Functional Scalability and Replicability Analysis for Smart Grid Functions: The InteGrid Project Approach

Abstract

The evolution of the electrical power sector due to the advances in digitalization, decarbonization and decentralization has led to the increase in challenges within the current distribution network. Therefore, there is an increased need to analyze the impact of the smart grid and its implemented solutions in order to address these challenges at the earliest stage, i.e., during the pilot phase and before large-scale deployment and mass adoption. Therefore, this paper presents the scalability and replicability analysis conducted within the European project InteGrid. Within the project, innovative solutions are proposed and tested in real demonstration sites (Portugal, Slovenia, and Sweden) to enable the DSO as a market facilitator and to assess the impact of the scalability and replicability of these solutions when integrated into the network. The analysis presents a total of three clusters where the impact of several integrated smart tools is analyzed alongside future large scale scenarios. These large scale scenarios envision significant penetration of distributed energy resources, increased network dimensions, large pools of flexibility, and prosumers. The replicability is analyzed through different types of networks, locations (country-wise), or time (daily). In addition, a simple replication path based on a step by step approach is proposed as a guideline to replicate the smart functions associated with each of the clusters.

Application of Robot Automation Technology Based on Machine Assisted and Artificial Intelligence in Distribution Network Overhead Line Engineering

“…The distribution network overhead line project is a huge engineering task with high requirements on the quantity and quality of labor, which brings high engineering costs. Moreover, due to many uncertain and subjective factors in human construction, line failures are prone to occur in the process of wire overhead, making it difficult to ensure the normal unfolding of the transmission process [13]. In addition, compared with a single structure of high-voltage electric line lines, the structure of the distribution network overhead line grid is more complex, there are many different types of lines, for the fault point of the investigation becomes a problem.…”

ICT Scalability and Replicability Analysis for Smart Grids: Methodology and Application

“…Additionally, the ICT SRA approach proposed in [8,9] was based on the qualitative evaluation of the different ICT attributes (reliability, computational resources, and manageability) of components and communication links by stakeholders. The main issue with this method is its reliance on stakeholders' assessment; the level of cooperation must be very high and stakeholders must decide the importance and effect of each attribute for the analysis, which can lead to biased input, particularly from ICT providers, when the number of stakeholders is small.…”