About Network Operations
We need to ensure that we are operating the network in the most economical and efficient manner. We do this by assessing what flexibility services and other operational solutions are available to us and at what cost. We then select the optimal solution to meet the operational requirement. This is the basis for all our operational and dispatch decisions.
The Control Room owns the dispatch decision as they are responsible for real time network operation and flexibility services are a real time operational tool – we dispatch flexibility services only when we need them, and we usually only know if we need them close to or in real time.
As we move to shorter-term flexibility service procurement, these decisions will happen closer to real time. We will continue to operate the dispatch of flexibility services in a fair and transparent manner, all the time ensuring that we meet our obligation to maintain a secure and efficient network. We follow the dispatch decision guiding principles published by the ENA Open Networks project.
- Security: The needs of the system will be met using flexibility in such a way that security is maintained. DSO/DNO requirements: conform with applicable standards with an appropriate management of risk.
- Cost Flexibility: will be operated to meet system need at the minimum level of cost.The use of flexibility services should be cost effective and expenditure proportional to the benefits it brings to the network.
- Operability: DSOs will seek to dispatch flexibility services that offer compatible levels of operability. Operability is a measure of how well an offer of a flexibility service meets actual or potential system needs. We will seek to develop an objective and transparent method for assessing operability of offers of flexibility services.
- Competitions: DSOs will provide transparency of their dispatch decisions and activities. We will procure flexibility using simple, fair, and transparent rules and processes. Flexibility services should be developed such that FSP can participate easily in different markets.
- Fairness: DSOs will operate a fair dispatch methodology and provide equal opportunities to participate. Flexibility services shall be assessed and selected impartially purely on their technical and commercial merits. Where multiple technically sufficient flexibility services are available at a comparable cost, we will share the dispatch of flexibility services across these providers.
Timing of dispatch decisions
The timing of when to dispatch flexibility services will depend on the service type and our contract with the FSP, but broadly there are two options:
- Where the need for the flexibility response is predictable then we “schedule” the flexibility response in advance – in effect the dispatch decision is sent in advance of when we need the flexibility response. For example, where we use flexibility services to support the network during a predictable constraint period, we may will schedule the flexibility response a week in advance. This predictability helps FSPs.
- For flexibility services that resolve an unpredictable event (e.g. a network fault), we “dispatch” the flexibility response as soon as possible after the event. Here we rely on our network visibility to alert us that a fault has occurred, and we then dispatch the flexibility response. There are occasions where we schedule a flexibility response month in advance – for example to support the network during planned maintenance outages. As the team plan maintenance outages, they again own the decision to schedule the flexibility response.