H2020 backs innovative power system planning tool

Smarter Grid Solutions has been awarded a grant under Horizon 2020’s SME Instrument to develop its Easy Connection Analysis Portal, or eCAP, concept.

The grant will support the development and commercial release of a planning tool to meet the growing demands of generation development companies and distribution network operators. eCAP is an innovative power network planning and analysis tool for self-assessment of network capacity for distributed generation (DG) connection.

Commenting on the award, Graham Ault, development director at Smarter Grid Solutions, said: “The award of this SME grant to take eCAP forward is a welcome confirmation of the high quality developmental work we are undertaking to provide power system planning tools to our customers and the market to support the rapid growth and grid integration of low carbon technologies.”

eCAP provides DG developers with the ability to analyse the viability of conventional and renewable resource connections prior to making a connection application. DG developers are able to choose a point of connection in the network and receive an estimate of the available network capacity based on the type of generation technology and rated capacity.

The eCAP project will develop a new planning and analysis tool and has several objectives with different levels of impact, namely product development and industrialisation, company strategy and economic growth, and wider European goals and strategies in renewable energy system deployment.

The eCAP project will fuel the transition from successful proof of concept to a fully developed and released product to meet customer demand.