LV Voltage Control devices: Request for Information (Project SILVERSMITH)

SILVERSMITH (Solving Intelligent LV - Evaluating Responsive Smart Management to Increase Total Headroom) is a 10 month NIA project investigating the future challenges and opportunities for our LV network. It aims to identify the scale and demographic of thermal, voltage, and power quality based compliance issues due to the proliferation of Low Carbon Technologies (LCTs), and Distributed Generation (DG) being connected to our Low Voltage (LV) network. We will explore new and upcoming devices and strategies to address these issues.

In partnership with EA Technology Ltd, we are conducting a network evaluation study to model our LV network considering the projected uptake of new LCTs and DG. This will provide us with insights into the types of issues we are most likely to experience in the future, and enable us to work closely with suppliers to ensure the future reinforcement or upgrade requirements can be achieved at the lowest cost at this pre-adoption stage.

What are we hoping to achieve?

Whilst we already have several tried and tested means to address compliance issues, engagement with suppliers such as yourself has suggested that we should be considering all approaches going forwards. Through a literature review of past innovation projects and peer-reviewed academia, along with this Request for Information (RfI), we want to capture the state-of-the-art LV Voltage Control devices. Pairing this with our network study and an understanding of the functional requirements we will need, SILVERSMITH will create a methodology for us and other DNOs to follow when making procurement and investment decisions on their LV networks.