Oxford Case Study: smart local grid storing and sharing solar-generated electricity among networked homes
ERIC aims INCREASING CONSUMPTION OF SOLAR PV WITHIN THE COMMUNITY REDUCING PEAKS IN ELECTRICITY EXPORT AND DEMAND GIVING HOUSEHOLDS CONTROL OVER THE ENERGY THEY USE
an eric home Direct Current (DC) Alternating Current (AC) 1 8 1 2 3 4 5 Solar PV panels converts light to DC electricity Inverter converts incoming DC into AC Fuse box Maslow battery stores excess solar PV energy and powers appliances LED lighting powered by DC 6 7 8 Devices and appliances powered by DC curre through USB sockets (not currently featured Connection to mains Surplus solar PV energy exported to grid You can view your energy use and generation realtime, anywhere 2 5 7 3 4 6 expensive peak energy free solar energy cheap off peak energy Direct Current (DC) Alternating Current (AC) midnight 6am midday 6pm 11pm 1 2 3 4 5 Solar PV panels converts light to DC electricity Inverter converts incoming DC into AC Fuse box Maslow battery stores excess solar PV energy and powers appliances LED lighting powered by DC 6 7 8 Devices and appliances powered by DC current through USB sockets (not currently featured in ERIC) Connection to mains Surplus solar PV energy exported to grid You can view your energy use and generation in realtime, anywhere The Maslow battery stores energy from cheap off peak & free solar sources & converts it back to mains power to reduce the peak energy use expensive peak energy
the ERIC virtual localised grid CONCEPT 1 moixa energy holdings Investment overview and Annual Report for FY14/15 ending 31 March 2015 House with PV + Maslow Solar PV installed on the roof generates electricity for the house Surplus solar is stored in the Maslow battery ready to be used when its needed In addition, the battery can aslo store and make use of the surplus solar energy from the neighbourhood There are 82 homes taking part in ERIC, this includes 59 City Council homes, 28 GreenSquare homes and five private households School The car, managed by Co-Wheels, will be accessible to the whole community and will be charged in part by surplus solar from the PV on the roof of the Community Centre ERIC is exploring how the integration of EVs into a local grid can be optimised to provide additional grid services that will help balance the low voltage network Large rooftop solar PV and extra storage capacity could, in the future, supply neighbouring homes when not in use (eg weekends & holidays) Smart display The new community centre hosts a display which shows the combined energy stored, generated and used within the community A realtime energy display at the centre shows visitors how much electricity is being stored, generated and used across the day within the community ERIC is working with Co-Wheels to install the first electric car club vehicle (EV) at the new Rose Hill Community Centre Part of ERIC s engagement strategy includes renewable energy workshops with school pupils These, combined with the newly installed technology act as a powerful educational tool Moixa s new smart display illustrates the responsive nature of the Maslow battery charging when there is excess solar and discharging when electricty demand increases Large rooftop solar PV and extra electrical storage capacity can power community services including the adjacent electric car club, also helping supply homes when the Centre is closed EV Car Club Rose Hill Primary School acts as an extension to ERIC Work is under way by the Low Carbon Hub to install 30kW of PV and Maslow batteries will also be installed as part of the ERIC Project Every household in ERIC can view their electricity use, PV generation and the charge in their Maslow battery in realtime, on their laptop or smart phone Community Centre The new Rose Hill community centre has 60kW of PV installed and four Maslow batteries, adding significant capacity to the local grid House with Maslow Localised grid imports and exports energy from the National Grid In the future homes that are not suitable for PV will be able to take advantage of surplus solar energy in the community with a Maslow that charges and stores electricity from the local grid on sunny days or when demand is low House with PV + Maslow + DC lighting Smart substation Through ERIC monitoring equipment has been installed at the Nowell Road sub-station in Rose Hill 15 ERIC homes with PV and Maslows are being monitored to demonstrate that storing solar PV at peak generation times reduces impact on substation and pressure on the local grid, reducing the need for expensive grid upgrades In addition to solar PV on the roof and Maslow batteries, 10% of the homes in ERIC will have DC LED lighting powered directly by the Maslow This means even if there is a power cut, the lights will stay on
evaluating households in eric 74
with a supportive team
building an understanding Rose Hill Primary School workshop 03 (9th July) DIY solar charger workshop
powerful platform for communication
thank you localisedenergyericorguk andyedwards@bioregionalcom