Powersystems guide to renewable energy technology?

What is renewable energy?

It is produced using natural resources that are constantly replaced and never run out. Just as there are many natural sources of energy, there are many renewable energy technologies. Solar is one of the most well-known, wind power is one of the most widespread, and hydropower is one of the oldest. Other renewable technologies harness geothermal energy, bioenergy or ocean energy to produce heat or electricity. Equally exciting are new enabling technologies that help to manage renewable energy so it can be produced day and night while strengthening the electricity grid. These enabling technologies include battery-storage, supply prediction, grid stability and smart grid technologies.

There are many different forms

• Most of these renewable energies depend in one way or another on sunlight
• Wind and hydroelectric power are the direct result of differential heating of the Earth’s surface which leads to air moving about (wind) and precipitation forming as the air is lifted
• Solar energy is the direct conversion of sunlight using panels or collectors
• Biomass energy is stored sunlight contained in plants
• Other renewable energies that do not depend on sunlight are geothermal energy, which is a result of radioactive decay in the crust combined with the original heat of accreting the Earth, and tidal energy, which is a conversion of gravitational energy

Powersystems remains at the forefront of the renewable and the power generation industry

With so many projects successfully constructed and exporting power to the grid, whether requiring a turnkey installation, electrical infrastructure or grid connection, Powersystems are an experienced partner in all forms of renewable energy generation projects. Growing environmental awareness has heightened interest in all forms of renewable energy.

Powersystems has completed 1326 projects since 2000 – look at this infographic for the breakdown by renewable energy sectors

Solar Energy

Powersystems remain at the forefront Renewable Energy Industries with expertise in Solar Energy, Solar Parks, Solar Farms, Photovoltaic Electricity Generating Facilities, Solar Photovoltaic Panels and associated electrical infrastructure

Solar energy is energy generated from the sun’s heat or sunlight. Solar power is energy captured from the sun which is converted into electricity, or used to heat air, water, or other fluids.This form of energy relies on the nuclear fusion power from the core of the Sun. This energy can be collected and converted in a few different ways. Powersystems have connected in excess of 200 MW of solar farms across the South West, UK.

Solar photovoltaic

This technology converts sunlight directly into electricity using photovoltaic (PV) cells. The solar PV cells are combined in panels. They can be put on rooftops, integrated into building designs and vehicles, or installed by the thousands across fields to create large-scale solar power plants. Concentrating solar PV uses fields of sun-tracking mirrors called heliostats to concentrate sunlight onto highly efficient PV cells located inside a receiver at the top of a mast or tower

Solar thermal

This technology converts sunlight into thermal energy (or heat), which in the past has been used mainly for space heating or to heat water (such as in a solar hot water system). This heat energy can be used to drive a refrigeration cycle to provide solar-based cooling, or to make steam that can be used to generate electricity using a steam turbine. Solar thermal energy can also be used in some industrial processes that currently use gas to produce heat. Concentrating solar thermal technology harvests the sun’s heat to produce efficient, large-scale power generation. It uses a field of mirrors to reflect sunlight onto a thermal receiver, which transfers the heat to a thermal energy storage system. Energy can then be released from storage as required, day and night

Emerging solar technologies

Research and development continue to improve existing solar energy technologies while identifying emerging innovations such as photosynthetic-based solar energy technologies and solar enhanced fuels. Innovations and developments in solar energy technology and enhanced fuels will benefit everyone by making affordable and reliable energy more accessible to more UK businesses and households.

Powersystems and your solar energy project

There has been a large uptake in the number of solar parks being granted planning consent in the UK. Powersystems has been involved with many of these providing grid connection schemes at 11 kV and 33 kV. Each scheme is designed by our team of engineers and covers the requirements of the Distribution Network Operator (DNO) substation, site wide earthing and cabling to the point of connection. The whole process is managed, from initial connection application to final energisation and adoption. Powersystems can perform much of the onsite work as well covering:-

• Installation of HV cabling and terminations
• Design and Build of Intake Substation
• Incorporation of G99 protection
• Specification and supply of Inverter Transformers
• Site Earthing
• Final Test and Commissioning

The latest solar figures

2020 saw the first full calendar year of the UK’s subsidy-free solar era with 545 megawatts (MW) of new solar PV capacity deployed, a 27 percent year-on-year increase compared with 2019. 60 percent of the new capacity in 2020 came from ground-mounted PV systems. The remaining 40 percent was installed on rooftops, with the majority of this located on commercial and industrial buildings. At the end of 2020, 13.9 gigawatts (GW) of solar capacity had been installed in the UK. This is almost 0.5 GW higher than existing Government-released figures, the speed at which new solar sites were installed during 2020 was in keeping with a record-breaking year for UK solar generation.

Wind Energy

Powersystems remain at the forefront Renewable Energy Industries with expertise in Wind Farms, Wind Turbines and associated electrical infrastructure. The movement of the atmosphere is driven by differences of temperature at the Earth’s surface due to varying temperatures of the Earth’s surface when lit by sunlight. Wind energy can be used to pump water or generate electricity, but requires extensive areal coverage to produce significant amounts of energy. Wind power is generated by converting the kinetic energy of the atmosphere into useable electricity with wind turbines,

Powersystems UK have connected 27% of all U.K. onshore wind farm generation

Wind is generated by complex mechanisms involving the rotation of the Earth, the heat of the sun, the cooling effect of the oceans and polar ice caps, temperature gradients between land and sea, and the physical effects of mountains and other obstacles. Wind turbines convert the force of the wind into a torque (rotational force), which is then used to propel an electric generator to create electricity. Wind energy power stations (known as wind farms) commonly draw on the output of multiple wind turbines through a central connection point to the electricity grid. Across the world there are both on-shore (on land) and offshore (out to sea) wind energy projects.

• A little interesting fact Windmills have been in use since 2000 B.C.
• Powersystems have connected 27% of all UK land based wind farm generation
• Powersystems connected the first wind farm at Goon Hilly downs in 1992. In 2010 the turbines at Goonhilly on the Lizard were at the end of their 20-year life cycle. Originally installed in 1992, they were replaced. Figures from the site said that the old turbines generated electricity on 98% of days during their time .The new turbines are rated five times as powerful. All electricity will go into the local wires which serve the Lizard, Helston and the surrounding areas
• It is estimated that there have been a total of 240 million revolutions per turbine and more than 3 billion revolutions for the whole wind farm since it became operational. As well as supplying electricity, Goonhilly wind farm is also used as a teaching resource by the University of Exeter in Penryn, Mullion School and Helston School.

How is wind energy used in UK?

The United Kingdom is one of the best locations for wind power in the world and is considered to be the best in Europe. Latest reports show that Wind power contributed 24.8% of UK electricity supplied in 2020, having surpassed coal in 2016 and nuclear in 2018. It is the largest source of renewable electricity in the UK. The UK Government has committed to a major expansion of offshore capacity by 2030 Wind power delivers a growing percentage of the electricity of the United Kingdom.

• By the beginning of December 2020, the UK had 10,930 wind turbines with a total installed capacity of over 24.1 gigawatts: 13.7 gigawatts of onshore capacity and 10.4 gigawatts of offshore capacity, the sixth largest capacity of any country in 2019
• This has placed the United Kingdom as the world’s sixth largest producer of wind power
• China has a installed capacity of 221 GW and is the leader in wind energy, with over a third of the world’s capacity. It has the world’s largest onshore wind farm with a capacity of 7,965 megawatt (MW), which is five times larger than its nearest rival. The US comes second with 96.4 GW of installed capacity
• Polling of public opinion consistently shows strong support for wind power in the UK, with nearly three quarters of the population agreeing with its use, even for people living near onshore wind turbines.
• Whitelee Windfarm in East Renfrewshire has reported serious economic, environmental and social benefits;
  • It notes that it has generated enough clean, green energy to provide almost 90 per cent of total annual household electricity consumed by Scottish households and businesses.
  • The report also highlights that the wind farm is expected to provide a boost to the UK economy of more than £1billion, including almost £800 million in Scotland.
  • The wind farm, in a rural location near Eaglesham, was found to have supported more than 4,000 jobs during its peak years of construction while sustaining around 600 jobs each year through its operation and maintenance
  • Enough carbon dioxide is saved by the wind farm, the report notes, that it is the equivalent of offsetting two days’ worth of domestic flights to and from Gatwick Airport

Through the Renewables Obligation, British electricity suppliers are now required by law to provide a proportion of their sales from renewable sources such as wind power or pay a penalty fee. The supplier then receives a Renewables Obligation Certificate (ROC) for each MW·h of electricity they have purchased. Within the United Kingdom wind power is the largest source of renewable electricity and the second largest source of renewable energy after biomass.

Overall, wind power raises costs of electricity slightly. In 2015, it was estimated that the use of wind power in the UK had added £18 to the average yearly electricity bill. This was the additional cost to consumers of using wind to generate about 9.3% of the annual total about £2 for each 1%. Offshore wind power has been significantly more expensive than onshore, which raised costs. Offshore wind projects completed in 2012–14 had a levelised cost of electricity of £131/MWh compared to a wholesale price of £40–50/MWh. In 2017 the Financial Times reported that new offshore wind costs had fallen by nearly a third over four years, to an average of £97/MWh, meeting the government’s £100/MWh target four years early. Later in 2017 two offshore wind farm bids were made at a cost of £57.50/MWh for construction by 2022–23, nearly half the cost of a recent new nuclear power contract. In 2019 Offshore wind energy is to provide a third of all UK Electricity by 2030

Powersystems and your wind farm project

Experience in the design and installation of high voltage electrical infrastructure has placed Powersystems in a position ideally suited to carryout wind farm electrical balance of plant contracts. Since our first wind farm installation at Goonhilly Downs in 1992 we have been actively involved with wind farm projects ranging from single turbines to 70 plus turbine sites. Powersystems high voltage engineers are experienced in onshore wind farms projects with over 266 successful wind farm project handovers. We offer a full turnkey service from Design, specification, installation and commissioning of wind farm switchgear, transformers, cable infrastructure, protection panels, earth systems and SCADA cabling, enabling the complete installation to be carried out. On each wind farm site Powersystems carry out grid connection compliance studies, ensuring that the requirements of the connection or grid code are met. In addition to the on site electrical balance of plant works Powersystems can provide grid connections to wind farm sites, and have done so in some extremely remote and challenging locations.

Read about the 132 kV onshore wind farm projects case studies

• £400 Million, 76 wind turbine, 228 MW, 132 kV, Pen y Cymoedd onshore wind farm project, located in the Upper Rhondda, Wynon and Afan Valleys, Wales
• 59 wind turbine, 177 MW, 132 kV, Dorenell onshore wind farm project, located at the Glenfiddich Estate, A941 (South of Dufftown), Moray, AB55 4DT, Scotland
• £120 Million, 27 wind turbine, 97.2 MW, 132 kV, Clocaenog wind farm project, read about first energistation located at  Claocaenog Forest, South West of Denbigh and to the east of Brenig reservoir North Wales
• 59 wind turbines, 177 MW, 132 kV, Aikengall II wind farm project, locataed at Dunbar, Scotland
• Powersystems your 132 kV high voltage (HV) specialist – update from Douglas West 55 MW Wind Farm, located near Poniel in Lanarkshire.
• In January 2020 Powersystems were delighted to announce, that they had been awarded the  electrical balance of plant works contract for the 48.5 MW Glen Kyllachy wind farm
• Powersystems has announced it has been awarded the Electrical Balance of Plant  for the 13 Turbine, 62.4 MW Kennoxhead Wind Farm
• Powersystems are delighted to commence works on South Kyle wind farm which will be Vattenfall’s largest onshore wind farm in the United Kingdom. At the peak of construction, the project will require around 150 workers on site, and once operational the 240 MW wind farm will make a significant contribution to Scotland’s net-zero ambitions – powering 170,000 homes and saving 300,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases annually, the equivalent of taking 65,000 cars off the road each year

Read about the 66 kV onshore wind farm projects case studies

• £5.8 Million, 6 wind turbine, 14.1 MW, 66 kV Bryn Blaen wind farm, located on land north of the village of LLangurid in Powys, Wales
• £4 Million, 9 turbine, 29.7 MW, Fraisthorpe onshore wind farm, renewable energy project, located in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England
• 10 wind turbines, 20.5 MW, 66 kV, Wandy Law wind farm, situated about 12 km north of Alnwick, Northumberland, England
• £4.8 Million, 17 turbines, 35 MW, 66kV Goole Fields II onshore wind farm at 12 month £4.8 Million Project, East Riding of Yorkshire, England

Hydroelectric Power

Powersystems remain at the forefront Renewable Energy Industries with expertise in Hydropower Electricity Generating Stations, Hydro Electric Schemes, Hydropower schemes, Run-Of-River Hydro Scheme, Hydroelectric Generating Station, Pumped Hydro, Storage Hydro and associated electrical infrastructure. Hydropower uses the force or energy of moving water to generate power. This power is also called ‘hydroelectricity’.

Hydroelectricity is electricity produced from hydropower. Hydropower today generates 24% of the world’s total electricity and 70% of all renewable electricity and was expected to increase about 3.1% each year for the next 25 years. Hydropower is produced in 150 countries, with the Asia-Pacific region generating 33 percent of global hydropower in 2013. China,is the world’s largest producer of hydroelectricity, operates three of the world’s ten biggest hydroelectric power plants, including the world’s largest Three Gorges project

Today the UK has a total hydropower installed capacity of over 4,700 MW, including over 2,800 MW of pumped storage. The UK hosts four pumped storage projects in Scotland and Wales. The largest such project, Dinorwig in north Wales, was commissioned in 1983 with a capacity of 1,728 MW. The cost of hydroelectricity is relatively low, making it a competitive source of renewable electricity. The hydro station consumes no water, unlike coal or gas plants. The average cost of electricity from a hydro station larger than 10 megawatts is 3 to 5 U.S. cents per kilowatt hour

With a dam and reservoir it is also a flexible source of electricity since the amount produced by the station can be varied up or down very rapidly (as little as a few seconds) to adapt to changing energy demands, once a hydroelectric complex is constructed, the project produces no direct waste, and in many cases, has a considerably lower output level of greenhouse gases than fossil fuel powered energy plants.

There are four broad hydropower typologies

• Run-of-river hydropower: a facility that channels flowing water from a river through a canal or penstock to spin a turbine. Typically a run-of-river project will have little or no storage facility. Run-of-river provides a continuous supply of electricity (base load), with some flexibility of operation for daily fluctuations in demand through water flow that is regulated by the facility
• Storage hydropower: typically a large system that uses a dam to store water in a reservoir. Electricity is produced by releasing water from the reservoir through a turbine, which activates a generator. Storage hydropower provides base load as well as the ability to be shut down and started up at short notice according the demands of the system (peak load). It can offer enough storage capacity to operate independently of the hydrological inflow for many weeks or even months
• Pumped-storage hydropower: provides peak-load supply, harnessing water which is cycled between a lower and upper reservoir by pumps which use surplus energy from the system at times of low demand. When electricity demand is high, water is released back to the lower reservoir through turbines to produce electricity –
  • In 2020 the Scottish Government has granted consent for its proposed Coire Glas project, the UK’s largest newly planned hydro pumped storage scheme.
  • Drax Group’s Cruachan hydroelectric pumped storage plant in Argyll in Scotland has begun supplying critical system stability support services to keep Britain’s power system secure. The six-year partnership with National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO), which is responsible for balancing supply and demand for electricity in Great Britain, is part of a strategy to decarbonise the grid. Built inside a hollowed-out mountain, one of Cruachan Power Station’s four generating units will provide the grid with support services including inertia
• Offshore hydropower: a less established but growing group of technologies that use tidal currents or the power of waves to generate electricity from seawater

 How does hydropower work?

Hydropower is generated when falling water is channelled through water turbines. The pressure of the flowing water on turbine blades rotates a shaft and drives an electrical generator, converting the motion into electrical energy. It is the most advanced and mature renewable energy technology, and provides some level of electricity generation in more than 160 countries worldwide. Hydro electric power plants range from very small to very large individual plants and vast integrated schemes involving multiple large hydropower plants. This form uses the gravitational potential of elevated water that was lifted from the oceans by sunlight. It is not strictly speaking renewable since all reservoirs eventually fill up and require very expensive excavation to become useful again. At this time, most of the available locations for hydroelectric dams are already used in the developed world.

Powersystems and your hydroelectric scheme project

Hydropower is the oldest form of renewable energy and Powersystems have been involved in constructing the electrical infrastructure on small scale hydro schemes since the late 80’s.
Projects completed include 500 kW “Run of the river” schemes and multiple turbine dam storage schemes. In both types of projects Powersystems have completed the full electrical installation package for sites including:-

• Design
• Powerhouse Fitout
• Station Transformers
• Main LV Switchboards
• Power and Control Cabling
• Turbine Control Panels
• PLC SCADA Systems
• Head Pond Level Sensors
• Test and Commissioning

Powersystems hydro power scheme energisation

Powersystems have successfully completed the energisation of two hydro powers schemes in North Scotland, fulfilling the Gilkes Energy Ltd contract for; design, supply, installation and commissioning of the high voltage infrastructure interconnecting the multiple power houses on each project. The two schemes, Pattack Hydro, a 2 MW scheme with two power houses and Attadale Hydro, a 3.5 MW scheme with 3 power houses will now contribute to the UK’s renewable energy targets by generating low-cost, clean energy for many years to come. Read the case studies about the Pattack and Attadale Hydro Station

Biomass and Bio Fuel

Bioenergy is derived from biomass to generate electricity and heat, or to produce liquid fuels for transport. Biomass is any organic matter of recently living plant or animal origin. It is available in many forms such as agricultural products, forestry products, municipal and other waste.

• Traditionally, woody biomass has been used for bioenergy, however more recent technologies have expanded the potential resources to include agricultural residues, oil seeds and algae
• These advanced bioenergy technologies allow for the sustainable development of the bioenergy industry, without competing with the traditional agricultural industry for land and resources
• Biomassis plant or animal material used for energy production, heat production, or in various industrial processes as raw material for a range of products. It can be purposely grown energy crops (e.g. miscanthus, switchgrass), wood or forest residues, waste from food crops (wheat straw, bagasse), horticulture (yard waste), food processing (corn cobs), animal farming (manure, rich in nitrogen and phosphorus), or human waste from sewage plants
• Burning plant-derived biomass releases CO2, but it has still been classified as a renewable energy source in the EU and UN legal frameworks because photosynthesis cycles the CO2 back into new crops. In some cases, this recycling of CO2 from plants to atmosphere and back into plants can even be CO2 negative, as a relatively large portion of the CO2 is moved to the soil during each cycle.
• Cofiring with biomass has increased in coal power plants, because it makes it possible to release less CO2 without the cost associated with building new infrastructure. Co-firing is not without issues however, often an upgrade of the biomass is beneficiary. Upgrading to higher grade fuels can be achieved by different methods, broadly classified as thermal, chemical, or biochemical.
• Biomass is the term for energy from plants. Energy in this form is very commonly used throughout the world. Unfortunately, the most popular is the burning of trees for cooking and warmth. This process releases copious amounts of carbon dioxide gases into the atmosphere and is a major contributor to unhealthy air in many areas. Some of the more modern forms of biomass energy are methane generation and production of alcohol for automobile fuel and fueling electric power plants.

Powersystems generation plant powered by your bio-fuels

In an ever-increasing bid to fulfill the UK’s requirements for new renewable energy fuel sources, Powersystems have assisted customers in the design and construction of generation plants powered by Bio-Fuels. Typically, the generation of these schemes are via reciprocating prime movers, therefore the years of experience gained in Landfill and Anaerobic Digestion (AD) Generation sectors gives Powersystems a lead when advising customers on all aspects, from site layout to electrical infrastructure, ensuring both best design practice and cost-effective solutions.

• Take a look at Powersystems Bio-Fuels Case Study Projects
• An English creamery is now using its by-products to create biogas in a new sustainable energy project. Yorkshire cheese producer Wensleydale Creamery will supply whey – which was previously discarded – to a local biogas plant to generate 10,000 MWh of thermal power, enough to heat 800 homes per year. Read more here
• Powersystems, have completed the commissioning of a private wire to supply renewable electricity between Black Dog Biogas, the owner of an anaerobic digestion plant near Newport on the Isle of Wight to Vestas’ neighbouring wind blade manufacturing facility. This follows on from Powersystems original involvement in 2016 where they delivered both the grid connection and electrical balance of plant on what was the first Active Network Management (ANM) system to be carried out on SSEN network on the Isle of White.

Anaerobic Digestion

Powersystems remain at the forefront Renewable Energy Industries with expertise in Anaerobic Digestion (AD) and associated electrical infrastructure

Is a collection of processes by which microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen. The process is used for industrial or domestic purposes to manage waste or to produce fuels.

• Anaerobic digestion is used as part of the process to treat biodegradable waste and sewage sludge. As part of an integrated waste management system, anaerobic digestion reduces the emission of landfill gas into the atmosphere. Anaerobic digesters can also be fed with purpose-grown energy crops.
• Anaerobic digestion is widely used as a source of renewable. The process produces a biogas, consisting of methane, carbon dioxide, and traces of other ‘contaminant’ gases. This biogas can be used directly as fuel, in combined heat and power gas enginesor upgraded to natural gas-quality biomethane. The nutrient-rich digestate also produced can be used as fertilizer.
• With the re-use of waste as a resource and new technological approaches that have lowered capital costs, anaerobic digestion has in recent years received increased attention among governments in a number of countries, among these the United Kingdom, Germany and Denmark
• Although currently an infant market with approx.650 AD plants at March 2019 we see this as a sector that will grow and plan to be at the head of any expansion, as Bio-Fuel technologies develop.

Powersystems and your Anaerobic Digestion (AD) Project

• Powersystems have connected Anaerobic Digestion (AD) generation plants powered from commercial food waste, energy crops, dairy, pig & poultry waste in the farm-based sectors.
• We have worked alongside the major technology providers in delivering both grid connections and onsite customer works. Typically these schemes will be cable connected to the local distribution high voltage network and electrically metered onsite, from there a bespoke site distribution system is designed and installed to meet the AD Plants requirements.
• This system would usually be comprised of a generation transformer and main Low Voltage (LV) distribution board, providing electrical circuits to the site generation and AD Plant controls.
• Powersystems as part of the installation can specify and install the necessary Feed In Tariff (FIT) meters and auxiliary supply meters to enable generation and auxiliary loads to be appropriately allocated.
• To date Powersytems have connected over 30 Anaerobic Digestion sites throughout the UK with many more coming online in the near future.
• Take a look at Powersystems Anaerobic Digestion Case Study Projects
• Learn more about Anaerobic Digestion

Hybrid/Enabling Technologies

• A hybrid technology is one that integrates a renewable energy generation technology with other energy generation systems
• Hybrid technologies can reduce the risk for investors and ensure immediate reliability and affordability. They can also support a smoother transition to more renewable energy generation in the future.

What are hybrid technologies?

• An example of a hybrid technology would be a power plant which combines and manages electricity generation from at least two technologies.
• For example, a plant that integrates solar energy technology with energy from gas, or another renewable source, to provide a combined energy flow that drives the plant’s power generation.

What are enabling (or related) technologies?

• Enabling and related technologies are those which use, or more easily allow, one renewable energy source to be used with another.
• These technologies are especially prevalent in the fields of energy storage, grid management and connection, information and communication, mapping and resource identification, forecasting and modelling.
•  Take a look at Powersystems Hybrid/Enabling Renewable Energy Technologies Case Study Projects

Hydrogen and Fuel Cells

What is Hydrogen?

Hydrogen is an explosive and clean-burning gas. Since the weight of hydrogen is less than air, it rises in the atmosphere and is therefore rarely found in its pure form, (H₂). In a flame of pure hydrogen gas, burning in air, the hydrogen (H₂) reacts with oxygen (O₂) to form water (H₂O) and releases energy. The energy released enables hydrogen to act as a fuel. This energy can be used with relatively high efficiency. Hydrogen can be made by splitting water with electricity (electrolysis) or by splitting fossil fuels or biomass with heat or steam, using “reforming” or “pyrolysis”. Any CO2 can be captured and stored. Hydrogen can be stored, liquified and transported via pipelines, trucks or ships. And it can be used to make fertiliser, fuel vehicles, heat homes, generate electricity or drive heavy industry. Hydrogen is usually considered an energy carrier, like electricity, as it must be produced from a primary energy source.

In a hydrogen economy, hydrogen would be used in place of fossil fuels, which currently provide four-fifths of the world’s energy supply and emit the bulk of global greenhouse gas emissions. This could aid climate goals because hydrogen only emits water when burned and can be made without releasing CO2. As Hydrogen is the lightest element of the periodic table and the most common substance in the world.  It can be used as feedstock, fuel or energy carrier and does not emit CO2 when burnt, that is why you often hear about its high potential for decarbonising the economy. Potentially hydrogen could soon power trucks, planes and ships. It could heat homes, balance electricity grids and help heavy industry to make everything from steel to cement.

What is green hydrogen?

Green hydrogen is produced using electricity generated from renewables such as solar energy, biomass, electricity (e.g., in the form of solar PV or via wind turbines), instead of fossil fuels. And currently accounts for 1% of overall hydrogen production.

Read the Powersystems in depth review about Green Hydrogen as a renewable technology

Geothermal power

• Geothermal energy is stored as heat in the earth
• The heat is generated by the natural decay over millions of years of radiogenic elements including uranium, thorium and potassium.
• Geothermal energy can be drawn from the hot water circulating among rocks below the earth’s surface, or by pumping cold water into the hot rocks and returning the heated water to the surface. This can drive steam turbines to produce electricity.
• Geothermal energy holds the promise of being a renewable energy source that could operate 24 hours a day, providing baseload power for homes and industries. Geothermal energy can be used for heating and cooling purposes. There are a number of buildings, residential homes and swimming pools that currently use geothermal for these purposes.
• Energy left over from the original accretion of the planet and augmented by heat from radioactive decay seeps out slowly everywhere, everyday. In certain areas the geothermal gradient (increase in temperature with depth) is high enough to exploit to generate electricity.
• This possibility is limited to a few locations on Earth and many technical problems exist that limit its utility. Another form of geothermal energy is Earth energy, a result of the heat storage in the Earth’s surface.
• Soil everywhere tends to stay at a relatively constant temperature, the yearly average, and can be used with heat pumps to heat a building in winter and cool a building in summer. This form of energy can lessen the need for other power to maintain comfortable temperatures in buildings, but cannot be used to produce electricity.

Waste-to-energy (WtE) or energy-from-waste (EfW)

Powersystems remain at the forefront Renewable Energy Industries with expertise in Waste-to-Energy Projects and associated electrical infrastructure

• Waste-to-energy (WtE)or energy-from-waste (EfW) is the process of generating energy in the form of electricty and/or heat from the primary treatment of waste, or the processing of waste into a fuel source. WtE is a form of energy recovery.
• Most WtE processes generate electricity and/or heat directly through combustion, or produce a combustible fuel commodity, such as methane, methanol, ethanol or synthetic fuels.
• With an ever-changing waste management industry, government regulations have forced the market to look at new ways of managing the UK’s waste. A result of which has been the design and construction of cleaner more efficient Energy From Waste (EFW) plants.
• Such plants can generate electrical power via steam driven turbines or develop a ‘Syngas’ for turbine or reciprocating generation. In either form Powersystems have assisted customers in cost effective grid connections and onsite electrical infrastructure.

Read about the waste to energy plant project case studies

• 5 MW, 132 kV, Stangate Landfill in Kent
• 30 MW, 33 kV Brogborough Landfill Generation
• 33 kV,  Parc Adfer Waste to Energy Plant in Deeside

Ocean and Tidal

Powersystems remain at the forefront Renewable Energy Industries with expertise in ocean and tidal energy projects and associated electrical infrastructure

Ocean or marine energy technologies refer to all forms of renewable energy derived from the sea. There are two broad types of ocean energy: mechanical energy from the tides and waves, and thermal energy from the sun’s heat. Ocean / Tidal energy is classified as

• Wave energy: This is generated by converting the energy within ocean waves (swells) into other forms of energy (currently only electricity). There are many different wave energy technologies being developed and trialled to convert wave energy into electricity
• Tidal energy: This is generated by harnessing the movement of tides. Tides contain both potential energy, related to the vertical fluctuations in sea level, as well as kinetic energy, related to the horizontal motion of the water
• Ocean thermal energy: This is generated by converting the temperature difference between the ocean’s surface water and deeper water into useful energy. Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) plants may be land-based as well as floating or grazing

Powersystems and your tidal project

• The UK has one of the largest marine energy resources in the world, estimated to be more than 10 GW. This along with the predictability of tidal power makes it a form of Renewable Energy that is highly attractive to grid operators as fossil fuel back-up plants are not required. To support this emerging technology, tidal projects will be eligible for five Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs) from the UK Government for projects installed and operational by 2017.
• Powersystems are actively involved with the construction of the electricity infrastructure to connect marine turbines to the onshore grid. Recent project successes include the 400 kW Delta Stream demonstration device in Ramsey Sound, Pembrokeshire, a demonstration device due to be in service for 12 months.
• Take a look at Powersystems ocean /tidal renewable energy technologies case study projects

Powersystems Asks Can A Country Achieve 100%?

If you think 100% renewable energy will never happen, think again. Several countries have adopted ambitious plan to obtain their power from renewable energy. These countries are not only accelerating Renewable Energy installations but are also integrating Renewable Energy into their existing infrastructure to reach a 100% Renewable Energy mix.

Read the article from Powersystems on Renewable Energy, Climate Change and Policy to find out where we are in the UK on renewable energy targets and plans to take us to 2050 with a cleaner brighter future.

Notes to Editors:

Contact Information:

• This article is written by Jules Daly, Marketing and Communications Manager at Powersystems UK.
• Email jules.daly@powersystemsuk.com  Telephone 01454 318000
• Photography Copyright please credit all images used to powersystemsuk.co.uk

Powersystems are powering the transition to a carbon free future

As a high voltage specialist electrical engineering company with over 45 years (1977-2022) experience Powersystems have grown by reputation to become a trusted force in the design, installation and commissioning of electrical infrastructure across the UK.

Celebrating 25 years as the first Lloyds National Electricity Registration Scheme ‘s accredited Independent Connection Provider (ICP), Powersystems are capable of delivering contestable grid connections at voltages up to 132 kV.

Since 2000, Powersystems have connected over 6 Gigawatts of renewable energy generation to the UK electricity grid, along with decarbonisation technology which includes; wind energy projects, solar, anaerobic digestion, hydroelectric, electrical vehicle infrastructure, short term operating reserve STOR, combined heat and power (CHP), Grid stability projects like rotating stabilisers,  and battery energy storage systems (BESS) as well as commercial industrial private wire networks.

Working with partners, delivering sustainable power solutions, proudly the Powersystems high voltage specialist team have connected 27% of all U.K. onshore wind farm

At the core of the operation is a commitment to the highest values of health and safety, welfare, quality and the environment. Powersystems Integrated management systems are ISO accredited and their approach under their health and safety ‘Priority No.1’ brand is to aim for the best industry practice in all.

Powersystems UK Ltd. is an Employee-Owned Business and as such has a keen interest in the well-being of all its employees. They encourage and empower you to be imaginative, share great ideas and be involved in the success of the business.

Speak to Powersystems today

You can contact us as follows

Call Us 01454 318000  Email Us enquiries@powersystemsuk.com