Smart Grids, the new power sector configuration
Introduction
A smart grid is an electrical grid which includes a variety of operational and energy measures
including smart meters, smart appliances, renewable energy resources, and energy efficient
resources Electronic power conditioning
and control of the production and distribution of electricity are important
aspects of the smart grid. It is digital technology that allows for two-way communication
between the utility and its customers, and the sensing along the transmission
lines is what makes the grid smart. Like the Internet, the Smart Grid will
consist of controls, computers, automation, and new technologies and equipment
working together, but in this case, these technologies will work with the
electrical grid to respond digitally to our quickly changing electric demand.
The basic concept of Smart Grid is to add monitoring, analysis,
control, and communication capabilities to the national electrical delivery
system to maximize the throughput of the system while reducing the energy
consumption. The Smart Grid will allow utilities to move electricity around the
system as efficiently and economically as possible. It will also allow the
homeowner and business to use electricity as economically as possible. You may
want to keep your house set at 75 degrees F in the summertime when prices are
low, but you may be willing to increase your thermostat to 78 degrees F if
prices are high. Similarly, you may want to dry your clothes for 5 cents per
kilowatt-hour at 9:00 pm instead of 15 cents per kilowatt-hour at 2:00 pm in
the afternoon. You will have the choice and flexibility to manage your
electrical use while minimizing your costs.
Smart Grid builds on many of the technologies already used by
electric utilities but adds communication and control capabilities that will
optimize the operation of the entire electrical grid. Smart Grid is also
positioned to take advantage of new technologies, such as plug-in hybrid
electric vehicles, various forms of distributed generation, solar energy, smart
metering, lighting management systems, distribution automation, and many more.
Traditionally,
energy systems from power generation to homes are one-directional and based on
more predictable, controllable and centralised power generation, Increasingly,
more energy is being generated locally and connected directly to distribution
networks, from solar panels on your roof, to small power plants. This is
generally referred to by DSOs as distributed energy resources (DER) and in the
specific case of renewables, distributed renewable energy sources (DRES).
The grid of yore is a one way transmission of energy; from
power plant to transmission lines, substations and transformers to your home
and to businesses. Plug in your smartphone and voilà you have electricity.
Through the 9,200 generating units and the 300,000 miles of transmission lines,
the current grid's generating capacity is 1 million megawatts. While
impressive, we have patched this antiquated system to the point where the
underlying structure is no longer viable enough to meet the needs of the 21st
century and beyond.
A smart grid not only carries electricity from a power
plant to the source of need, it also carries information to and from all points
of interaction. Using the binary blessing of digital technology, two–way
communication can be built into the grid to give utility companies moment to
moment knowledge of electrical demand and disruptions. Using automation and
computers as well as existing and emerging technologies and equipment, the
smart grid will also make smart utility companies, smart homes, and smart
businesses to augment the entire electrical exchange making efficiency the
premier benefit of the smart grid.
Need
Energy
systems are changing – fundamentally and fast. The importance of individual
energy sources and options for power generation are changing, as are the ways
in which electricity is transmitted and distributed. Power generation is
becoming more and more decentralized making grid management increasingly
complex. Electrical consumption continues to steadily rise all over the world.
Since the early 21st century, opportunities to take advantage of
improvements in electronic communication technology to resolve the limitations
and costs of the electrical grid have become apparent. Technological
limitations on metering no longer force peak power prices to be averaged out
and passed on to all consumers equally. In parallel, growing concerns over
environmental damage from fossil-fired power stations has led to a desire to
use large amounts of renewable energy. Dominant forms such as wind power and solar power are highly variable, and
so the need for more sophisticated control systems became apparent, to
facilitate the connection of sources to the otherwise highly controllable
grid Power from photovoltaic cells (and to a lesser extent wind turbines) has also, significantly,
called into question the imperative for large, centralized power stations. The
rapidly falling costs point to a major change from the centralized grid
topology to one that is highly distributed, with power being both
generated and consumed right at the limits of the grid.
Finally, growing concern over terrorist attack in some countries
has led to calls for a more robust energy grid that is less dependent on
centralized power stations that were perceived to be potential attack targets.
Meeting
these challenges requires cutting-edge products and services covering the
entire energy value chain. Specifically, it calls for a comprehensive portfolio
of physical and digital technologies, products and solutions that allow us to
actively build our energy future. Continuous
and expanded growth of the share of renewable in centralized and decentralized
grids require an effective new approach to grid management, making full use of
“smart grids” and “smart grid technologies”. According to a report of the
International Renewable Energy Agency (IREA), there is a growing evidence in
many countries that high levels of renewable energy penetration in the grid is
technically and economically feasible, particularly as solar and wind
technologies increasingly reach grid parity in economic terms.
Existing grid systems already incorporate elements of smart
functionality, but this is mostly used to balance supply and demand. Smart
grids incorporate information and communications technology in every aspect of
electricity generation, delivery and consumption in order to minimize environmental
impact, enhance markets, improve reliability and service and reduce costs and
improve efficiency.
These technologies can be implemented at every level, from
generation technologies to consumer appliances. As a result, smart grids can
play a crucial role in the transition to a sustainable energy future in several
ways: facilitating smooth integration of high shares of variable renewable;
supporting the decentralized production of power; creating new business models
through enhanced information flows, consumer engagement and improved system
control; and providing flexibility on the demand side.
Benefits
·
Efficient transmission of electricity
·
Peak demand will be leveled off, which
will help to reduce overall electrical rates
·
Integration of solar and wind power,
micro–grids and large–scale systems will be included
·
Interruptions in electrical service can
be recovered more quickly through rerouting
·
Increased security by improving native
energy sources and making the grid less prone to disasters or attacks
·
Produces opportunity for new markets,
products and services
·
The customer can manage
electrical usage to save money
·
Smart meters are becoming more common
and allow the customer to see how much
electricity is used and when and the cost of it simply by logging on to online
account
·
Monthly statements may simply be a way
of collecting money – customers online account
will be able to give real time information
about how and when the customer can change your power demands to reduce your
costs
·
This is especially beneficial if there is a solar or wind system installed in the home or business so the user can regulate and even out demand to get the
most from the renewable energy systems
·
Reduced operations and management
costs for utilities, and ultimately lower power costs for consumers
·
Increased integration of large-scale
renewable energy systems
·
Better integration of customer-owner
power generation systems, including renewable energy systems
·
Improved security
Smart grids comprise a broad mix of technologies for modernizing
electricity networks, extending from the end-user to the distribution and
transmission levels.
Improved monitoring, control and automation technologies can
help to enable new business models while unlocking system-wide benefits including
reduced outages, improved response times, deferral of investment in the grids
themselves and the integration of distributed energy resources.
At the end-user level, smart grids can
enable demand flexibility and consumer participation in energy systems,
including through demand response, electric vehicle charging and self-produced
distributed generation and storage.
Demand flexibility can increase the overall capacity of the
system to host variable renewable while accelerating the electrification of
heating, cooling and industry at lower costs. Deploying a physical layer of
smart grid infrastructure – underpinned by smart meters – can help to unlock
these benefits.
Smart meter deployment has seen great strides in recent years in
a few key regions at the distribution
level, “smartening” energy systems through information and
communication technology (ICT) allows for optimization of grid monitoring and
control. In particular, data and analytics allow for the real-time monitoring
of conditions, opening up possibilities for predicting failures and carrying
out remote maintenance.
Better and cheaper sensors are improving the visibility of grid
conditions, allowing the physical capacity of the network to be increased.
Overall, digital energy networks reduce the need to build new power lines or
invest in physical network assets.
At the transmission level, new high
voltage technologies allow for greater interconnection between networks and the
connection of remote energy resources. Digital smart control technologies allow
transmission networks to operate at higher capacities, closer to their physical
limits. They can also improve management of interconnections between regions
and countries.
The Smart Grid represents an unprecedented opportunity to move
the energy industry into a new era of reliability, availability, and efficiency
that will contribute to our economic and environmental health. During the
transition period, it will be critical to carry out testing, technology
improvements, consumer education, development of standards and regulations, and
information sharing between projects to ensure that the benefits we envision
from the Smart Grid become a reality.
Today, an electricity disruption such as a blackout can have a
domino effect—a series of failures that can affect banking, communications,
traffic, and security. This is a particular threat in the winter, when
homeowners can be left without heat. A smarter grid will add resiliency to our
electric power System and make it better prepared to address emergencies such
as severe storms, earthquakes, large solar flares, and terrorist attacks.
Because of its two-way interactive capacity, the Smart Grid will allow for
automatic rerouting when equipment fails or outages occur. This will minimize
outages and minimize the effects when they do happen. When a power outage
occurs, Smart Grid technologies will detect and isolate the outages, containing
them before they become large-scale blackouts. The new technologies will also
help ensure that electricity recovery resumes quickly and strategically after
an emergency—routing electricity to emergency services first, for example. In
addition, the Smart Grid will take greater advantage of customer-owned power
generators to produce power when it is not available from utilities. By
combining these "distributed generation" resources, a community could
keep its health center, police department, traffic lights, phone System, and
grocery store operating during emergencies. In addition, the Smart Grid is a
way to address an aging energy infrastructure that needs to be upgraded or
replaced. It’s a way to address energy efficiency, to bring increased awareness
to consumers about the connection between electricity use and the environment.
And it’s a way to bring increased national security to our energy
System—drawing on greater amounts of home-grown electricity that is more
resistant to natural disasters and attack.
Giving Consumers Control
The
Smart Grid is not just about utilities and technologies; it is about giving you
the information and tools you need to make choices about your energy use. If
you already manage activities such as personal banking from your home computer,
imagine managing your electricity in a similar way. A smarter grid will enable
an unprecedented level of consumer participation. For example, you will no
longer have to wait for your monthly statement to know how much electricity you
use. With a smarter grid, you can have a clear and timely picture of it.
"Smart meters," and other mechanisms, will allow you to see how much
electricity you use, when you use it, and its cost. Combined with real-time
pricing, this will allow you to save money by using less power when electricity
is most expensive. While the potential benefits of the Smart Grid are usually
discussed in terms of economics, national security, and renewable energy goals,
the Smart Grid has the potential to help you save money by helping you to
manage your electricity use and choose the best times to purchase electricity.
And you can save even more by generating your own power.
Description
Smart grid technologies are divided roughly into three groups:
1. Well-established: Some
smart grid components, notably distribution automation and demand response, are
well-established technologies that directly enable renewable and are usually
cost-effective, even without taking into consideration the undeniable benefits
of sustainability related to renewable energy integration.
2. Advanced: Smart inverters and renewable forecasting
technologies are already used to increase the efficiency and productivity of
renewable power generation, yet tend to entail additional costs. These devices
start to help noticeably when capacity penetration for renewable reaches 15
percent or more (on any section of the grid) and become essential as this
capacity penetration approaches 30 percent, although there is little downside
to choosing smart inverters even at low penetration levels.
3. Emerging: Distributed storage and micro-grids
are generally not “entry level” smart grid technologies and thus are less
well-developed. Most utilities focus on other technologies first, except in
special circumstances (such as with grant funding, high reliability
requirements, or remote locations).
This shows that a range of enhanced smart grid technologies is
already available to improve grid performance and enable higher penetration
levels of renewable energy. Furthermore, the use of smart grids is
cost-effective when installing new grids or upgrading old ones. Examples of
cost-effective smart grid technologies include “smart meters”, which can
measure and track the output of a rooftop photovoltaic (PV) system and send
that data back to the utility operating the grid, and “smart transformers” that
will automatically notify grid operators and technicians if the transformer’s
internal temperature exceeds normal limits.
Applications of smart grid technologies can be found across the
world, from isolated islands to very large integrated systems. For developed
countries, smart grid technologies can be used to upgrade, modernize or extend
old grid systems, while at the same time providing opportunities for new,
innovative solutions to be implemented. For developing and emerging countries,
smart grid technologies are essential to avoid lock-in of outdated energy
infrastructure, to attract new investment streams, and create efficient and
flexible grid systems that are able to accommodate rising electricity demand
and a range of different power sources.
With renewable power shares sure to continue increasing, smart
grid technologies in combination with appropriate supporting policies and
regulations will be essential to transform the electricity system and create
the grid infrastructure to support a sustainable energy future.
Demand response support
Demand
response support allows generators and loads to interact in an automated fashion
in real time, coordinating demand to flatten spikes. Eliminating the fraction
of demand that occurs in these spikes eliminates the cost of adding reserve
generators, cuts wear and tear and extends the life of
equipment, and allows users to cut their energy bills by telling low priority
devices to use energy only when it is cheapest.[19]
Currently, power grid systems have varying degrees
of communication within control systems for their high-value assets, such as in
generating plants, transmission lines, substations and major energy users. In
general information flows one way, from the users and the loads they control
back to the utilities. The utilities attempt to meet the demand and succeed or
fail to varying degrees (brownouts, rolling blackout, and uncontrolled
blackout). The total amount of power demand by the users can have a very wide probability distribution which
requires spare generating plants in standby mode to respond to the rapidly
changing power usage. This one-way flow of information is expensive; the last
10% of generating capacity may be required as little as 1% of the time, and
brownouts and outages can be costly to consumers.
Platform for advanced services
As with other industries, use of
robust two-way communications, advanced sensors, and distributed computing
technology will improve the efficiency, reliability and safety of power
delivery and use. It also opens up the potential for entirely new services or
improvements on existing ones, such as fire monitoring and alarms that can shut
off power, make phone calls to emergency services, etc.
Technology
The bulk of smart grid technologies are already
used in other applications such as manufacturing and telecommunications and are
being adapted for use in grid operations.
·
Integrated
communications: Areas for improvement include: substation automation, demand
response, distribution automation, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), energy
management systems, wireless mesh networks and other technologies, power-line
carrier communications, and fiber-optics. Integrated communications will
allow for real-time control, information and data exchange to optimize system
reliability, asset utilization, and security.
·
Sensing and
measurement: core duties are evaluating congestion and grid stability,
monitoring equipment health, energy theft prevention,and control strategies
support. Technologies include: advanced microprocessor meters (smart meter) and meter reading equipment, wide-area
monitoring systems, dynamic line rating (typically
based on online readings by Distributed temperature sensing combined with \ Real time thermal rating (RTTR) systems), electromagnetic signature measurement/analysis,
time-of-use and real-time pricing tools, advanced switches and cables,
backscatter radio technology, and Digital
protective relays.
·
Phasor
measurement units. Many in the
power systems engineering community believe that the Northeast
blackout of 2003 could have
been contained to a much smaller area if a wide area phasor measurement network
had been in place.
·
Distributed
power flow control: power flow control devices clamp onto existing transmission
lines to control the flow of power within. Transmission lines enabled with such
devices support greater use of renewable energy by providing more consistent,
real-time control over how that energy is routed within the grid. This
technology enables the grid to more effectively store intermittent energy from
renewables for later use.
·
Smart power
generation using advanced components: smart power generation is a concept of
matching electricity
generation with demand using
multiple identical generators which can start, stop and operate efficiently at
chosen load, independently of the others, making them
suitable for base load and peakingpower generation.Matching supply and
demand, called load balancing,is essential
for a stable and reliable supply of electricity. Short-term deviations in the
balance lead to frequency variations and a prolonged mismatch results in blackouts. Operators of power
transmission systems are charged
with the balancing task, matching the power output of all the generators to the load of their electrical grid. The load balancing task has become much
more challenging as increasingly intermittent and variable generators such as wind turbines and solar cells are added to the grid, forcing other producers
to adapt their output much more frequently than has been required in the past
·
Power system
automation enables rapid
diagnosis of and precise solutions to specific grid disruptions or outages.
These technologies rely on and contribute to each of the other four key areas.
Three technology categories for advanced control methods are: distributed
intelligent agents (control systems), analytical tools (software algorithms and
high-speed computers), and operational applications (SCADA, substation
automation, demand response, etc.).
The Future of the Smart Grid
Industry, corporate & government money,
and technology are pressing forward on building a Smart Grid. However, it isn't
just the U.S. that needs to build a Smart Grid; this is a worldwide necessity.
A report done by Memoori Business Intelligence Ltd, found that Smart Grid equipment alone will
require $2 trillion to "achieve full penetration of the world's existing
grid . . to 2030"
