Increasing distribution system hosting capacity through short-term post-fault ratings to reduce DER curtailment

The implementation of short-term post-fault ratings (STPFRs) provides a viable solution for the DNO to unlock significant latent capacity headroom, which may be used to defer Flexibility procurement and reduce additional curtailment penalties. Moreover, STPFRs have been demonstrated to provide a “little but often” benefit with significant aggregate energy volume that will further unlock latent capacity within the distribution network, enabling the DNO to consider accommodating more distributed energy resource connections, which would lead to a reduction in the overall carbon intensity of energy delivered to customers. Based on monitored data from live equipment field trials, the average potential capacity unlocked over the static post-fault rating for 50°C circuits is in the region of 0.6% and up to 1.06%, while the average potential capacity released for 75°C circuits is approximately 0.21%. This leads to a potential yearly reduction in Flexibility procurement of up to 341 MWh, equating to approximately £102,300 of financial benefit if STPFRs are adopted.