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Research Theme: Power Systems and Energy Storage

Safe, sustainable, reliable and cost-effective energy for all.

Our innovative research has international impact. We work with academics, industry and policy makers at local, national and international levels.

We deliver solutions in almost every aspect of energy systems integration. We have expertise in areas from storage to distribution, from transmission to end use.

An electric car connected to a charging station.

Our facilities

Our Smart Grid Lab and Energy Storage Test Bed are unique grid connected facilities at our Newcastle Helix site. They enable investigation of future energy systems.

Mathematical methods for energy systems design, planning and operation

Our research is socio-technical. We use mathematical methods to evaluate a series of network management techniques. Our investigations take place in the presence of emerging low carbon technologies, such as:

  • electric vehicles
  • heat pumps
  • solar photovoltaic generation

We work with domestic and commercial consumers at many levels of the distribution network.

Modelling and demonstration of sub-system performance and control

Our projects in this area use models and demonstrators to investigate energy usage patterns in response to supply and demand. This ensures that the grid is not overloaded as well as giving customers value for money.

Holistic approaches to multi-energy system analysis

We are investigating the integration of multiple energy vectors at local, regional and national scale. We are examining the value of a whole energy systems approach. A whole systems approach takes into consideration:

  • heat
  • electricity
  • gas
  • storage
  • transport
  • demand and supply technologies

We also investigate system-wide issues. These include complementarity, losses, storage, speed, congestion and carbon.

Several wind turbines dispersed across a green field.