New Smart Grid networking technology implemented in the Oxford village of Hook Norton

Designed to enable communication over the important ‘last mile’ between homes and their electricity substation, equipment developed by AND Technology Research (AND) provides a two-way data path for energy information between the homes and the local energy distribution company (Western Power Distribution – WPD) by deploying a technology known as Power Line Communication (PLC). This means that the village’s existing mains power cables can be used as not only a power source but a communication network, limiting changes to the infrastructure which otherwise would be needed as electricity consumption rises.

Over the last couple of months, volunteer residents recruited by the National Energy Foundation and Hook Norton Low Carbon, had their properties fitted with a prototype Smart Node, while substations common to each of the houses were fitted with a Smart Hub. On activation the nodes and hub automatically formed a network and engineers were able to see how well the energy grid was performing.

Steven Kear, Programmes Director at AND said: “We are delighted with the results from this initial test. The Smart Grid will provide WPD with the information they need to monitor and manage the energy they generate, a vital step in the push for efficient energy use”.

Following the positive result from this initial testing, the project can now move to the testing of the communications back from the hubs’ in the substation to a centralised data store and website for residents. A wider roll-out of equipment is also due to take place for larger-scale testing.

Delphine Wolfe, Consumer Contact Person at the National Energy Foundation, said: “Whilst this project is helping WPD to improve how they control the energy the village needs, it is also an opportunity for the householders to have a better understanding about their electricity consumption. The web platform will allow users to compare their consumption with comparable houses in the village hence providing a benchmark based on specific circumstances. Furthermore, in the next phase of the project, we will be able to use the data to give residents specific advice on how they can reduce their electricity consumption and energy bills.”

Delphine added: “The response we had so far has been very encouraging, but we need further participants in order to have more data. Anyone who is connected to one of the four smart substations (East End, Station Road, Bourne Lane or Southrop), is welcome to take part in this unique project by registering at http://www.hn-lc.org.uk/smart-hooky. A prize draw with a Eurostar Ticket, a restaurant voucher and 2 Village Shop Vouchers will take place once we have 100 participants.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

Background to the project:

Part of the Hook Norton ‘Smart Hooky’ initiative, an Ofgem First Tier Low Carbon Network Fund (LCNF) project, the testing has seen homes in Hook Norton connect and ‘talk’ over a Smart Grid network.

The project involves partners: Western Power Distribution (WPD), AND Technology Research (AND), Renesas Electronics Europe (Renesas), National Energy Foundation (NEF) & Hook Norton Low Carbon (HNLC).

On 1 April 2011, E.ON Central Networks was sold to PPL WEM Holdings plc and are now known as Western Power Distribution.

For more information:

Delphine Wolfe
Consumer contact point for Smart Hooky

National Energy Foundation
Davy Avenue, Knowlhill, Milton Keynes, MK5 8NG

t: 01908 354533
e: delphine.wolfe@nef.org.uk
w: www.nef.org.uk & www.hn-lc.org.uk/smart-hooky

We have now successfully installed monitoring devices in19 properties. Unfortunately 5 couldn’t be installed due to the lack of space in the meter box.

The seven nodes connected to the East End substation are also sending back readings, so this is fantastic. Further work is on-going with the other substations.

We will soon be collecting the data on our web platform, and I will let you know when this will be ready for you to view.

Whilst we are testing all the equipment, we may need to access the nodes on occasion. So to keep household disturbances to an absolute minimum, we are only planning to carry out further installations of the nodes in the East End area w/c 27th February and in other areas if the meter box is located outside and easy to access. Other properties (under the Bourne Lane, Station Road and Southrop substations) will be done towards the end of March.

See below the pictures from an installation (before and after) showing how the monitoring device looks like.

I would also like to thank all the people who have taken part in the trial so far. We still need about 100 households to take part in the project. So please don’t hesitate to talk to your friends and neighbours, the more individual data we have the more meaningful it will be for all the participants in the project.

Many thanks

Delphine Wolfe
Consumer contact point for Smart Hooky

For more information about this project, please visit the Smart Hooky pages on this site, read our FAQs or e-mail any questions to smarthooky@hn-lc.org.uk.

If you are interested in being part of the Smart Hooky trial, please complete this consent form.

I’m very pleased to let you know that we are now in the position to carry out the installation of the monitoring devices at the properties which have confirmed participation in the Smart Hooky project.

We have surveyed 23 properties (thank you to those who took part) and identified where additional work may be required in some cases, and the first test installation has taken place. Overall, the installation process is very straight forward and only last 30 minutes.

We are intending to carry out some device installation during the last 2 weeks of January: w/c 23rd and 30th January. We will start by installing the nodes to properties which have meters outside as further testing needs to be done and we may need to revisit the installation. For properties with meters inside the house or garage, the installation will take place once the data feeds back into our web platform successfully.

Prize draw

We have also 3 winners from our first prize draw, which took place during our last project meeting in December:

• 1st Prize: Kerrie & John McCormick from East End substation have won a Eurostar ticket voucher

• 2nd Prize: Simon Mead from Bourne Lane substation has won a restaurant voucher

• 3rd Prize: Julie & Nigel Evans from Station Road substation have won a Village shop voucher

Well done to those people. The prizes will be given at the next HNLC meeting on Tuesday 10th January, 7:30 pm at the Brewery. Another prize draw with the remaining prizes (1 restaurant voucher and 2 Village shop vouchers) will take place with the new participants that we will recruit for this project during January/February.

For more information about this project, please visit the Smart Hooky pages on this site, read our FAQs or e-mail any questions to smarthooky@hn-lc.org.uk.

Best regards

Delphine Wolfe
Consumer contact point for Smart Hooky

The new Hook Norton Low Carbon biodiesel tank at Hook Norton Brewery is now up and running:

Click here to learn more…

11th March 2011, Hook Norton Primary School organised an event to celebrate the newly installed solar panel system generating electricity and hot water for the school.

To emphasise the sunshine theme, there was a steel band playing, and a huge turnout of parents and children, attracted by the colourful stands, the Hook Norton Low Carbon team giving advice about home improvements, and the Hooky Car Club, or possibly just the lovely (and free!) cakes and smoothies on offer.

HNLC enjoyed a sudden influx of new members, and the Hooky Car Club attracted a huge amount of interest, with many villagers keen to get on the road.  The first car club Polo was on display outside the school.

Hooky Car Club – Join Now

The Hooky Car Club runs three waste oil powered cars – two VW Polo diesels and a larger Skoda Octavia Estate. The club is run by Hook Norton Low Carbon Ltd. and supported by Moorcar, a community co-operative based in Devon.

Book your car on the internet for any period between one hour and a week, collect it from the village and go where you like. Cars can be booked well in advance or at a moment’s notice.

To join you need to have held a full driving licence for at least a year with less than 6 points. You need to be over 20, and you need to be a member of Hook Norton Low Carbon. The Terms and Conditions can be viewed on the Moorcar (www.moorcar.co.uk) website.

There is an annual fee of £60 (some members qualify for a reduced fee of £30) and a refundable insurance deposit of £100.

You pay 24p a mile, and £2.95 an hour (or £24 a day) to use one of the Polos – all fuel included. For the larger Octavia, you pay 27p per mile, and £3.50 an hour.

How To Join

1. Join Hook Norton Low Carbon Ltd by downloading , completing and submitting an application form (membership fee £1).

2. Register as a member of the Hooky Car Club by entering your details on the Moorcar website and printing off the resulting Driver Insurance Declaration form.

3. Contact the local coordinator at carclub@hn-lc.org.uk who will tell you if you qualify for the reduced first year annual fee and arrange to see your driving licence.

4. Send your signed Driver Insurance Declaration form, a photocopy of your counterpart (paper) driving licence and a cheque made out to Moorcar for £160 or £130 (if you qualify for a reduced subscription).

5. Once everything has been checked you will be ready to book the cars.

For further information email carclub@hn-lc.org.uk or phone 07753325014

The VW Polo at the Hook Norton School