The opportunities and challenges for increasing the penetration of renewable energy into the power grid, the scope for stakeholders to update the transmission network and a debate on the European supergrid will be covered at a two-day IET conference that starts tomorrow in London.
The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) conference, ‘Connecting Renewable Energy to the Grid: Grid Optimisation, Technology, Policy Frameworks’ event is taking place at 76 Portland Place, London, will bring together transmission operators, policy makers, utilities, distribution network operators, renewable technology experts (generation, transmission and distribution), equipment suppliers and engineers to discuss the challenges and opportunities for the sector.
Speakers will present on topics ranging from offshore substations, smart grids, HVDC and HVAC, tidal power technology to grid optimisation, substations and smart grids.
During the conference, Ana Aguado, CEO, Friends of the Supergrid; Graeme Steele, chairman, European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (Entsoe), and Philip Lowe, director-general, European Commission and senior representative, Entsoe, will chair a discussion on the European supergrid, covering areas such as:
- Interconnecting renewable energy
- Designing a supergrid
- Road map, cost, infrastructure and technology
- Possible regulatory models for a supergrid.
Matthew Knight, head of business development, Siemens Transmission and Distribution, one of the speakers at the IET event
Other speakers at the two-day conference will include Miguel de la Torre, senior engineer, Red Eléctrica de España; Matthew Knight, head of business development, Siemens Transmission and Distribution; Duncan Botting, executive chair, Scottish European Green Energy Centre; Stephanie McGregor, director of Offshore Transmission, Ofgem; Allan Kelly, regulatory policy manager, ScottishPower Renewables; Chuan Zhang, programme manager (Technology), The Crown Estate; Feargal Brennan, professor of offshore engineering, Cranfield University; and Peter McGarley, consultant engineer, Senergy Econnect.
Wind energy and controlling resources
A wind-energy case study from Spain will also be presented, showcasing how the management of 19GW of wind energy and the monitoring and controlling of energy resources is happening through the Control Centre of Renewable Energies, a global pioneering initiative to monitor and control energy resources.
Other discussions at the event:
- Technology opportunity for delegates to informally discuss the presentations with their peers and put questions to the panelists.
- A round-table debate on the offshore transmission.
- Panel discussion on the cost analysis of renewable energy projects, covering the payback after installation, lifetime costs of renewable projects and the likely costs and timescale of grid connections.
Alstom is the headline sponsor of ‘Connecting Renewable Energy to the Grid‘.
