Efficient Energy Networks

Today is Energy Efficiency Day, and we are taking a look at some of the ways in which the UK's energy grid might be adapted to be more efficient and resilient as we transition to cleaner, greener sources of power.

Much of the discussion around reducing carbon emissions from power and heat generation focuses on questions of generation. How much electricity can we generate from wind and solar? What role will hydrogen and nuclear power play in our future energy supply? However, an aspect that is sometimes forgotten is the effect that these changes will have on the infrastructure used to transmit and store energy.

Perhaps the most visible part of the UK's national energy grid is the thousands of kilometres of cables carrying high-voltage alternating current (AC) electricity. However, the grid also comprises a variety of other elements such as high-capacity interconnectors to the island of Ireland and countries on the continent, as well as storage facilities such as the