ENWL041 - Smart Restart NIA
ENWL041 - Smart Restart NIA
The forecasted growth of heat pump and EV chargers exposes networks to increasing challenges associated with cold load pickup following a prolonged outage, i.e. the initial demand could be beyond design parameters. Having a method to control and gradually ramp up demand after these prolonged shutdowns will allow DNOs to maintain network stability and reliability.
Smart Restart will develop and simulate a methodology for mitigating cold load pickup through smart meter-based load control. Central to the approach is the random offset feature built into smart meters, which could delay the reactivation of devices (such as heat pumps and EV chargers). Staggering when devices switch back on could prevent a sudden demand surge that could otherwise lead to a partial or total network shutdown.
Timescales: August 2025 - March 2026