The Future Power System Architecture (FPSA) programme was undertaken by Energy Systems Catapult and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (2015 to 2018) to identify the additional capabilities, or functions, that the power system will need by 2030 to meet the anticipated challenges that it could face.

FPSA was conducted in a series of distinct phases:

Power Network Joint Vision – while not formally part of the FPSA programme, this is the initial statement of the issues that FPSA subsequently addressed.  This comprised a main report Electricity Networks Handling a Shock to the System and an assessment of how other sectors have responded to the challenge of whole-system integration.

• FPSA1 – identified the new or subsequently enhanced functions that the GB power system would need to meet the targets set for it by 2030.
• FPSA2 – re-tested and modified the 35 functions, looked at the barriers to delivery and the challenges to the industry governance processes.
• FPSA3 – developed proposals for reform of the industry governance processes.

Review of FPSA functions – looked again at the functions in the light of the move to a net zero emissions target and considered the urgency of delivering each function.  Functions were considered urgent if they either:

• Were implied by specific government targets (e.g. no new Internal Combustion Engine vehicles from 2030), or
• They were identified as being particularly difficult to deliver.

Key points

FPSA1 identified 35 new or significantly modified functions required to meet 2030 power system objectives, of which the drivers are:

1. The flexibility to meet changing but uncertain requirements
2. The change in mix of electricity generation
3. The use of price signals or other incentives
4. The emergence of new participants
5. The active management of networks, generation, storage and demand
6. The recovery from major outages
7. The need for some coordination across energy vectors

The new functions have features that challenge the established system architecture:

• They reach beyond the meter and into the home, interacting with consumers’ equipment influenced by prices, creating many more active components in the electricity system.
• They bring greatly increased complexity, involving the aggregate behaviour of millions of devices, consumers and businesses, all interacting in more price-sensitive markets.
• They cross current commercial, organisational and governance boundaries, so require a whole-system view from the large power station down to the smart kitchen appliance.
• They introduce new data, IT and communications requirements, bringing design, standardisation, privacy and cyber-security challenges.
• They present new requirements for the forecasting and simulation of whole-system behaviours that are needed to support power system and market processes.
• They will ultimately span all vectors, covering electricity, gas, petroleum and biomass as the electrification of heat and transport energy proceeds.

The 2030 power system will be characterised by greatly increased complexity, interaction and dynamism reaching from within the home to the largest power station with many more engaged participants. The project identifies four credible evolutionary pathways for the power sector over the next 15–20 years, and recognises the need for innovation to address gaps in the available technologies and capabilities required to deliver the new functionality.