This document provides an introduction to smart grids, including:
1. The need for smart grids to meet customer and utility needs like lower bills, reliability, and reduced costs.
2. The definition of a smart grid as the integration of communication, computation, control and sensors into the traditional power grid to enable bidirectional energy flows and real-time monitoring.
3. The key characteristics of a smart grid including customer participation, power system efficiency, reliability, sustainability and more.
2. Contents
• Need for Smart Grids
• What is Smart Grid
• Traditional vs. Smart Grid
• Smart Grid Characteristics
• What can be Made Smart
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3. Need for Smart Grids
• Customer’s Wish List
• Lower Utility Bills
• Uninterrupted Power Supply (Reliability)
• Green Environment
• Disaster Free Energy
• Better Power Quality
• Customer Confidentiality (Privacy)
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4. Need for Smart Grids Cont.
• Utility’s Wish List
• More Revenue
• Reduced Capital Cost
• Reduced Operational Cost
• Energy Could be Stored
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6. What is a Smart Grid
• Depends on how we look at it
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7. What is Smart Grid Cont.
• Traditional Power Delivery System
• Almost NO Communication ability
• Almost NO Computational Ability
• Almost NO Smart electronic control
• Little use of sensors
• If these elements are added, the system can become smart
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8. What is Smart Grid Cont.
• Smart Grid is the integration of Communications, Computational
ability, Control, and Sensors in Traditional Power Grids
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9. What is Smart Grid Cont.
• Smart grids can link electricity system and stakeholder objectives
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10. What is Smart Grid Cont.
A modernized grid that enables bidirectional flows of energy and uses
two-way communication and control capabilities that will lead to an
array of new functionalities and applications. (NIST, USA)
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11. What is Smart Grid Cont.
Smart grid is a large ‘System of Systems’, where each functional domain
consists of three layers: (i) the power and energy layer, (ii) the
communication layer, and (iii) the IT/computer layer. (IEEE)
• Layers (ii) and (iii) above are the enabling infrastructure that makes the
existing power and energy infrastructure ‘smarter’.
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19. Smart Grid Characteristics
• Smart Grid is characterized by following goal and functionalities: (but
not limited to)
• Customer Participation
• Real Time Monitoring of consumption
• Control of smart appliances
• Building Automation
• Real Time Pricing
• Distributed Generation
• Use of renewable energy
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20. Smart Grid Characteristics Cont.
• Power System Efficiency
• Power Monitoring
• Asset Management and optimal utilizations
• Distribution Automation and Protection
• Power Quality
• Self Healing
• Load Forecasting
• Anticipation of Disturbances
• New products in terms of Value Added Services (VAS) (competition)
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21. Smart Grid Characteristics Cont.
• Dependability
• A smart grid has multiple routes and is similar to a network of connections.
• Fault detection and self- healing are the two very important features of smart
grid.
• The supply as a result is un-interrupted and smooth.
• Bi-directional energy flow
• Previously used grids only allowed unidirectional flow of energy but smart
grid offers bi-directional.
• This has been possible due to the advanced transmission methods and the
automated distribution structure.
• Helps in reducing cost and overhead on the suppliers.
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22. Smart Grid Characteristics Cont.
• Efficient
• The technology used in smart grids has helped improving the infrastructure of
energy transmission and distribution.
• The demand-side management property of the tech is a popular one.
• In this way decreased load falls on the transmission and distribution channels. What
happens in case of load adjustment is that when the load on the distribution lines
increases smart grid sends a warning to those channels utilizing the maximum energy.
This is a sign for them to switch to backup generators. This reduces the load on the lines.
• To reduce the consumption of energy during peak time something known as
peak leveling is employed.
• The price of the energy is increased during the peak hours of energy usage and
decreased during less usage hours. The customers are informed of the prices. The
customers then use less energy during peak hours so the load is automatically reduced
on the lines.
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23. Smart Grid Characteristics Cont.
• Sustainable
• Smart grids are more sustainable than the old grids because of its improved
flexibility. (new sources can be added at different points)
• Other renewable energy resources like solar power and wind power can also
be used because of this fact.
• Customer friendly
• Smart grid technology helps keep both the suppliers and the customers
happy.
• Increasing the energy price strategy works for the suppliers as the load
remains less during peak hours. The same goes for the customers who have
then to pay less for less consumption during those hours.
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27. Generation
• Co-existence of various types of renewable and non-renewable
generating technologies, such as coal, hydro, nuclear, solar, biomass,
geothermal, etc.
• System operator has to coordinate the operation of the generation
plants, and ensure the stable and secure operation of the system.
• Communication infrastructure needs to be in place between the
generating facilities and the system operator, electricity market, and
the transmission system.
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28. Make Transmission Smarter
• Machine to Machine Communication
• The idea of M2M communications is to enable M2M components
interconnected, networked, and controllable remotely, with low-cost,
scalable, and reliable technologies
• Enable self healing in transmission system
• Helps control the losses
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30. Make Transmission Smarter
• Promote Distributed Power Generation
• Take power generation close to load centers
• Distributed generation (DG) refers to power generation at the point of
consumption.
• Eliminates the cost, complexity, interdependencies, and inefficiencies
associated with transmission and distribution.
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31. Transmission
• Energy-efficient transmission network will carry the power from the bulk
generation facilities to the power distribution systems.
• Communication interface exists between the transmission network and the
bulk-generating stations, system operator, power market, and the
distribution system.
• The transmission network needs to be monitored in real-time, and
protected against any potential disturbance.
• The power flow and voltage on the lines need to be controlled in order to
maintain stable and secure operation of the system.
• An important task of the system operator is to ensure optimal utilization of
the transmission network, by minimizing the losses and voltage deviations,
and maximizing the reliability of the supply.
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32. Make Distribution Smart
• Use smart meters
• Allow two way communication
• Real time communication b/w Utility / meter Will make User aware of Peak
off Peak times Remotely switching of HP loads
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34. Distribution
• Substation automation and distribution automation will be the key
enablers for the smart distribution systems.
• Increasing use of distributed energy resources (DERs) will be an important
feature of future distribution systems.
• Distribution system operator typically controls the distribution system
remotely. Communication infrastructure to exchange information between
the substations and a central distribution management system (DMS)
therefore should be in place.
• Information exchange between the distribution system operator and the
customers for better operation of the distribution system is a new feature
of the smart distribution systems.
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35. Make Consumption Smart
• User of Sensors
• Use of efficient appliances
• Use of renewable energy resources
• Use of smart meters (HEM)
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36. Customers
• Customers can be classified into three main categories: residential,
commercial, and industrial.
• In smart grids, customers are going to play a very important role through
demand response. By peak-load shaving, and emergency response,
customers are going to play an active role in better operation of the
distribution system
• Building or home automation system will monitor and control the power
consumption at the consumer premises in an intelligent way.
• Proper communication infrastructure will be required for the consumers to
interact with the operators, distribution systems, and the market.
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Editor's Notes
Power: Generating station capacity to produce electricity at a given moment. Measured in Watts
Energy: Energy is the quantity of electricity produced by a generating station or consumed by a customer in one hour. Measure in WattHours (Wh)
Islanding is the condition in which a distributed generator (DG) continues to power a location even though electrical grid power is no longer present. A common example of islanding is a distribution feeder that has solar panels attached to it.