A digital twin for a remote island

ZUoS Simulations has been used to create a digital model of the island of Canna's electrical system. This includes:

• generation (from solar PV (48kW), wind (36kW) and a diesel generator);

• electrical storage (449kWh);

• the private distribution network; and

• domestic and non-domestic demand across the 40 or so buildings on the island, including the dump loads.

The biggest challenge was data - only the Solar PV and wind could provide granular detail on power, with only quarterly metering available at the building level. As the modelling was to help define decarbonisation pathways, buildings surveys and modelling were also undertaken to understand thermal demand from heating oil.

The digital model of the existing energy system allowed scenarios to be tested to understand the capacity for new electrical load, to decarbonise heat and transport, and to determine when new generation and network upgrades would be required.

Once the digital model was developed, the next step was to validate it through installing monitoring devices, before enabling it to operate as a digital twin through Smart Control. Monitoring was installed at key nodes on the network, and has been used to train the digital model and increase its accuracy.

Our monitoring technology also includes control functionality, enabling surplus power to be used to provide hot water for participating island residents. Monitoring and control will take place over the next year to demonstrate how the control of immersion heaters can increase the utility of dumped energy, before the control system is extended to heat pumps within new affordable housing which is under construction.