCESS system was deployed on the Isle of Mull in 2016. This study reports on the findings from testing of the demand response features of the ACCESS system at the PNDC prior to its deployment on the Isle of Mull. This study reports on the different components of the system; the test regime undertaken at the PNDC; the results of the testing; and the updates to the ACCESS system based on the test results.