UK, Newcastle Upon Tyne - United Kingdom's electrical distribution company Northern Powergrid worked together with an engineering company Arup to help manage losses from its power network by investigating the reuse of heat generated by its transformers.

The project first identified potential candidates for the cost-benefit assessment, based on the loading data of the transformers to estimate the heat loss, as well as proximity to heat networks or local heat loads to utilise each substation's waste heat, reports Network.

Next, sites were selected for techno-economic appraisal, based on their ideal location to supply heat to adjacent sites (heat load) and on satisfying all other selection criteria.

The project concluded that although heat recovery from existing Northern Powergrid substations is technically achievable where local heat demands can be identified, it would not be commercially viable under current market conditions.

The scheme viability would be made possible through the development of a novel-engineered heating system and a heat purchase agreement with sufficiently high tariffs.

Mark Nicholson, Northern Powergrid's head of smart grid implementation concluded that the project was a useful practical investigation into the feasibility of applying such technology across Northern Powergrid's network.

Source: Network