Low Carbon Networks Project
What is the Project about?
We are running a Project in South Wales to develop an understanding of how low voltage (LV) electricity networks can best cope with the future, low-carbon world. This will help us and the other UK electricity network operators as we develop the smart grids of the future.
This builds on the work of the Welsh Assembly Government in encouraging the use of new green technologies such as photovoltaic (PV) solar cells, use of heat pumps and improving insulation in homes and businesses.
The project has been approved by the energy regulator Ofgem and is funded through customers’ electricity bills.
The electricity network was designed for large centralised, high-carbon power stations. To meet carbon targets, the UK needs more low-carbon generation such as from wind or solar sources. The UK is seeking to move away from the use of fossil fuels and there is growing interest in low-carbon alternatives such as solar cells on the roofs of buildings, electric vehicles and heat pumps. At the same time significant strides are being made to make homes more energy efficient through better insulation.
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The electricity networks are therefore facing substantially increased demands on the one hand, with some reductions due to improved insulation on the other. These bring new stresses to the electricity networks compared to where we are now.
We need to collect more data about how this affects the LV network that supplies homes and businesses, so that we can plan ways of accommodating these changes at least cost to our customers and reduce the need to dig up our streets. This involves installing monitoring equipment at points along our network to monitor the affect on the power quality or voltage. This data will be used to produce model templates for use by WPD, National Grid and other electricity network companies for future planning to assess the impacts of green technology on their networks.
What area does the project cover?
The project will cover around 10% of the population of South Wales across the area shown below.
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Our Project Partners
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We are working with npower to involve customers who have microgeneration equipment installed at their property |
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The University of Bath will be analysing the substation and voltage data collected. |
We are also grateful for the support of the Welsh Assembly Government in developing this Project.
What are the benefits of the Project to me?
We want to check that the electricity supply voltage in South Wales meets the quality standards and measures set by the government. We also want to determine what we need to do to maintain this into the future as new types of products like electric vehicles, heat pumps and solar cells are connected.
The benefits to you are –
- we are pro-actively checking that your supply voltage is to standard now;
- that we understand what we need to do to keep it correct in the future;
- that we minimise the costs to customers and disruption of streets entailed in meeting the new demands imposed, as society moves to a so called low carbon future.
How will I be affected?
If you live in the parts of South Wales shown on the above map you may be affected by the project in a number of ways.
- We may be installing monitoring equipment at your nearest electricity substation. We will write to you to tell you that we are interrupting your electricity supply for around 5 hours.
- We may need to visit your property to test the electricity voltage. We will write to you to arrange an appointment.
- If you live at the end of our electricity line, we may ask you if we can install voltage monitoring equipment at your property. This will involve a short disruption to your electricity supply. We will write to you to arrange an appointment.
- If microgeneration equipment such as solar panels has been installed at your property we are working with energy suppliers, local authorities and housing associations to install voltage monitoring equipment at your property to measure the effects of the microgeneration equipment on our network. Your energy supplier or landlord will contact you about this.
For more details click here to see our Communication Plan. This has been approved by Ofgem.
Will I be getting a smart meter?
No. We are not installing smart meters. Please contact your energy suppliers to ask about smart meters.
How do I know that a caller is genuine?
- We will write to you in advance if we want to visit your property.
- You can agree a password with us. Our engineers will quote this password when they visit.
- Our engineers will always show you their ID card.
- Our engineers will never try to sell you anything or ask you for any banking or other personal details.
- If you have any doubts that a caller is genuine please ring us to check.
Visits to test your supply - 01443 219171
Visits to install equipment - 0800 0234965 or 02920 535633
- Please do not use any different numbers given to you by the caller – you might not be talking to WPD.
Are you collecting personal data about me?
No. This project is about collecting voltage data. The voltage monitor will be wired so that it cannot record any data about or control the way you, your family or your business uses your energy.
The voltage that we collect will be passed to the University of Bath for analysis. We will not pass your personal details to any organisation outside of WPD.
For more details click here to see our Data Privacy Strategy. This has been approved by Ofgem.
Our Customer Privacy Promise:
As part of the Low Carbon Network Project we may use and process the following personal data about you -
- your name, address and telephone number from our records;
- information you provide when you contact us to confirm or rearrange the equipment installation date.
The voltage monitoring equipment does not collect any personal data.
We will use your data in the following ways -
- to contact you to arrange installation or maintenance of the equipment or to respond to queries you may have;
- to tell you about any changes to the LCN Project;
- to ask you for feedback on the installation process.
When we share the data with partner organisations, it will not contain your name and address.
We will ensure that our data collection systems are secure and that data shared with Bath University is provided by a secure means, and kept confidential.
We will not pass any personal data to third parties for any sales or marketing purposes, or use it ourselves to try to sell you anything.
How to contact us
If you have any enquiries about the project you can email us at wpdlcnproject@westernpower.co.uk
If you have a complaint please click here