Decentralized TSO-DSO coordination for voltage regulation purposes based on renewable energy sources management – Sensitivity and robustness analyses

Copyright © 2022 The Author. The increasing penetration of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) in distribution networks has led traditional voltage regulation to their boundaries. In order to develop advanced techniques for voltage control in this new context, an adequate and real-time coordination and communication between Transmission System Operators (TSOs) and Distribution System Operators (DSOs) is needed. In this paper, a decentralized TSO-DSO coordination approach for scheduling and deploying optimal reactive power exchanges in the DSO's boundary for improved voltage control in the TSO's networks is proposed. The proposed approach is implemented via a standardized Business Use Case (BUC). The interoperability between the TSO, the DSO, and other stakeholders is solved by designing and developing the BUC within the framework of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Common Information Model (CIM) family of standards IEC61970, IEC61968, and IEC62325. In view of the lack of pilot tests in the field, the proposed standardized BUC is demonstrated on real-world Slovenian TSO's and DSO's networks. The simulation experiments presented in this paper are twofold. On one hand, the proposed data exchange mechanism based on the standardized BUC demonstrates the feasibility of successfully exchanging data between the TSO, the DSO, and other stakeholders, such as the Significant Grid Users (SGUs) and Meter Operators, as a CIM Common Grid Model Exchange Standard (CGMES) format. On the other hand, the capability of the proposed decentralized TSO-DSO coordination approach to regulate the High Voltage (HV) by managing the reactive power injected by different RES, such as capacitor banks and different Distributed Generators (DGs), viz. hydropower, Photovoltaic (PV), and thermal (co-generation) units, is validated via sensitivity and robustness analyses for different network topologies, DGs’ operating scenarios, and capacitor banks’ sizes and locations. The simulation results show that the proposed approach can manage DGs toward contributing additional (positive or negative) reactive power to reduce the voltage deviations in the grid, improve the power quality at the DSO's boundary by reducing the flow of reactive power from the TSO's to the DSO's networks and vice versa, and keep the HV voltage within safe values. Unfortunately, this is not the case for the capacitor banks, where the capability of the proposed approach to manage their injected reactive power to regulate the HV voltage is highly dependent on their sizes and location, being necessary to be studied on a case-by-case basis.This paper is based on TDX-ASSIST project that has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 774500

An ICT Architecture for Enabling Ancillary Services in Distributed Renewable Energy Sources Based on the SGAM Framework

Abstract: Smart Grids are electrical grids that require a decentralised way of controlling electric power conditioning and thereby control the production and distribution of energy. Yet, the integration of Distributed Renewable Energy Sources (DRESs) in the Smart Grid introduces new challenges with regards to electrical grid balancing and storing of electrical energy, as well as additional monetary costs. Furthermore, the future smart grid also has to take over the provision of Ancillary Services (ASs). In this paper, a distributed ICT infrastructure to solve such challenges, specifically related to ASs in future Smart Grids, is described. The proposed infrastructure is developed on the basis of the Smart Grid Architecture Model (SGAM) framework, which is defined by the European Commission in Smart Grid Mandate M/490. A testbed that provides a flexible, secure, and low-cost version of this architecture, illustrating the separation of systems and responsibilities, and supporting both emulated DRESs and real hardware has been developed. The resulting system supports the integration of a variety of DRESs with a secure two-way communication channel between the monitoring and controlling components. It assists in the analysis of various inter-operabilities and in the verification of eventual system designs. To validate the system design, the mapping of the proposed architecture to the testbed is presented. Further work will help improve the architecture in two directions; first, by investigating specific-purpose use cases, instantiated using this more generic framework; and second, by investigating the effects a realistic number and variety of connected devices within different grid configurations has on the testbed infrastructure

Responsible Knowledge Management in Energy Data Ecosystems

This paper analyzes the challenges and requirements of establishing energy data ecosystems (EDEs) as data-driven infrastructures that overcome the limitations of currently fragmented energy applications. It proposes a new data- and knowledge-driven approach for management and processing. This approach aims to extend the analytics services portfolio of various energy stakeholders and achieve two-way flows of electricity and information for optimized generation, distribution, and electricity consumption. The approach is based on semantic technologies to create knowledge-based systems that will aid machines in integrating and processing resources contextually and intelligently. Thus, a paradigm shift in the energy data value chain is proposed towards transparency and the responsible management of data and knowledge exchanged by the various stakeholders of an energy data space. The approach can contribute to innovative energy management and the adoption of new business models in future energy data spaces

Responsible Knowledge Management in Energy Data Ecosystems

This paper analyzes the challenges and requirements of establishing energy data ecosystems (EDEs) as data-driven infrastructures that overcome the limitations of currently fragmented energy applications. It proposes a new data-and knowledge-driven approach for management and process-ing. This approach aims to extend the analytics services portfolio of various energy stakeholders and achieve two-way flows of electricity and information for optimized generation, distribution, and electricity consumption. The approach is based on semantic technologies to create knowledge-based systems that will aid machines in integrating and processing resources contextually and intelligently. Thus, a paradigm shift in the energy data value chain is proposed towards transparency and the responsible management of data and knowledge exchanged by the various stakeholders of an energy data space. The approach can contribute to innovative energy management and the adoption of new business models in future energy data spaces. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

ERIGrid Holistic Test Description for Validating Cyber-Physical Energy Systems

Smart energy solutions aim to modify and optimise the operation of existing energy infrastructure. Such cyber-physical technology must be mature before deployment to the actual infrastructure, and competitive solutions will have to be compliant to standards still under development. Achieving this technology readiness and harmonisation requires reproducible experiments and appropriately realistic testing environments. Such testbeds for multi-domain cyber-physical experiments are complex in and of themselves. This work addresses a method for the scoping and design of experiments where both testbed and solution each require detailed expertise. This empirical work first revisited present test description approaches, developed a newdescription method for cyber-physical energy systems testing, and matured it by means of user involvement. The new Holistic Test Description (HTD) method facilitates the conception, deconstruction and reproduction of complex experimental designs in the domains of cyber-physical energy systems. This work develops the background and motivation, offers a guideline and examples to the proposed approach, and summarises experience from three years of its application.This work received funding in the European Community’s Horizon 2020 Program (H2020/2014–2020) under project “ERIGrid” (Grant Agreement No. 654113)

A SGAM-based architecture for synchrophasor applications facilitating TSO/DSO interactions

Distribution grid dynamics are becoming increasingly complex due to the transition of these networks from passive to active networks. This transition requires increasing the observability and awareness of the interactions between Transmission and Distribution (T&amp;D) grids, particularly to guarantee adequate operational security. As part of the work carried out in the EU-funded IDE4L project, a specific use case, containing PMU-based monitoring functions, has been defined to support the architecture design of a distribution grid automation system. As a result, the architecture can accommodate for synchrophasor applications that provide key dynamic information extraction and exchange between DSO and TSO. This paper presents the use case and the portion of the IDE4L architecture that accommodates for scenarios that exploit synchrophasors for monitoring applications.QC 20170628</p