Simon Gill

Research Fellow, Department of Electrical Engineering

University of Strathclyde

Simon Gill is a Research Fellow in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Strathclyde where his work focuses on the technical and regulatory challenges facing the development of the Scottish electricity system. He has experience of working on distribution network innovation projects aiming to increase the penetration of renewable generators and manage the operation of distributed energy resources. He has also worked on security of supply issues, for example analysing peak-demand security for Scotland based on changing demand, generation and transmission network backgrounds. Since April 2017 Simon has been seconded to the Scottish Government where he was involved in the creation of the Scottish Energy Strategy, and is currently working on an Electricity Network Vision for Scotland.

This presentation discusses the technical, regulatory and policy challenges inherent in planning and operating power systems with high penetrations of Distributed Energy Resources (DER) connected to electricity distribution networks. It presents a set of six principles for the development of future energy policy to facilitate a highly distributed electricity system. International examples will illustrate how optimal distribution systems are those that satisfy the objective of lowest cost whilst meeting customers' expectations of reliability and societal desire for sustainability. The challenges associated with facilitating a large number of small, variable and often uncertain resources includes the need to respect technical system limits, support innovation, arrange an appropriate share of risk between market actors, ensure continuity of arrangements across all voltage levels and avoidance of excessive complexity. The opportunities offered by Distributed Energy Resources as a substitute for capital network investment are highlighted along with its regulatory and policy implications.

Presentation: Highly Distributed Electricity: Technical, Regulatory And Policy Challenge