IEEE Power & Energy Magazine - May/June 2017 - 62

Time (hh:mm), 4 h
(a)

:0
0
21

:0
0

Autumn
Summer

18

15

:0
0

:0
0
12

:0
0
09

:0
0
06

:0
0
21

:0
0
18

15

:0
0

:0
0
12

:0
0
09

:0
0
06

:0
0
03

:0
0

0

Winter
Spring

:0
0

Autumn
Summer

03

Winter
Spring

50

:0
0

100

Demand Reduction (GW)

150

3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0

00

200

00

Demand Reduction (MW)

250

Time (hh:mm), 24 h
(b)

figure 9. The demand reduction that CLASS can unlock at large scale at the (a) regional and (b) national levels.

services in the United Kingdom by approximately US$244
million, with customers receiving US$74-US$223 million
through reductions in their bills, depending on how CLASS
is priced. If CLASS were to be gradually deployed nationwide between 2016 and 2041, it could potentially save up
to US$570 million in balancing services cost, of which
US$156-US$543 million could accrue to customers. It is
worth noting that the benefits do not scale linearly with the
expansion of CLASS from a regional to national scale. This
is because in such analysis it is assumed that, even without
CLASS, the cost of balancing services decreases over time
due to a growing adoption of technologies (such as batteries)
and commercial arrangements to provide alternative sources
of balancing services.
From the environmental perspective, it was found that the
regional implementation of CLASS could avoid the emissions of up to 5,215 tons of CO2 equivalent (tCO2e) each year,
while the nationwide deployment could save up to 57,366
tCO2e yearly when compared to classical solutions such as
fast-acting power plants.

Finally, a robust customer survey, based on more than
1,000 interviews and significant customer engagement via
fact sheets, leaflets, and video material have demonstrated
that CLASS is also indiscernible to customers. The proportion of customers who noticed a change in the power quality
of their supplied voltage during the CLASS trials was lower
(3%) than the one during the baseline survey (4-5%) conducted before the trials.

Toward Business as Usual
CLASS demonstrated that it is possible to unlock the hidden
potential of distribution networks by introducing an innovative, scalable, and practical LM scheme that, for the first
time, empowers DNOs to provide significant balancing services to the TSO.
CLASS has shown that there is an untapped potential in
U.K. distribution networks of up to 3.2 GW of demand reduction, the equivalent of two combined-cycle gas turbine power
stations. This reduction was found to have the capability of
reducing carbon emissions by up to 57,366 tCO2e yearly and

Northwest
US$223 Million
Saved for
Customers

CO2

United Kingdom
-5,215
tCO2eq
Avoided
per Annum

US$543 Million
Saved for
Customers

CO2

1,100-3,200 MW
of Demand Reduction

65-235 MW
of Demand Reduction
(a)

-57,366
tCO2eq
Avoided
per Annum

(b)

figure 10. The benefits of CLASS in the case of a deployment at the (a) regional and (b) national levels.
62

ieee power & energy magazine

may/june 2017
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Power & Energy Magazine - May/June 2017
