Smart Grid Systems in Nigeria: Prospects, Issues, Challenges and Way Forward

The ability of the power system to deliver to its consumer electrical energy at an expected level of reliability is correlated with the economic development of a country. The Nigerian power system faces many challenges, varying from overdue infrastructure maintenance, obsolete tools and appliances, insufficient electricity supply, corruption, etc. A gradual shift from manual to smart digital technologies include; smart metering, distributed generation (renewable energy and microgrid), and management using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools. In response, research, investments, and upgrade to the power sector are fundamental. This paper discusses and analyses the various smart grid technologies utilised in the Nigerian power system with their effects, impacts, deployment, and integration into the traditional Nigerian power grid. Also discussed are issues and challenges of smart grid deployment and ways of mitigating these challenges

Electric vehicles in Smart Grids: Performance considerations

Distributed power system is the basic architecture of current power systems and demands close cooperation among the generation, transmission and distribution systems. Excessive greenhouse gas emissions over the last decade have driven a move to a more sustainable energy system. This has involved integrating renewable energy sources like wind and solar power into the distributed generation system. Renewable sources offer more opportunities for end users to participate in the power delivery system and to make this distribution system even more efficient, the novel Smart Grid concept has emerged. A Smart Grid: offers a two-way communication between the source and the load; integrates renewable sources into the generation system; and provides reliability and sustainability in the entire power system from generation through to ultimate power consumption. Unreliability in continuous production poses challenges for deploying renewable sources in a real-time power delivery system. Different storage options could address this unreliability issue, but they consume electrical energy and create signifcant costs and carbon emissions. An alternative is using electric vehicles and plug-in electric vehicles, with two-way power transfer capability (Grid-to-Vehicle and Vehicle-to-Grid), as temporary distributed energy storage devices. A perfect fit can be charging the vehicle batteries from the renewable sources and discharging the batteries when the grid needs them the most. This will substantially reduce carbon emissions from both the energy and the transportation sector while enhancing the reliability of using renewables. However, participation of these vehicles into the grid discharge program is understandably limited by the concerns of vehicle owners over the battery lifetime and revenue outcomes. A major challenge is to find ways to make vehicle integration more effective and economic for both the vehicle owners and the utility grid. This research addresses problems such as how to increase the average lifetime of vehicles while discharging to the grid; how to make this two-way power transfer economically viable; how to increase the vehicle participation rate; and how to make the whole system more reliable and sustainable. Different methods and techniques are investigated to successfully integrate the electric vehicles into the power system. This research also investigates the economic benefits of using the vehicle batteries in their second life as energy storage units thus reducing storage energy costs for the grid operators, and creating revenue for the vehicle owners

Waves of disruption in clean energy transitions: sociotechnical dimensions of system disruption in Germany and the United Kingdom

Academic and policy literatures are seeing a growing discussion about ‘clean energy disruption’. However, the term disruption often lacks definitional clarity. Departing from the concept of disruptive innovation and based on a review of firm-based management and socio-technical transitions literatures, we derive four dimensions of system disruption: technology, markets and business models, ownership and actors, and regulation. We apply these dimensions to analyse the status of disruption in two exemplary countries pursuing ambitious low-carbon energy transitions: Germany and the United Kingdom (UK). The views of a diverse range of actors are investigated regarding how disruption is unfolding and what is seen as disruptive in the energy sector. Our analysis draws on 28 expert interviews, supplemented with a review of empirical studies. We find that despite comparable shares of renewables in the two countries' electricity systems, the scale of disruption in Germany significantly exceeds that in the UK, covering all four rather than just two dimensions. We also find a greater awareness of and resistance to expected further waves of disruption in Germany, as compared to the UK. Finally, we discuss the implications of the notion of disruption for understanding and governing socio-technical transitions

Research trends on microgrid systems: a bibliometric network analysis

The numeral of academic publications in the microgrid system field has rapidly grown. A microgrid system is a group of interconnected distributed generation, loads, and energy storage operating as a single controllable entity. Many published articles recently focused on distributed generation, system control, system stability, power quality, architectures, and broader focus areas. This work analyzes microgrid: alternating current (AC), direct current (DC), and hybrid AC/DC microgrid systems with bibliometric network analysis through descriptive analysis, authors analysis, sources analysis, words analysis, and evolutionary path based on the Scopus database between 2010 and 2021. The finding helps find out the top authors and most impact sources, most relevant and frequently used in the research title, abstract, and keyword, graphically mapping the research evolved and identifying trend topic

Active filter current compensation for transmission optimisation

This dissertation is based on the fact that any m-wire electrical system can be modelled as m-equivalent Thevenin voltages and impedances when viewed from any node. The dissertation describes how to calculate the optimal distribution of currents, so a specific amount of power can flow through and reach the network equivalent Thevenin voltages with minimal losses. The optimal current distribution method uses a recently patented method which calculates the optimal currents for each of the wires which are shown to be obtained from the Thevenin parameters and power flow at any instant in time at any node. Once the ideal currents are found, these can be obtained by active and passive devices to inject a specific amount of power (positive and negative) as to compensate existing currents. The focus is particularly on the proof of concept by simulations and physical experiments with work not specifically described in the patent with more emphasis on the optimisation to active compensation. It is explained and shown how this can be implemented using the Malengret and Gaunt method. This method reduces the cost in application where not all the currents need to be processed through a converter (e.g. inverter) but only the difference between the existing and desired optimal currents. A smaller shunt parallel converter can result with ideal current flow without the need for interrupting the currents as described in the present patent. The methodology is explained and demonstrated by simulation

Implications of Blockchain Deployment in Energy Supply Chain Management: Report Integrity

The recent strategic deployment of blockchain technology has demonstrated its capacity to provide a ledger platform that can be utilized to secure and effectively manage large scale of data. However, there is little effort to conceptualise the blockchain to facilitate energy supply chain management for report integrity. This study has conceptulized how blockchain technology can solve the challenges of energy supply chain management and energy reports' integrity. Critical review of past literature indicates that blockchain technology offers transparency of energy production and consumption reports. Blockchain keeps all the transactional records and guarantees security, and decentralization between the blockchain network. We have reviewed 121 relevant papers. Through the literature review, this study found blockchain is a suitable option for the integrity of energy reporting in energy supply chain management. It can be concluded that blockchain can help to alleviate the issues of transparency and cost related to energy reporting. This study recommends taking the lead to track energy use and participate in energy reporting using dependable technologies to increase company integrity and efficiency. Decision and policy makers should offer incentives and include regulations on energy reporting requirements

Arbitrage Trading Opportunities with Bidirectional Charging : Optimizing Charging Costs by Exploiting Electricity Price Fluctuations in Norway

The Norwegian government has established ambitious climate goals, with the electrification of society playing an essential role in achieving them. Specifically, the electrification of the transportation sector is deemed crucial. However, local and geopolitical factors have led to record-high electricity prices in Norway, undermining the benefits of electrification. Consequently, there is an increased urgency to adopt technologies that provide incentives for electrification. This thesis focuses on adopting bidirectional charging in Norway, specifically exploring the potential for electric vehicle owners to capitalize on arbitrage opportunities using this technology compared to smart charging. Bidirectional charging allows electric vehicles to take advantage of price fluctuations in electricity markets by utilizing the energy storage capabilities of the EV battery. The analysis is conducted through an optimization model that captures EVs' bidirectional charging behavior in the NO5 Norwegian power market, where the objective is to minimize charging costs. The thesis examines three simplified behavior patterns representing Norwegian driving habits and includes a scenario analysis considering various input parameters. The obtained results show that bidirectional charging offers advantages over smart charging and unmanaged charging in terms of accumulated cost savings. The annual cost savings when utilizing bidirectional charging range from NOK 415 – NOK 1,275 in 2022 and NOK 176 – NOK 625 in 2021. The main finding is that substantial volatility in day-ahead prices is a prerequisite for the economic benefits of bidirectional charging to be perceptible, and the magnitude of the economic benefits increases with higher day-ahead prices during periods of high volatility. Results from the scenario analysis show that arbitrage opportunities increase by investing in a larger battery capacity and changing the current grid tariff model. In contrast, a higher charging capacity does not show cost benefits to the same extent, as the increasing cost of the capacity component of the current grid tariff outweighs any potential arbitrage gains from utilizing higher charging capacities. Lastly, the electricity support package introduced by the Norwegian government compromises the full potential of bidirectional charging. This subsidy eliminates the essential price volatility necessary for bidirectional charging, thus eradicating incentives for intelligent technologies like bidirectional charging.nhhma

Reliability Analysis Of Low-Frequency Ac Transmission System Topology Of Offshore Wind Power Plants

Many countries and regions of the world are planning to reduce the energy sector\u27s carbon footprint and increase sustainable energy sources. To this end, wind power has become one of their primary renewable energy sources. However, wind power\u27s significant challenges relate to the need for long transmission lines that connect the offshore wind power plants to the onshore grid. The three major transmission configurations and design topologies of High Voltage AC (HVAC) Transmission, High Voltage DC (HVDC) Transmission, and Low-Frequency AC (LFAC) Transmission for offshore wind power resources have been thoroughly discussed both in industry and academia. HVAC is the standard transmission system for short and long distances. In contrast, HVDC is a popular solution for the long-distance transmission of offshore wind power generators. In recent years, LFAC transmission topology at 20Hz has become an alternative solution to HVAC and HVDC transmission systems. The significant advantages of LFAC transmission are the substantial increment of transmissible power over traditional AC transmission systems and the elimination of offshore converter stations. The absence of an offshore converter system renders LFAC transmission less costly compare to the HVDC system. The efficient design and reliability of offshore wind power transmission topologies are essential requirements for the transmission grid\u27s smooth operation. This thesis work extensively investigated and reviewed the LFAC transmission topologies over HVAC and HVDC transmissions topologies of offshore wind power plans. Different methods are used to assess the reliability performance of system designs. In this research, the state of the art of the simulation models for three transmission systems have been developed for reliability analysis of the above three transmission systems topologies using Fault tree analysis (FTA). This research has identified several reliability performance characteristics including minimal cut sets, importance measures, and time-based matrics (i.e, number of failures and mean unavailability) of the transmission systems, and compared these characteristics among three transmission systems. For reliability performance analysis, the time-base metrics, such as mean-unavailability and number of failures of the systems over 10,000 hours of operation, importance measures, or reliability importance measures, such as Critical Importance Measure (CIM) and Risk Reduction Worth (RRW), and Cut Sets have been calculated. The thesis has successfully identified major fault events for all the three transmission systems, and that the large switch is the most critical piece of equipment in the HVAC system, while the AC/DC or DC/AC converter is the most critical piece of equipment in the HVDC system, and the DC/AC converter and Cycloconverter are the most critical components in the LFAC transmission system. Furthermore, to enhance the offshore transmission systems reliability and ensure their smooth operation, effective and reliable offshore wind power generation predictions are critical. To this end, this research work also introduces the necessary offshore wind power forecasting tools