Search

Modernizing the power grid through smart grid enhancements is essential for the development of a smart city. These issues - coupled with challenges such as meeting green targets and changing customer demands and expectations - have driven utilities to transform existing grids into smart grids. SP Group found the SGI framework to be useful for planning its own smart grid development and road map, so it proceeded to share its findings at various international conferences throughout 2018 and 2019. SP Group's current portfolio of development projects includes the following examples, designed to enhance system reliability and the smart grid status of the T&D network in Singapore:. [Extracted from the article]

In December 2018, Hitachi Ltd. announced an agreement to buy ABB's Power Grids business for US$6.4 billion. To be formed out of what was Siemens GP, the new company will be an independent one in which Siemens projects to have 30 billion Euros in orders and 80,000 employees - based on former GP staff and the transfer of the Siemens' renewable energy business, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE). Smith sees the sector evolving into an "entire energy tech ecosystem" that could include traditional utilities, large device makers, tech companies, infrastructure players, and small- to medium-sized venture-backed energy technology companies and a host of other business models. [Extracted from the article]

The European Union (EU) has some of the most ambitious climate change objectives in the world. EU-based utilities are coming to understand the need for a new and more harmonized approach to smart-grid solutions. EUTC membership comprises major gas and electricity transmission and distribution companies from across Europe along with vendor partners representing telecommunications suppliers focused on utility telecommunictions provision. [Extracted from the article]

Using this foundation, ComEd is pursuing technologies that will enable its customers to leverage the smart grid fully to meet their specific needs. Occupying 35,000 sq ft (3251 sq m) in ComEd's technical center in Maywood, the Smart City Lab tests the interoperability of a variety of devices interconnected to ComEd's AMI, including smart meters, smart streetlights, smart water meters as well as grid-edge devices and behind-the-meter devices. Proximity between several ComEd labs will support the sharing of technologies and lessons learned. [Extracted from the article]

While some may argue that man's contribution toward climate change is still uncertain, we have embarked on a new age of technological advancements in the power sector that will further reduce the industry's emissions footprint. With the assistance of real-time meteorological data, utilities and system grid operators are learning to compensate for the intermittency effects of renewable resources. The proper integration and deployment of DERs can reduce their operational environmental impacts, defer system capacity upgrades, optimize distribution operations, expand demand response capabilities, and improve system resiliency. [Extracted from the article]

"ABB's SVC Light enables integration of more renewable power and increases electricity consumption with the existing grid". ABB SVC Light voltage source converter technology is based on a chain-link modular multilevel converter (MMC) that is particularly adapted for power grids and very heavy industrial applications. [Extracted from the article]

The Germany town of Emden sits at the edge of the North Sea. Heinsberg's utility is independent from the city and belongs to the Dutch network company Alliander, one of Europe's innovation leaders in smart grid development. Both the utilities of Emden and Heinsberg have understood one key fact: their strength lies in the local rootedness of their companies, and their physical contact with people and neighborhoods. [Extracted from the article]

Oregon's Portland General Electric (PGE) is a prime example of an energy company that is at the forefront of shaping a smarter and cleaner energy future. With the PGE Virtual Power Plant (VPP), the PGE is really pushing the envelope to demonstrate the benefits of achieving flexibility at scale. To make the most of distributed technologies, the PGE is evolving its processes, from long-term planning to real-time power management operations with the goal of providing an integrated platform that connects customers and their clean energy technologies to the community and to the broader Western energy markets. [Extracted from the article]

The ongoing roll-out of smart meters across the country is turning an aging area of the market into one of the most innovative and forward-thinking in the world. Under SMETS1, the continued "smart" operation of the pools of smart meters deployed by UK energy suppliers when customers opted to change supplier was difficult to guarantee. [Extracted from the article]

Highlights from the article: Looking ahead, there are both great opportunities and great challenges in modernizing the electric power delivery system. Comparing the sum of revenue meters with the feeder meters on a given circuit could be used to identify anomalies. For example, "blue sky" tree trimming removes all overhanging branches resulting in superior resilience, but it costs a lot more!.

Highlights from the article: Over the past decade, several utilities and commissions have made investments into new technologies, tools, and techniques to modernize the electric grid. While a majority of cases relied on cost recovery through general rate case filings, some cost recovery mechanisms also relied on formula rates and rate riders to address the regulatory lag. Lastly, it is important to note that customer engagement is a key component of a successful grid modernization effort.