Smart Transmission
Smart Transmission
Smart Transmission
Attempts are being made to overcome these challenges, and the future
of DC microgrid signals a paradigm shift in the centralized generation,
transmission, and distribution of electricity to decentralized, local power
generation in DC and consumption.
7.7 Smart transmission
Smart transmission involves the installation of phasor measurements
units and developing wide area measurement systems and related appli-
cations, a complete description of which has already been provided in
Sections 5.11 and 5.12. Integration of large renewables like wind and solar
power also will have to be coordinated by the transmission control centers.
7.8.1 Lessons on technology
The challenge here is to separate hype created from the reality. The utility
expectations are that the smart grid solutions are ready for implementa-
tion as a product, whereas the reality is that the technology is not that
mature, and in many cases, the components were field re-engineered or
upgraded to meet the objectives and expectations.
Integration and interoperability have been major technology issues,
as smart grid deployment involves integrating products from multiple
vendors. The lesson learned is to adopt and insist on standards and open
architecture methodology to enable plug-and-play solutions.
Extensive laboratory testing for smart grid solutions is mandatory
prior to implementation to understand the capabilities of the products and
services offered, as redoing on site will be expensive and time consuming.
Although individual components of the smart grid are thoroughly tested
Chapter seven: Smart grid concepts 291
(IEC 61968/61970) into their system and software application, the software
application will successfully integrate with the system.
To take another example, suppose a utility is implementing volt-var
control on its distribution feeders, where the logic resides in the substa-
tion. The substation controller communicates with the feeder-based intel-
ligent capacitor bank controller using the DNP3 communications protocol
(IEEE 1815). But the substation controller is from supplier X and the intel-
ligent capacitor bank controller is from supplier Y. Though they both use
the DNP3 communications protocol, they cannot talk with each other
because of incompatibilities in the implementation of the protocol by both
suppliers, which would have been identified and resolved if interoper-
ability testing had been done. In this case, field re-engineering is needed
to correct the incompatibilities.
Niche suppliers, though they provide valuable components and tech-
nologies, may have small engineering staffs that do not have the resources
or familiarity to fully adopt and employ industry-wide standards, result-
ing in a lack of system interoperability.
Building long- term alliances with larger suppliers that have the
resources to fully embrace industry-wide standards, while maintaining
a holistic view of the overall solution, can help minimize interoperability
issues. Larger suppliers also generally have engineering resources to pro-
vide field support, obviating the need to engage third-party field support;
retaining third parties may open a can of worms in that they may not
be familiar with the components or solutions that need re-engineering or
upgrading. Rework, after all, is expensive and time consuming.
Packaged solutions from a defined group of strategically aligned
suppliers will help improve coordination and interoperability of smart
grid systems. These suppliers can work together to enhance equipment
interoperability requirements, collaborate to resolve system problems,
and develop documentation to improve personnel training.
7.10 Summary
This chapter is an attempt to introduce smart grid concepts starting with
the definition of a smart grid and moving on to a comparison of the old
and the new electricity grids. A detailed discussion of the stakeholders in
the smart grid development follows. The smart grid solutions are detailed
thereafter where the discussion is about asset, demand, distribution, trans-
mission, workforce and engineering optimizations, and smart meter and
communications. Smart distribution components are discussed in detail,
i.e., DER and energy storage, AMI, smart homes, PHEVs, and microgrids.
Lessons learned in implementing a smart grid give a suitable conclusion
to the chapter.
References
1. George W. Arnold, “Challenges and opportunities in smart grid: a position
article,” Proceedings of the IEEE, vol. 99, no. 6, June 2011, pp. 922–927.
2. Roger N. Anderson, Albert Boulanger, Warren B. Powell, and Warren Scott
“Adaptive stochastic control for the smart grid,” Proceedings of the IEEE,
vol. 99, no. 6, June 2011.