RESEARCH into replacing Britain's ageing electricity network is being funded by Swindon's Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council up to the tune of £132,000.

Boffins at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) are using computer modelling techniques to simulate the conditions in which a new system would operate.

This would indicate how investment should be made in the electricity distribution network to best serve society in the long run.

A new strategy is needed because the country's electricity supply infrastructure is getting old and inefficient.

In the UK around nine per cent of electricity is lost during its transport, mostly through the electricity distribution networks, with a large amount of losses occurring in distribution cables, wires and transformers.

"If we are going to have to replace these assets, it is important that we do it properly because if not we will have to live with the mistakes for the next 20 to 50 years," said Professor Goran Strbac, who is leading the research at UMIST.

"Now is a golden opportunity to develop a strategy that will move us in the right direction.

"An efficient electricity network infrastructure is also critical for keeping open the options for sustainable development of the electricity supply system."

Such a strategy for replacing the infrastructure has important environmental implications.

If the losses in power distribution can be reduced significantly, less power will need to be generated, resulting in fewer emissions, and this could go a long way towards helping the UK meet its international obligations to reduce emissions.

"We have formulated techno-economic models to show the big picture," said the professor.

"Balancing investment cost and the cost of energy losses over the lifespan of the infrastructure will bring the maximum benefit."

For such a strategy to be adopted, not only must the distribution companies be prepared to make the extra investment, but the electricity regulator, whose job is to safeguard the interests of the consumer, must agree that the increased initial investment saves the country money in the long-term.

www.epsrc.ac.uk