11/2/13

The State of the Art

in Smart Grids

Keynote Speech at ICPS, Nepal

28 October 2013
Prof. Saifur Rahman

Virginia Tech Research Center

Arlington, Virginia, USA

PPT slides will be available at

www.saifurrahman.org   2
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What is the
Smart Grid ?
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This  is  the  Electric  Power  Grid  

Source: www.sxc.hu
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What is the Motivation for

a Smart Grid

 
Desire  to  make  the  grid  smarter,  safer,  
reliable  and  more  cost-­‐effec:ve  using  
advanced  sensors,  communica:on  
technologies  and  distributed  compu:ng.    

Smart Grid Definition

"Smart grid" is a concept with many elements where monitoring
and control of each element in the chain of generation,
transmission, distribution and end-use allow our electricity
delivery and use more efficient.

http://www.fiercesmartgrid.com/story/smart-grid-starting-generator-ending-
refrigerator/2013-02-19?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal
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Difference Between a Normal Grid

And a Smart Grid

Normal  Phone   Smart  Phone  

Beginning and End of Smart Grid

From  Generator  to  Refrigerator  

Power Plant
Transmission
Distribution
Home
Business
End-use
Appliances

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Building Blocks of Smart Grid

© Saifur Rahman

What Makes it Smart?

Intelligence
Two-way communication
Real-time monitoring & control

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Merging Power Flow with

Information Flow:

Integrated Communications

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Electric Power & Communication

Infrastructures
1.Power Infrastructure

Data network Users

Central Generating Step-Up

Station Transformer
2. Information Infrastructure

Distribution Receiving Distribution

Control Center Substation Gas
Station Substation
Turbine Recip
Engine

Micro- Distribution
turbine Substation

Residential Data Commercial

Concentrator Recip Fuel
Engine cell
Photo
voltaics
Cogeneration

Batteries Flywheel

Industrial Commercial
Residential

Source: EPRI 12

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Evolution of the Grid

Source: Altalink, Alberta, Canada

Smart Grid
AMI Capability+

Remote detection – sensors

everywhere AMI
Central and distributed analysis Customer AMR Capability+
Voltage
Measurement Price Signals
Correction of disturbances
on the grid sent to Customer
AMR
Customer
Optimizes grid assets Outage Automated New Rate Design
Detection Meter Reads
Distribution Automation
Theft ID
Remote
Leverage data to understand
system performance better TFTN
Hourly Load
Remote Control
Self Healing
Meter Remote Meter
Enable use of renewable resources Reads Programming

Enable electrification of transportation

Source: EnerNex
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Regulatory Issues

 
• Time  varying  rates  
• Who  pays  the  upfront  costs  
• Who  owns  the  data  

Business Issues

 
• Return  on  investment  
• Customer  acceptance  
• Trained  manpower  

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Technical Issues
• Renewables  integra3on  
• Demand  response  applica3on  
• Peak  load  reduc3on  
• Remote  meter  reading  &  billing  
• Transformer/Switchgear  loading  
• Service  monitoring  and  recovery  

Beginning of the Smart Grid

 
•  Smart  meter  is  just  
the  beginning  of  a  
smart  grid  

•  Two-­‐way  
communica:on  
allows  customer  
par:cipa:on  

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Smart Meters in
Gothenburg, Sweden

Data Hub for Meter Data

Collection and Transmission

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There are bigger
problems to solve using
the Smart Grid than just
remote meter reading

 Faster Recovery from Outages

 
Smart  meters  allow  automated  outage  informa:on  
no:fica:on  
Distribu:on  automa:on  and  advanced  switching  
capability  allow  sec:onalizing  and  faster  
distribu:on  circuit  reconfigura:on  to  restore  
healthy  sec:ons  to  service  

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Peak Load Reduction

Peak loads exceed

16,000 MW only 5%
of the time

Peak load of
19,140 MW

3,140 MW or
16.5% of peak load

 Peak Load and its Duration

 
•  In  the  US  20%  of  the  load  happens  5%  of  
the  :me    
•  In  Australia  15%  of  the  load  happens  less  
than  1%  of  the  :me  
•  In  Egypt  15%  of  the  load  happens  1%  of  
the  :me  
•  In  Saudi  Arabia  5%  of  the  load  happens  
0.5%  of  the  :me  
 
 

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Potential Savings from

Peak Load Reduction
 
US  has  an  installed  genera:on  capacity  of  
1,000,000  megawaTs  
 
20%  or  200,000  megawaTs  of  genera:on  
capacity  and  associated  transmission  and  
distribu:on  assets  are  worth  over  300  
billion  dollars  

Changing Landscape
of the Electric Utility

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Hourly wind power variation (MW)

in Texas, USA (01 and 02 Jan 2008)

2,500.0  
2,500.0  

2,000.0  
2,000.0  

1,500.0  
1,500.0  
Series1  
Series1  
1,000.0  
1,000.0  

500.0  
500.0  

0.0  
0.0  
1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  21  22  23  24  
1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  21  22  23  24  

01 Jan 2008 02 Jan 2008

Installed Capacity 4,541 MW

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Hourly wind power variation (MW)

in Texas, USA (03 and 04 Jan 2008)
3,500.0  
3,500.0  
3,000.0  
3,000.0  
2,500.0  
2,500.0  
2,000.0  
2,000.0  
Series1  
1,500.0   Series1  
1,500.0  
1,000.0  
1,000.0  
500.0  
500.0  
0.0  
0.0  
1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  21  22  23  24  
1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  21  22  23  24  

03 Jan 2008 04 Jan 2008

Installed Capacity 4,541 MW

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How Can the Smart Grid Help?

It helps to integrate intermittent

sources of generation into the
electric power grid.

Short term load control for a large number of end-

use devices through demand response makes it
possible to get quick load relief to match
fluctuations in generation.

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VT’s Demand Response Research

Current  Approach:  
•  During  a  power  system  stress  condi:on,  an  electric  u:lity  sends  
control  signals  to  shed  selected  commercial/residen:al  loads.  
•  The  customer  has  no  control  beyond  the  ini:al  consent.  
 
Virginia  Tech  Approach:  
•  A  demand  reduc:on  request  (kW)  is  sent  to  individual  
residen:al/commercial/industrial  customer  through  a  customer  
interface  device.  
•  The  customer  now  has  a  choice  and  can  decide  which  appliances  
to  control  based  on  their  preference  and  load  priority.  

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VT’s Conceptual HEM Hardware

Two  components:  1)  HEM  unit  and  2)  load  controller  box.    

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Customer Interface Unit

It  provides  customer  interface  to  monitor  &  control  appliances.  

It  includes  embedded  algorithms  for  managing  power-­‐intensive  
loads  based  on  their  priority  and  customer  preference.    

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Applications in Nepal

Control water heating and

space heating loads in winter

Portal for Smart Grid

Information Collection and Archival
Smart Grid Information Clearinghouse
PIs:  Dr.  Saifur  Rahman  and  Dr.  Manisa  Pipa5anasomporn  

Objec:ve:   To  design,  populate,  manage  and  maintain  a  public  SGIC  web  

portal  that  reaches  out  to  a  broad  user  community  both  for  
informa:on  gathering  and  knowledge  delivery.  
   
www.SGIClearinghouse.org  
 

Sponsored  by  US  Department  of  Energy  

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www.sgiclearinghouse.org

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Smart Grid Projects

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International Smart Grid Projects

Platform for Smart Grid R&D

 
The  electric  power  industry  provides  the  plaeorm  
and  the  context  
Telecommunica:on,  IT  and    computer  industries  
provide  the  technology  and  sofware  to  
interface  with  the  electric  power  network  
The  electric  power  industry  will  require  new  
genera:on  of  engineers  who  are  versa:le  in  
several  disciplines  
 
 

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Thank you
Prof. Saifur Rahman
www.saifurrahman.org

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