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By Sarah Sheehy, Principal Consultant at TNEI Exploring the potential in local communities As electricity networks adapt to support the transition to low carbon technologies, finding cost-effective ways to manage growing demand is becoming increasingly important. Our analysis, presented at CIGRE Paris Session 2026, explored how coordinated flexibility within energy communities could help address these challenges while delivering benefits for both network operators and consumers. Introducing the Community DSO concept The Community Distribution System Operator (Community DSO) concept seeks to capture and coordinate flexibility within physically connected energy communities. Rather than focusing on large-scale network management alone, the concept operates at the lowest levels of the electricity network through local “cells” (see Figure 1), which can be based on individual secondary substations or even single feeders. Figure 1: Community DSO cells concept diagram Within each cell, a Community DSO coordinator manages local energy flows and coordinates flexible demand to help

An innovation initiative exploring how community renewable energy schemes could be better accommodated on the electricity network TNEI will join Regen next month to share progress from the Geoprint for Energy Club Connections and Operations (GECCO) project, an innovation initiative exploring how community renewable energy schemes could be better accommodated on the electricity network. As the energy transition accelerates, community energy organisations are seeking to play a greater role in delivering local renewable generation and supporting decarbonisation goals. However, network constraints can create significant challenges for projects looking to connect to the electricity system. Led by National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED), the GECCO project brings together Regen, TNEI and Energy Local to investigate potential approaches to reducing these barriers and enabling more community energy projects to connect. As part of the project, TNEI is contributing technical expertise to assess the network implications of alternative connection approaches and explore opportunities to

The latest Independent Technical Expert reporting requirements With the next Delivery Year commencing on 1 October, Capacity Market participants should review the latest Independent Technical Expert (ITE) reporting requirements and ensure any required submissions are being planned now. Earlier this year, the ITE reporting requirements were subject to consultation, resulting in changes to the reporting framework. For many projects, the start of the Delivery Year is when attention turns to meeting the Substantial Completion Milestone (SCM). SCM is a key Capacity Market requirement that must typically be demonstrated by the start of the relevant Delivery Year on 1 October. Organizations should ensure they understand what evidence and documentation may be required under the updated ITE reporting arrangements and allow sufficient time for assessment and reporting. What’s changed? Following consultation on the ITE reporting process earlier this year, reporting requirements have been updated. Capacity Market participants should review the latest guidance

How do you obtain representative background sound levels when operational turbines are already part of the sound environment? As the UK’s wind energy sector continues to grow, assessing new developments alongside existing wind farms is becoming increasingly common. Whether considering neighbouring projects, extensions or repowering schemes, one challenge continues to arise: how do you obtain representative background sound levels when operational turbines are already part of the sound environment? It’s a question that has become increasingly important as the industry looks to maximise renewable energy generation while maintaining robust and proportionate noise assessments. The challenge of measuring background sound near operational wind farms Background sound levels play a fundamental role in wind farm noise assessments, forming the basis of operational noise limits. In an ideal scenario, baseline measurements would reflect the acoustic environment without any significant contribution from operational wind turbines. However, where a proposed development is located near an

As the energy transition accelerates, electricity networks are being asked to do more than ever before. They must accommodate growing volumes of renewable generation, support the electrification of heat and transport, remain resilient to increasingly extreme weather and maintain stability in a system with fewer traditional sources of inertia. At CIGRE 2026, TNEI presented six authored and co-authored papers and contributed to group discussions exploring these challenges from multiple perspectives, spanning transmission and distribution networks, system planning, network operation, climate resilience and future power system stability. Together, the papers provide a snapshot of some of the most important questions facing network owners, system operators, policymakers and more as they plan for the decades ahead: How do we understand the combined impact of multiple climate hazards? How can network operators best use future climate scenarios? How do we maintain stability in future low-inertia power systems? How will reactive power behaviour change

TNEI has been appointed by Northwest Electric Power Design Institute Co., Ltd. (NWEPDI) to provide grid code compliance services for the Notsi Solar PV Project, a landmark renewable energy development in South Africa. Located near Senekal in South Africa’s Free State Province, the Notsi Solar PV Project is expected to deliver 475 MWac of renewable generation capacity, making it the largest planned single-phase solar project in the country to date. The project is being developed by Anthem and constructed by the Northwest Electric Power Design Institute (NWEPDI), a subsidiary of the China Power Engineering Consulting Group. Once operational, the project will supply clean electricity to commercial and industrial customers through long-term wheeling agreements, with offtakers including Discovery Green and NOA Group. As part of its appointment, TNEI will be responsible for delivering a comprehensive programme of grid code compliance services, including: Compliance studies Power system modelling Grid code testing RMS