The Russian Revolution After One Hundred Years

The Russian revolution was the defining episode of the twentieth century. It led to the transformation of Russia into one of the superpowers on the globe, but one that exhibited a development model that was both different from and a challenge to the predominant model in the West. The Soviet experiment offered a different model for organising society. This was at the basis of the way in which international politics in the whole post-second world war period was structured by the outcome of the Russian revolution. But in addition, that revolution helped to shape domestic politics in the West in very significant ways. All told, the revolution was of world historical and world shaping importance

Commercial integration of storage and responsive demand to facilitate wind energy on the Shetland Islands

The Northern Isles New Energy Solutions (NINES) project seeks to implement Active Network Management (ANM) on the Shetland Islands in a manner which reduces customers’ energy consumption, lowers peak demand and facilitates an increase in the proportion of electricity from wind, in order to take advantage of the unique wind resource of the islands. This presentation focuses on the commercial frameworks and trading arrangements necessary to permit additional wind capacity onto the islanded network through the active use of storage and responsive demand technologies. The network is modelled using a Dynamic Optimal Power Flow (DOPF) framework, which allows the unit scheduling of different combinations of generation, storage and demand to be optimised according to different optimisation goals. This is used as a foundation to explore the value of wind energy and storage in meeting the long-term goals of the network, the forms of trading and markets which may be used to contract services, and the potential for responsive demand to facilitate different forms of connection agreements and curtailment strategies for new wind farms. In modelling the Shetland network using Dynamic Optimal Power Flow (DOPF), the optimum unit commitment schedule is determined across a daily horizon for different network topologies, including variable levels of wind generation, storage and demand-side response - primarily storage heaters and water tanks controllable by the Distribution System Operator via Active Network Management. This informs the level of wind generation which may be accepted onto the network, and allows the creation and testing of commercial agreements both for wind generators keen to utilise the unique resource of the islands, as well as allowing third-party operation of storage, and reducing the peak energy demand of domestic consumers. This allows a greater level of demand to be supplied by non-thermal sources through the time-shifting of demand against the availability of the wind resource. Support of the grid through reserve and response is considered in the context of maintaining system stability, with the aim of procuring services through third-party contractual arrangements. Data collected from the operational history of the islands and technology trials demonstrate the feasibility of these approaches and their potential applicability to other constrained distribution networks with the potential for high levels of wind generation. The data from trials of domestic storage equipment and modelling of wind curtailment demonstrate quantitatively the ways in which commercial integration of modern storage and responsive demand can be used to increase the utilisation of wind energy on islanded networks, which may often have increased renewable resources but limited grid capacity. It is shown that there are a number of trading and connection agreements which can be used to contract for generation and ancillary services to meet these goals

A review of probabilistic methods for defining reserve requirements

In this paper we examine potential improvements in how load and generation forecast uncertainty is captured when setting reserve levels in power systems with significant renewable generation penetration and discuss the merit of proposed new methods in this area. One important difference between methods is whether reserves are defined based on the marginal distribution of forecast errors, as calculated from historic data, or whether the conditional distribution, specific to the time at which reserves are being scheduled, is used. This paper is a review of published current practice in markets which are at the leading edge of this problem, summarizing their experiences, and aligning it with academic modeling work. We conclude that the ultimate goal for all markets expected to manage high levels of renewable generation should be a reserve setting mechanism which utilizes the best understanding of meteorological uncertainties combined with traditional models of uncertainty arising from forced outages

The ‘Engineering First Year’: Step Up To Success

The nuanced nature of engineering as a profession is highlighted in a recent statement by the EPC (2023) in response to the UCAS publication ‘The Future of Undergraduate Admissions’ (2023). Focusing on the value of Personal Statements within the University Selection System, the EPC asks UCAS to provide more practical information to prospective students about the nature of engineering and what prerequisite qualifications are needed to study engineering. Such clarity is particularly important when considering Engineering Degree Apprentices. Starting with the research question “How can the gap between school and university be bridged in engineering education?” the paper critically discusses a project currently being undertaken by a multi-disciplinary team of colleagues working together to enhance the student experience. Located in one the UK’s largest Engineering Education Departments, the “Step Up” Project analyses the barriers and drivers to engineering education faced by first-year Degree Apprenticeship students from three distinctive engineering and computing science disciplines. This paper represents a small part of a much larger project where the student experience is being prioritised and high-quality learning and teaching is expected. The paper is built upon the emergent findings of a three focus groups with engineering degree apprentices. Whilst the findings are relevant to all years of study, the recommendations and conclusion highlight the importance of ‘getting the first year right’ and empowering students to ‘step up to success’ in university and in work. This evidences a demand for clearer explanations of the knowledge and skills expected of incoming students

Electricity security in the European Union - the conflict between national Capacity Mechanisms and the Single Market

The European Single Market for Electricity aims to promote trade and competition in electricity generation across the EU, with investment signals for new generation capacity and interconnection coming from zonal electricity prices reflecting scarcity value. However, a growing number of EU Member States have implemented – or are in the process of developing – national Capacity Mechanisms in order to ensure future security of supply within their own borders, which may distort the cross-border trade of energy across interconnectors and reduce total welfare. This local view of energy security is in response to internal technical and economic constraints and a perceived inability of cross-border electricity flows to be a reliable source of capacity at times of maximum stress, in favour of self-sufficient approaches. A number of routes are available to resolve this conflict through a mechanism to permit cross-border participation of generators in local Capacity Mechanisms, but this requires resolution of a number of complicating factors, not least a means for properly allocating transmission capacity without introducing further distortions to the energy market. Alternative solutions could be enacted at an EU-level, such as through the alignment of Capacity Mechanisms to a common model, or the introduction of an EU-wide single Capacity Mechanism, but the current regulatory focus appears to remain on resolution of such issues at a national level

Relationship of social factors including trust, control over life decisions, problems with transport and safety, to psychological distress in the community

PURPOSE: Psychological distress encompasses anxiety and depression with the previous studies showing that psychological distress is unequally distributed across population groups. This paper explores the mechanisms and processes which may affect the distribution of psychological distress, including a range of individual and community level socioeconomic determinants. METHODS: Representative cross-sectional data was collected for respondents aged 16+ from July 2008 to June 2009, as a part of the South Australian Monitoring and Surveillance System (SAMSS) using Computer Assisted Telephone Interviews (CATI). Univariate and multivariate analyses (n = 5,763) were conducted to investigate the variables that were associated with psychological distress. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of psychological distress was 8.9%. In the multivariate model, females, those aged 16–49, respondents single with children, unable to work or unemployed, with a poorer family financial situation, earning $20,000 or less, feeling safe in their home some or none of the time, feeling as though they have less then total control over life decisions and sometimes experiencing problems with transport, were significantly more likely to experience psychological distress. CONCLUSIONS: This paper has demonstrated the relationship between low-income, financial pressure, less than optimal safety and control, and high-psychological distress. It is important that the groups highlighted as vulnerable be targeted in policy, planning, and health promotion and prevention campaigns