Transforming Utilities' Conversion Points

该项目着眼于能源转换点基础设施的相互依存性和效率。假设是，这些转换点的变化对系统的可持续性和适应性至关重要。但很少有人试图考虑整合或重新平衡(使用或少用或多用)特定转换点如何能够显著改善整个系统的可持续性和适应性。这需要在用户和环境的背景下进行研究。目前单一公用事业方法的结果是，电力、水、交通等在使用时整合在一起，以创造最终用户所需的服务。有助于塑造可持续行为的服务对基础设施本身的发展至关重要。该项目将利用现有的研究，例如家庭能源使用的研究，以奠定我们对公用事业服务需求的理解的基础。国家基础设施的一个根本重要方面是它的技术背景。较老的基础设施是在泰勒主义机器范式期间以机械为重点构建的。全球信息(和网络)时代已经到来，纳米技术、氢气、电池存储等领域的机会多种多样。特别是利用电信传输关于公用事业运营和需求的信息的能力已经成功地应用于提高个人的公用事业效率。该项目将确定最新的相关技术以及即将出现的发明和趋势，以便为国家公用事业基础设施在当前/未来技术范例中的变革提出建议。我们提供这项研究的方法是1。创建当前转换点的地图，从而确定国家基础设施、容量、网络结构、机构类型、监管机构等的关键部分。2.建立一个以代理人为基础的基准模型，以展示当前国家公用事业基础设施的可持续性和适应性，重点关注转换点的效率损失和复原力问题。像国家基础设施这样大的系统不容易进行实验，因此建模是少数几种具有成功记录的适当方法之一，增加了其他方法无法察觉的见解，因为它们更善于反映现实世界的系统。该模型将纳入环境因素，如化石燃料的减少、服务重点和采用适当的技术，因此将结合现有的研究。模型的所有方面都将由团队的专业知识指导。举办研讨会，召集来自所有公用事业公司的代表，包括监管机构、政策制定者、大小公司、科学家和技术专家，允许就专家意见进行辩论。关键成果是在技术可能性的背景下，以服务为重点的未来方案的优先列表。4.将开发基线模型，以包括未来情景。将进一步发展最有利的情景(或两种情景)，使系统的效率和复原力得到最大程度的改善，从而为改变公用事业转换点创造一个令人信服的量化案例。随着时间的推移，将对转型导致的效率变化进行分析，这将使业务案例得以制定，并纳入对现有立法、条例和政策所需的变化。5.第二期讲习班将审查期货模式的结果，使利益攸关方能够核实和质疑这些结果，并利用可证明的改进可持续性和适应性的建议来规划变化。该项目是对资产沙坑中获得资金的其他项目的补充，符合国家基础设施服务、综合、技术和简化的观点。

This project looks across utilities at interdependencies and efficiencies of infrastructure at points of energy conversion. The hypothesis is that changes to these conversion points are critical to systemic sustainability and adaptability. But very few attempts have been made to consider how integrating or rebalancing (using less or more of) particular conversion points could make significant improvements to sustainability and adaptability of the system overall. This needs to be researched in the context of the user and the environment. The outcome of the current single utility approach is that power, water, transport etc are integrated at the point of use to create services demanded by end users. Services that help to shape sustainable behaviour are critical to the development of the infrastructure itself. The project will make use of existing research, such as that for energy use in the home, in order to ground our understanding of utility services needs. A fundamentally important aspect of national infrastructure is its technological context. Older infrastructure was built with a mechanical focus during a Taylorist machine paradigm. The global information (and network) age is upon us, with diverse opportunities in nanotechnology, hydrogen, battery storage, etc. In particular the ability to transmit information about utility operation and demand using telecommunications has been applied successfully to improve individual utility efficiency. The project will identify the latest relevant technologies and upcoming inventions and trends so that it frames proposals for change to the national utilities infrastructure in the current/future technological paradigm. Our methodology to deliver this research this is to1. Create a map of current conversion points and so identify the critical parts of the national infrastructure, volumes, network structures, institution types, regulators, and so on. 2. Create a base-line agent based model to demonstrate the sustainability and adaptability of the current national utilities infrastructure, focusing on efficiency losses and resilience issues at conversion points. A system as large as the national infrastructure cannot be readily experimented upon and so modeling is one of few appropriate methods which have a successful track record adding insights not discernable by other methods since they are better at reflecting real world systems. The model will incorporate environmental factors, such as diminishing fossil fuels, services focus and adoption of appropriate technology, and so combine existing research. All aspects of the model will be guided by the expert knowledge of the team.3. Run a workshop bringing together representatives from all utilities, including regulators, policy makers, major and minor firms, scientists and technologists, allowing expert opinions to be debated. The key outcome is a prioritized list of future scenarios which are service focused and in the context of technological possibilities. 4. The base-line model will be developed to include the future scenarios. The most favourable scenario (or two) which generates the greatest improvement in efficiency and resilience of the system, will be further developed to create a convincing quantified case for transforming utility conversion points. There will be an analysis over time of the changes to efficiencies as a result of the transformations, which will enable a business case to be developed and incorporate changes needed to existing legislation, regulation and policy. 5. A second workshop will review the results of futures model, allowing stakeholders to verify and challenge the results, and to plan for changes using the demonstrable recommendations for improvement to sustainability and adaptability. This project is complementary to other projects awarded funding in the Assets Sandpit, aligning with a services, integrated, technological and simplified view of national infrastructure.