The document outlines the challenges and advancements in the power industry, particularly focusing on the implementation of a smarter grid to enhance distributed energy resource (DER) management and regulatory reforms. It highlights innovative strategies, such as active network management, to increase hosting capacity and improve system reliability, while addressing problems such as data visibility and integration. The presentation emphasizes the need for targeted investments and advanced grid management solutions to facilitate the transition to a more efficient and flexible energy system.

1. The System-Level Data and
Technology Requirements
of REV
Bob Currie, PhD
Jeremiah Miller, PE
IEEE PES Schenectady Colloquium,
September 2015
@curriebob rcurrie@smartergridsolutions.com
@SmrtrGridSols jmiller@smartergridsolutions.com

2. Contents
• Smarter Grid Solutions
• Global developments in power industry regulation
• Introduction to REV
• Some fundamental challenges around data and systems
• How might distribution management evolve?
• What might we see in the short to near-term?
• Conclusions

3. Smarter Grid Solutions
• The leading provider of Active Network Management products and services
• Autonomous Distributed Energy Resource control for increased hosting capacity
– DER Coordination: DG, batteries, EVs, thermal storage, demand response
– Congestion, voltage, microgrid management
– Increased visibility and situational awareness for distribution utilities
– Defer/postpone grid upgrades in the $millions
• Managing DER access in real-time based on actual loading and voltage headroom
– For example, curtailment of DG can increase economically viable hosting capacity by up to 100%
– Also scheduling day-ahead based on forecast weather and DER data
– Maintain reliability and not burden control room with day-to-day DER management
• Participate in various Regulatory working groups and standards bodies

4. You do what? Here is an example from Scotland..

5. Our story
European activities:
• Increase distribution grid hosting capacity
with 4 of the 6 distribution utilities in the UK
• Participating in Regulatory change and UK
Govt/Regulator Chaired working groups
and forums
• Web Portals for online capacity
assessment of new wind and solar
interconnections
• Established in 2008
• Spun-out of the University of
Strathclyde
• 60 employees
• Launched US business in 2014
North American activities:
– Con Edison and Southern Company - Microgrids and Distributed
Energy Resource integration
– PowerStream (Ontario) - non-wires alternatives
– NREL Demonstration Project
– REV Demo Project with Iberdrola in New York
– Participating in working groups: REV in New York, IEEE 1547
and IEEE 2030.7

6. Examples of global developments in power industry regulation
United Kingdom
Revenue = Innovation + Incentives +
Outputs
New York
Reforming the Energy Vision
California
DRPs and Rule 21
Ontario
Output Measures
Some common themes: DER Growth
Business Model
Innovation
Technology/ Innovation
Adoption Barriers
Skills and
Resources

7. What is the Smart Grid?
DOE lists five fundamental technologies that will drive the Smart Grid:
• Integrated communications, connecting components to open architecture for real-time
information and control, allowing every part of the grid to both ‘talk’ and ‘listen’
• Sensing and measurement technologies, to support faster and more accurate response
such as remote monitoring, time-of-use pricing and demand-side management
• Advanced components, to apply the latest research in superconductivity, storage, power
electronics and diagnostics
• Advanced control methods, to monitor essential components, enabling rapid diagnosis and
precise solutions appropriate to any event
• Improved interfaces and decision support, to amplify human decision-making,
transforming grid operators and managers quite literally into visionaries when it come to
seeing into their systems DOE: Smart Grid: An Introduction
http://energy.gov/oe/downloads/sma
rt-grid-introduction-0

8. Smart Grid Architecture Model
• Focus today is on how we
think about today’s grid and
where system level data and
technology can or cannot be
easily leveraged in the near
term to meet REV goals

9. Smart Grid Information Networks
NIST Framework and Roadmap for Smart Grid Interoperability Standards
http://www.nist.gov/smartgrid/upload/NIST-SP-1108r3.pdf

10. Power systems challenges?
• This is a simple
example, but it
illustrates the kind of
planning problem
faced due to load
growth
• Other challenges
include DG
connections,
planning limits (FERC
and SIR)

11. Introduction to REV (Reforming the Energy Vision)
• “The REV initiative will lead to regulatory
changes that promote more efficient use
of energy, deeper penetration of
renewable energy resources such as
wind and solar, wider deployment of
“distributed” energy resources, such as
micro grids, on-site power supplies, and
storage”, Source: DPS, 2015
• Track One
– Distribution System Platform
• Track Two
– Regulatory and Ratemaking Reforms
• REV Demo Projects
– Delivering results in 2016 https://www.ny.gov/programs/reforming-energy-vision

12. REV Challenges – Data and Systems
Moving to a more distributed system with higher distributed
energy resource (DER) levels will not happen overnight:
• Where are utilities starting from?
• What does location and timing mean for data and systems?
• What will generate and consume data? Source of truth?
• What products and services will there be and how are these
dependent on data? Lead-times on investments?
• Issues associated with visibility of distribution assets, ICT
investment, clustering of technologies, etc

13. REV Challenges – Data and Systems
REV implies the following:
• High degree of visibility of the distribution system
• High fidelity models of grid components, resources and customers
• Flexible and secure systems
• Broader interaction and engagement between incumbent utilities and
customers and DER developers
• Multiple new markets (at the distribution level) and revenue streams
• A more transactive grid – where DER realizes its value to the system
based on location and timing

14. REV Challenges – Data and Systems
• Where are we starting from?
– In some cases only 50% of the distribution system is monitored
– We need gradual investment in monitoring and communications
• Distribution is not transmission
– What about bad data detection? Topology processing? Observability analysis? The state estimation
problem at distribution is under-determined – pseudo data required
– The above has implications for the techniques used to create visibility and perform pricing calculations
– We need better models? But we also need to cope with a lot of changes…
– Other power systems issues: e.g. imbalance, protection systems and losses
• Building out the control systems and enterprise systems
– Centralized and decentralized approaches
– Where to start?
– Standards, cyber security
Many of the solutions to these challenges are in their infancy and being developed
and tested in R&D activities – this impacts the speed of REV progress

15. Creating observable distribution systems
Source: Davidson et al, CIRED 2013Source: Kong et al, CIRED 2011

16. Can we optimize? With respect to what?
• When we have a static case and a
suitable data set, a range of
optimization techniques can be
used
• However, for distribution systems
this is yet to be proven as practical
• Using these techniques for online
(and hence fast or automated)
control decision making is a BIG
challenge
Stott & Alsac, White Paper – Optimal Power Flow – Basic Requirements for Real-Life
Problems and their Solutions

17. Grid Hosting Capacity for Clean Energy/DER – Going from Passive to
Active
Rylander et al, EPRI, CIRED Conference 2015
• More “passive” approach
• “Static” capacity limits can provide near-
term benefits
• BUT, means DG not integrated into the
operation of the distribution system
• More “active” approach
• “Dynamic” capacity limits can provide
significant uplift
• Requires more work to integrate DER into
planning and operation… but it works!
Investment
Innovation
Skills

18. Hosting Capacity: Passive Interconnection vs Active
Interconnection?
And also:
• Any construction requirements for
interconnection (NY SIR <20% rated feeder
line capacity)
• Voltage fluctuation < ± 3%; less than the
limits from Borderline of Visibility curve in
IEEE Standard 519; Voltage dip less than
limits in IEEE Standard 141-1993
• As passive screens, are we getting the best
value from grid reinforcements?
• How should these screens change for Active
Interconnection?
18

19. Orkney Smart Grid – Increased DER without Optimization
• Distributed control approach to DER integration: Active
Network Management
• Selective monitoring of distribution assets
• 100% increase in renewable generation, <30 MW
• Grid previously considered full, requiring $50m upgrade to
connect more renewables
• Automated set-point calculation and control of DER, second
by second
• ANM now being rolled out across the UK (250 MW by end of
2015)

20. Orkney?
• Orkney is an archipelago of islands, interconnected
at 33 kV
• Orkney has a ‘mainland’
• Why might you know Orkney?
– Skara Brae
– Maeshowe
– Churchill’s Barriers
– Italian Chapel
– The Old Man of Hoy
– Highland Park Whisky
• European Marine Energy Test Centre
– Wave and Tidal berthshttp://www.visitscotland.com/destinations-maps/orkney/

21. Skara Brae
• Occupied roughly 3180BC – 2500BC
• Europe’s most complete Neolithic
village – revealed by a storm in 1850
• UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Has been called the “Scottish
Pompeii”!
• Older than Stonehenge and the
Pyramids of Egypt
• In 2009 Skara Brae witnessed the
commissioning of the first smart grid in
the UK!

22. Orkney Smart Grid
Challenge
SSEPD seeking cost effective alternative to grid upgrades to
provide connections for renewable generators: network already at
‘full capacity’. Technical challenge is multiple thermal overloads
on various overhead and subsea cables.
Solution
Non-firm actively managed grid connections for distributed
generation using ANM 100 with an energy storage control
module.
Delivered Benefits
 Operational since November 2009
 Connected 24 MW of new renewable generation capacity to
33 kV grid previously considered to be full
 103% of electricity demand met by renewables in 2013
 Estimated saving of at least £30million
The Orkney Isles are located
off the north cost of Scotland
and interconnected to the
main UK transmission
system.
Orkney Isles Background Information
• 70 islands with 20 inhabited
• ~1000 sq km and 21,000 inhabitants
• Winter peak demand of 31 MW
• Summer peak demand of 6 MW
• Installed background generation of 46 MW
• Annual average temperature 80C
• Industry mainly agricultural, fishing and tourism

24. Orkney – The Customer Experience
Generator
ID
Size
(MW)
Production Factor
after Curtailment
1 0.9 37.06%
2 2.3 47.70%
4 4.5 45.35%
5 0.9 37.22%
6 0.9 40.08%
7 0.9 40.77%
9 0.9 31.76%
10 0.9 34.03%
Customer website to see live status of ANM system ANM generation export after curtailment
http://anm.ssepd.co.uk/

25. Orkney – The Operator Experience
Autonomous curtailment event showing Measurement
Point reading and corresponding wind generator output
Multiple new wind turbines
and a 2 MW Battery
New grid monitoring,
including temperature
sensing

26. System Operation
26
0.5
0.55
0.6
0.65
0.7
0.75
0.8
0.85
0.9
0.95
1
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1
1.1
1.2
14:06 14:07 14:08 14:09 14:10 14:11 14:12 14:13
MPCurrent(pu)
NNFGPowerOutput(pu)
Time
NNFG 4 Power Output MP 3 Current MP 3 Trim Threshold MP 3 Reset Threshold
Thermal Power Thresholds
Curtailment Event

27. How will Distribution Management evolve?
• There is a need to balance the system wide “optimal” ahead of time (or
preventive) view with a more real-time distributed and “corrective” view
that does not need to consider whole system issues
• This is the key to unlocking DER value and significantly increasing hosting
capacity
• We need more monitoring and communications, but we need methods to
become mature that can address the observability of the system
– Customer and DER data is going to be CRUCIAL for the system operator to be
confident in the view of the system
• The single system approach (i.e. DMS) will gradually be replaced by a
hierarchical infrastructure, with a more open and advanced data
architecture
– Each layer in the hierarchy will require tailored functional and non-functional
elements – who will play the role of System Architect?

28. What might we see in the short to near-term?
• Targeted investments and RFPs
– Con Ed’s Brooklyn Queens Demand Management
– Use of enterprise level, more centralized solutions?
– Community engagement, new DER types
• Enabling investment
– Communications and monitoring, including AMI (but AMI is only one
part of the puzzle)
– Investment ahead of need
• Grouping and management of DER (see next slide)
• Targeted advanced grid management solutions to areas
where DER is clustered (example coming up…)

29. Grouping and management of DER
Source: EPRI
http://www.epri.com/abstracts/Pages/ProductAbstr
act.aspx?ProductId=000000003002001249

30. REV Demo Project
Solution:
• Application of ANM to two locations in NY
state in 2016
• Targeting increased DER connections to the
existing grid
• Reduced interconnection costs and faster
grid connections for developers
• New service provided by IUSA, with
accompanying innovative business model
approach
• Exact locations being determined
Context:
• Within the past year alone,
approx. 40% of the proposed
large DG projects in
Iberdrola’s NY utilities
service territories did not
move forward.
• Around 20 MW of potential
clean energy.

31. Thank you for listening
• It is a great time to be in the power industry
• Getting a handle on the data and systems aspects is a fundamental
requirement
– Its not just mathematics!
– The problems aren’t all commercial!
– When will data networks be as important as power networks to the
utilities? And involve the same degree of planning and modelling?
• Please follow us, talk to us, work with us (apply for a job?)
jmiller@smartergridsolutions.com
@SmrtrGridSols
https://www.linkedin.com/company/smarter-grid-solutions

32. Source: AT Kearney / 8works
Any questions?
Thank you!
Bob Currie & Jeremiah Miller
rcurrie@smartergridsolutions.com
jmiller@smartergridsolutions.com