Concept of a Smart Grid

Rapid Industrialization, urbanization and incessant infrastructure developments have led to a paradigm shift in the way electricity ...

Rapid Industrialization, urbanization and incessant infrastructure developments have led to a paradigm shift in the way electricity is generated, transmitted and consumed and it has resulted in immense stress on the age old electrical grid infrastructure. In addition, challenges due to increasing energy demand with higher quality of power and reliability are mounting. The rapid increase in penetration of nonlinear loads such as data centers, large variable-speed drives and other power electronic devices across the grid have resulted in increased reliability and power quality concerns. The concept of smart grid provides a host of solutions to many of the issues faced by the current electric grid by taking advantage of next generation technologies such as distributed generation, distribution automation, energy management systems, advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), renewable energy generation technologies, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, two-way wireless communication and internet, to name a few.

Increased awareness of the depletion of energy consumption and environment, need for safe and steady operation of the power grid to provide high quality and reliable power supply to consumers in the digital age have thrust activities in the realm of smart grid to the forefront throughout the world.

What is a Smart Grid?

The basic concept of a Smart Grid is to add monitoring, analysis, control, and communication capabilities to the national electrical delivery infrastructure 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.

As illustrated in Figure above, the smart grid can be defined as a system that employs digital information and control technologies to facilitate the deployment and integration of distributed and renewable resources, smart consumer devices, automated systems, electricity storage and peak-shaving technologies. Some of the other definitions of the smart grid are:

·         Convergence of information technology and communication technology with power system engineering.

·         The smart grid is a broad collection of technologies that delivers an electricity network that is flexible, accessible, reliable and economic. Smart Grid facilitates the desired actions of its users and these may include distributed generation, deployment of demand management and energy storage systems or the optimal expansion and management of grid assets.

·         A smart grid is an electricity network that can intelligently integrate the actions of all users connected to it – generators, consumers and those who do both – in order to efficiently deliver sustainable, economic and secure electricity supplies.

·         Application of digital information technology to optimize electrical power generation, delivery and end use.

·         Interaction of geographically dispersed equipment being able to perform coordinated operations through better communications and control.

·         Set of advanced technologies, concepts, topologies and approaches that allow generation, transmission and distribution to be replaced by organically intelligent, fully integrated services with efficient exchange of data, services and transactions.

·         Intelligent response and interaction between supply availability and demand.

With increased automation, especially in the form of sensors at distribution levels, the smart grid will significantly enhance and improve the quality and the amount of data processed by the sensors and metering infrastructure. Such an approach would not only significantly improve the efficiency, power quality and reliability of the entire system but will also lead to increased customer participation, reduction in peak demand, reduced financial losses and more importantly reduced CO₂ emissions and other environmental impacts.

Scope of a SmartGrid

Though a clear and concise definition of the Smart Grid is still evolving, there are several characteristics that remain common to many smart grid architectures. These characteristics clearly define the Smart Grid’s potential benefits to the overall electric power system. They are:

Ø  Anticipates and responds to system disturbances in a self-healing manner

Ø  Incorporates information and communication technologies into every aspect of electrical generation, delivery and consumption in order to

·               Minimize environmental impacts

·               Enhance markets

·               Improve reliability and service

·               Reduce costs and improve efficiency

Ø  The smart grid further employs digital information, distribution automation and various control strategies to facilitate deployment and integration of

·               Distributed Energy Resources

·               Renewable energy generation

·               Automated systems

·               Energy Storage systems

·               Peak shaving technologies

Ø  Accommodates all types of generation techniques and energy storage options

Ø  Provides higher power quality required for the 21st  century digital economy

Ø  Operates effectively and optimizes the utilization of existing and new assets.

Ø  Operates resiliently and effectively against attacks and natural disasters.

     Comparison between the traditional or the current electric grid and the proposed smart grid.

It can be clearly seen that effective two-way communication in a Smart grid will help in significantly reducing the peak demand as well as the overall consumption. Further, higher penetration of renewable energy generation technologies will reduce CO₂ emissions and the associated global warming. Effective and well planned operation of the smart grid will lead to reduced operational costs, increased reliability, power quality and operating efficiency while optimizing asset utilization.