63rdAMEUConvention2012

Demystifying the by Stuart Michie, ABB

The principles of the technology of today’s power grids have not changed significantly in the past 100 years. is a product that has to be generated at the time of need. The level of power generation is set to match the instantaneous demand. With the constraints in power resources, this has to change, hence the development of the smart grid.

This paper investigates some of the concepts picture of the status of the system is needed. As an example, a sophisticated outage around the idea of the smart grid, with the Better utilisation needs to be made of management system can exchange purpose of showing that implementing a existing assets. More intelligent investment information with a SCADA system, a smart grid is not the application of a single decisions need to be made. Knowing the geographical information system, a metering technology, but the collective result of a real time status of the elements of the power system, a customer management system, a system design with the application of many grid are key to achieving this. Integrating crew management system and a call centre technologies and products. It is important that the realms of operational technology and to provide a dynamic, real time fault and a utility takes a holistic view of individual smart information technology is essential to realise planned outage management for a utility. grid related projects in order to get the many the vision of the smart grid. The key concept is Systems thinking components to work together and achieve integration. better utilisation on capital spent. When planning an investment in a technology, Technology it is advisable to take a “systems view” Vision of the smart grid Operational technology approach. For example, installing an Around the world, and in South Africa, it has automatic meter reading system (AMR) to Operational technologies are the systems and become evident that utilities need to do more manage payment and customer connections devices that allow the physical monitoring with less. Constrained power availability, provides useful functionality. Broadening the of a power system, such as basic SCADA, scope to an advanced metering infrastructure rising demand, environmental pressures, RTUs, protection relays, meters and (AMI) with two way communications provides cost pressures, skill shortages and limited communications. Operational technologies more possibilities for smart grid integration resources have all led to increasing pressure provide the measurements, indications and and associated benefits. on the power grid. control interfaces to physical plant in the Making the meter information available from The digital age has placed increased demands power system. The more detailed information the AMI system to provide customer outage on the quality of supply, while new alternative provided, the better a power system can be information to an outage management system sources of generation have made the modelled and controlled. increases the value of the investment. reliability of supply more unpredictable. The Information technology configuration of the power grid is changing This requires the correct specification up front to realise these synergies (e.g. meters report from having centralised generation (Fig. 1) Information technologies are the enterprise outages within a short time period rather with one-way power flow to end-consumers software systems that enable the management than only reporting metering data once a to having distributed power generation and and operation of a power system. Examples day). Using the same system to feedback consumption (Fig. 2). No longer can the of information technology systems are outage information to consumers adds another assumption be made by a consumer that the management, distribution management, asset benefit, while using the same infrastructure. power grid is an infinite source of energy that management and advanced SCADA (Fig. 3). can be tapped at will. Four key areas Integration of the operational technology To successfully operate a power system world and the Information Technology world There are four key areas that must be under these conditions a clear real time brings significant benefits to a utility. considered to implement the smart grid

Fig. 1: Traditional power grid. Fig. 2: Power grid of the future.

63rd AMEU Convention 2012 45 63rdAMEUConvention2012

information technology world to analyse the history. From an outage management system, fault causes, durations and other statistics for performance measurement can be derived automatically. This provides better information that automatically leads to improved reporting quality to the regulator and the ability to manage future events better. From an asset management system, non-operational data can be used to track the health of assets for condition based maintenance. This leads to better performance of assets and reduced maintenance costs. Scarce skills can be utilised more effectively.

Integrating new technology Integration of new technology is the final key area of the smart grid. While these might not be prevalent in South Africa yet, they will Fig. 3: Integration of operational and information technology. come as demand from customers grows. When they arrive, electric vehicles will place significant new demands on power distribution Communications far better to be able to inform a customer infrastructure. This needs to be managed that calls in to report a fault that the fault is Communications is key for enabling the in real time, such as with real time pricing known and when the estimated restoration smart grid. Without a reliable, all-reaching of electricity to manage the demand for time will be. communication network, it will not be charging. Electric vehicles can also be used as a source of storage for utilities, where power possible to realise the full benefits of the Distribution automation smart grid. Our daily lives are being improved can be bought back from customers to assist The second key to the smart grid is distribution by the continuous improvement in mobile with meeting demand at peak times. automation. Monitoring and automation of communication technologies, which are Interconnection of renewables, such as high and medium voltage plant allows better enabling whole new applications such as management and control of the power system wind and solar, will bring a new dynamic live traffic enabled GPS and personal instant plant, thereby leading to better reliability and to the power system. These are variable messaging. The same is needed to enable better efficiency. Outages are detected quickly sources of power that are not predictable. the smart grid, with the ideal being to have and can be dealt in a shorter time, thereby Consumers will also become producers with two-way communication enabled right to the reducing customer minutes lost. the management of end devices in each consumer’s installation. requiring incorporation into power system. Traditionally SCADA monitoring has been There is no one size fits all communications Local area power storage is another new applied at the HV to MV substation level. technology being explored. Power is stored solution. Different technologies are applied Today equipment is readily available to in a medium voltage network using a storage to the core network, the distribution area extend monitoring down to the secondary facility such as a battery bank. This is used to network, the neighbourhood area network distribution level, greatly extending the reach bridge short term variations between demand (NAN) and the home area network (HAN) of monitoring to make distribution automation and supply and helps reduce the effect of (Fig. 5). possible. intermittent renewables. New technologies are being developed and The provision of fault current measurements existing technologies are being improved and earth fault indicator operation leads to Advanced meter infrastructure in ways that allow the implementation of the possibility to have a self-healing grid. While the main purpose of an automatic communications for the smart grid. For the Dynamic algorithms in the SCADA system meter reading system is the management of backbone there are the existing multiplexer can sense when a fault has happened and, billing and payment for electricity, there are type network technologies (SDH, PDH) using based on real time loading and back feeding many other benefits that can be derived from fibre optic and microwave . For the NAN capabilities, devise and, optionally, execute a installing an advanced metering infrastructure there are wireless mesh technologies that switching plan to restore supply to as many (AMI). Using two-way communications create a self-configuring and healing network. customers as possible. systems, these systems can be used to provide For the last mile there is power line carrier Loss reduction through Volt-var control is useful information for other systems that make (PLC) and for the HAN, short range radio another benefit of distribution automation. up the smart grid. Real time information can technologies such as Zigbee and Best suited to rural networks, algorithms on be used by an outage management system At the medium voltage level, a good a SCADA system can be used to manage to provide indication of power outages and communications network supports the capacitor switching on medium or high restoration. Before a customer is even aware implementation of distribution automation. voltage networks to control the var flow, of a fault, it can be identified and even Two way communications with end customers which in turn manages the voltage profile repaired, with a corresponding improvement gives better control of power system and the losses. in the regulator measured indices. Power demand and the ability to match demand to quality information can be provided by an Grid analysis available generation. Good communications AMI system. This information can be used to infrastructure also enables real time customer Improving the operations of power networks identify problem areas and initiate corrective engagement for outage management. It is can be achieved using several tools in the action.

46 63rd AMEU Convention 2012 63rdAMEUConvention2012

Demand response control is another possible Asset management helps a utility to maximise AMI systems enable customers to manage benefit of AMI. With the scarcity of generation the use of its assets. One of the benefits is that their loads more effectively, with better resources and the growth of intermittent maintenance is done when required, making understanding of the various loads that they renewable sources, no longer is the power best use of scarce maintenance resources, have. system a seemingly infinite source of energy. while at the same time extending the life of Outage management enables a vast Therefore demand has to be dynamically an ageing power system. improvement in the utility response to customer tailored to meet supply constraints. An AMI calls, allowing call centres to provide useful system can be used to control consumer Efficiency information to callers. Customer involvement loads, either by involuntary disconnection The smart grid leads to better efficiencies, both in the power system operation removes the or by indication to the consumer to initiate on the power system and the use of resources. mystery of power. It is much easier to keep a voluntary disconnection of loads. With ageing workforces and reduction of customer happy that is informed. Benefits of the smart grid skills, it is required that the skills that are available to a utility are used more efficiently. Barriers What are the benefits of the smart grid? Why Better management of faults on the grid and should a power utility implement the previously Deploying the technology needed for a smart intelligent asset maintenance helps to achieve mentioned technologies? grid is not a simple exercise. There are several these efficiencies. barriers to its implementation. Capacity requirements Dynamic power system optimisation reduces Policy and regulation Demand for power continues to grow. New losses, gives better utilisation of equipment. The smart grid is a tool that can be used loads such as data centres and the continuing Improved customer awareness increases to implement government policies around electrification programme are adding more efficiency as customers make better use of energy usage. Timeous implementation of load to the power system. Electrification has the power available to them. policies that deal with energy efficiency and the worst demand profile as it contributes to Sustainability usage are crucial to the implementation of the evening peak. Demand management can the smart grid. In South Africa, energy saving be used to manage this peak and reduce the For the power grid to be sustained in the is something that is high on government’s requirement for new generation, saving on future, the new technologies for generation agenda. This supports smart grid investment capital spending investment. will have to be successfully integrated. decisions that will improve the efficiency of Interconnection of renewables into the grid Reliability energy usage and reduce overall demand. while reducing CO2 emissions, is crucial to Distribution automation and the self-healing sustainability of the power grid in the future. Market uncertainty network make the power network more reliable. Outage management systems lead The smart grid will assist in meeting the A second barrier to the implementation of to a reduction of customer outage minutes challenges of the integration of renewables. the smart grid is the financial disincentive to power utilities. Smart grid technology can be due to automated fault location and fault Customer enablement process management. This not only helps a expensive and, at the same, reduces a utility’s utility meet the regulatory requirements, but Improvement in customer education and revenue stream due to the reduction in use also gives consumers a more reliable supply awareness through dynamic feedback of of energy. The world economic crisis has also and a better experience. information is a large benefit of the smart grid. limited the amount of money available for

Fig. 4: Integration of utility systems.

48 63rd AMEU Convention 2012 63rdAMEUConvention2012

being available to match the new technology developed. It is in power utilities’ best interests to demand standardisation. This is so that utilities are not locked into single vendor solutions, but are able to mix and match equipment to provide a suitable overall system solution. Standards bodies such as the IEC and IEEE are in the process of developing standards for the smart grid (see www.iec.ch/smartgrid). In the SCADA and substation automation worlds, IEC standards have long been in place and utilities are reaping the benefits of standardised solutions.

Conclusion Implementing a smart grid is not a one time project but rather a transformation process. It is a journey that will be undertaken by any utility that will take time. Many of the Fig. 5: The evolving grid – new intelligence. components are available and in use today. There are many areas to consider. Utilities must take into account their business needs and determine what overall outcome is required smart grid projects, thereby adding a barrier appropriate security built into the system from before selecting the right combination of to implementation. the outset, rather than being bolted on later. technology to provide the correct solution. Technology barriers Lack of consumer involvement Making the grid smarter will require While there is smart grid technology that has Customer involvement is vital to the goal of coordination across the different disciplines been in the market for many years, such as managing power demand. Education, real within a utility to see the benefits of a truly SCADA and substation automation, there is time information with regard to pricing and integrated set of systems significant development effort that is on-going live feedback of power system status are tools References to bring new technology to market and to that are provided by the smart grid to get customers involved in managing the process [1] IEC Smart Grid, www.iec.ch/smartgrid. better integrate existing technologies. New Accessed 16 August 2012. of using energy more efficiently. technology requires implementation and [2] The Smart Grid in Europe, 2012-2016, GTM testing to become proven technology. Smart Until customers can see this kind of Research, August 2011. grid systems can be complicated and not all information, the assumption remains that, [3] Smart Grid Overview, ABB, 2012. solutions have been fully developed, so it is because the lights are on, there is no problem. [4] Smart Grid Update, Gary Rackliffe, VP for Smart in a utility’s best interest to select a proven This is a barrier to achieving the goals of Grids at ABB, http://smartgridupdate.blogspot. com. Accessed 13 August 2012. technology partner that has the track record efficient energy usage and matching demand [5] Understanding the impact of Smart Grid and experience to make systems work. to supply. programs and the role of IT/OT convergence, Ventyx, 2012. Security Standardisation [6] Communications for the Smart Grid, Tropos, As systems within a power utility begin to As with all new technologies, when new 2012. communicate, the issue of security is raised. products are developed they start off being Contact S Michie, ABB, Tel 010 202-5947, Smart grid solutions should be designed with proprietary. This is due to standards often not [email protected]

63rd AMEU Convention 2012 49