Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) is calling for those interested in taking an active role in the energy system to register on Piclo Flex or the SSEN website, where the next round of flexibility services needed in southern England can be found. This is a fantastic chance to provide flexibility to the energy system, while earning money and supporting low-carbon technologies.

SSEN is the distribution network operator for central southern England and is inviting all interested parties to sign up to Piclo Flex (https://picloflex.com), which is the independent marketplace for buying and selling smart grid flexibility services, or direct on the SSEN website flexibility page.

SSEN has identified four areas, known as Constraint Managed Zones (CMZs), which will benefit from flexibility services to manage electricity demand during maintenance work or fault conditions. The locations are:

  • Havant
  • Chickerell
  • Thatcham
  • Rownhams

Stakeholders who may be able to provide flexibility services include renewable energy generators and battery storage, including hydro, solar and wind. Suppliers can opt in to being paid to provide power to support SSEN's network when requested, which reduces reliance on fossil fuel-based energy generation. Service providers can also opt in to be paid to turn down their electricity demand to support SSEN's network operations.

The CMZ release follows the successful webinar held by SSEN on the 15th May 2020, which included presentations from energy experts who set out the flexibility services that SSEN is sourcing and the procurement process. A recording can now be found on the SSEN website.

The launch of the four new CMZs follows the successful implementation of CMZ contracts worth 6MW on Islay earlier this year, where the carbon equivalent of powering half a million homes for a week, or taking nearly 1,000 cars off the roads was avoided. But SSEN's CMZ portfolio pipeline dwarfs this, with 372MW in active procurement across our Scottish and Southern networks and more being planned. This demonstrates SSEN's commitment to flexibility first, to adopt the lowest carbon, most economic approach to managing the network in the communities it serves.

Gary Huskinson, Flexible Solutions Designer and CMZ South Manager said:

"There is a broad range of suppliers who could provide the flexibility services we need, so we would encourage everyone with the skills and technology to visit Piclo Flex and engage with the market. The four CMZs are live on Piclo Flex now and close on 12 June 2020.

"We were delighted by the strong attendance at our webinar held earlier this month, which set out our priorities and procurement process for flexibility services. We are committed to sharing our expertise to help grow the supplier base and ensure a competitive, well-functioning market. By offering to provide flexibility households, businesses and communities can receive payment, support system security and help keep costs down for customers.

"This is a great opportunity to get involved in the transition to a smarter electricity system."

To watch the SSEN webinar about CMZs, click here.

To read more about the CMZs already operational on Islay, click here.

To visit the Piclo Flex website, click here.