DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--National Grid is implementing new technology to plan for the decarbonization of its electric and gas networks. Implementing encoord’s SAInt software allows National Grid to coordinate the planning of their electric and gas infrastructure. For the first time, they will be able to quantify the tradeoffs between different operational and strategic decisions in a single platform.
Modeling and planning of energy networks have traditionally been done using a mix of separate tools and data. The addition of SAInt allows National Grid to plan electricity and gas transmission and distribution networks in a coordinated way. This is an essential step toward achieving National Grid’s ambitious decarbonization goals. Moving forward requires planners to think holistically and treat electricity and gas infrastructure as an integrated energy system.
SAInt allows National Grid to answer questions that have been difficult to answer with traditional planning tools and processes, such as:
- What is the impact of transferring load from gas customers to electric (i.e., what is the impact of electrifying gas customers) in terms of required network reinforcement costs and carbon intensity of the energy consumed by the customers?
- What are the economic and operational impacts of larger penetrations of distributed resources connected to the distribution grid on the transmission network?
- Where would investments in electrolyzers make economic sense, and what would their impacts on the electricity and gas networks be?
- How can non-wire alternatives (NWA) and non-pipe alternatives (NPA), like storage technologies, increase system flexibility and reliability and displace the need for network reinforcements as National Grid designs strategies to achieve decarbonization?
To ensure a coordinated effort, encoord is currently training across National Grid’s planning teams. Electricity and gas planning teams are all benefiting from the use of a common planning platform. It will create new efficiency, transparency, and accuracy levels in National Grid’s planning processes.
Domenico Fuda, Director of Integrated Planning at National Grid, said:
“National Grid is committed to enabling and accelerating the transition to a clean energy future, while ensuring all customers and communities continue to have affordable and reliable options to heat their homes and run their businesses. To do this, a truly integrated plan between our gas and electric businesses is needed now more than ever. This tool will help us identify potential issues and system needs, and help our planners determine the most appropriate and cost effective solutions.”
Carlo Brancucci, CEO of encoord, said:
“To our knowledge, using SAInt across National Grid’s planning departments represents the first time a major electricity and gas utility in the US gathers its electricity and gas planning teams to use an integrated planning platform. I am convinced this will be crucial for successful integrated planning and for the company to meet its ambitious decarbonization goals. National Grid is setting a great example for all the utilities in the US and globally.”
About National Grid
National Grid (NYSE: NGG) is an electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company serving more than 20 million people through our networks in New York and Massachusetts. National Grid is focused on building a path to a more affordable, reliable clean energy future through our fossil-free vision. National Grid is transforming our electricity and natural gas networks with smarter, cleaner, and more resilient energy solutions to meet the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
For more information, please visit our website, follow us on Twitter, watch us on YouTube, like us on Facebook and find our photos on Instagram.
About encoord
encoord Inc. provides software tools, data, and advisory services to help energy stakeholders plan for the energy transition. encoord’s core technology is the Scenario Analysis Interface for Energy Systems (SAInt), a software platform to model and plan energy networks and markets. encoord works with utilities, network operators, technology and project developers, regulatory agencies, and research organizations to solve operational and strategic challenges. With offices in the US and Germany, encoord serves customers internationally to change the future of energy.
For more information about encoord, visit our website and follow us on LinkedIn.
