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Electric Energy T&D - Index

Electric Energy T&D - EE Magazine March / April - Index

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By automating more of the operational decisions that in the past were
made by human beings, operators can focus their attention on the
larger decisions that genuinely require operator intervention. By the
same token, there are actions that intelligent system can take that
would be impossible for a human being to replicate. So, one of the
ways the intelligent grid optimizes performance is by leveraging both
human beings and machines to do what they do best.
EET&D: How are automation and IT personnel meeting the growing
demand for intelligence in the grid infrastructure?
Barnoski: Some specific examples of how smart technologies – and
the practices they enable – can impact the operation and overall
health of the grid.
• Real-time situational awareness and analysis of the distribution
system can drive improved system operational practices that will in
turn improve reliability
• Feeder automation (FA) improves reliability indices and helps
utilities avoid penalties. FA enables fault location and preventative
failure analysis to avoid costly outages. FA can also enhance work
force management to increase productivity and improve safety.
4 I March-April 2008 Issue
• Substation automation (SA) provides a data warehouse for
information on equipment condition from the feeder to the
substation. SA enables the ability to plan, monitor, and control
equipment below the control center.
• Smart communication-enabled devices can provide necessary
information that enable better-informed operation and maintenance
decisions
• System analysis and loss evaluation can improve efficiency of grid
operations. Business case evaluation and tailoring of technology
applications to fit business needs can further drive better use of
resources.
EET&D: What are some of the drivers for adopting smart grid
technologies?
Scheu: There are already strong drivers for utilities to adopt smart
technologies and update aging infrastructure. From the regulatory
side, the Energy Policy Act of 005 requires state regulators to
investigate advanced metering, time-based pricing and demand
response programs.
The Energy Security and Independence Act of 007, Title XIII, is
specifically focused on smart grid functionality providing for the
encouragement of demonstration projects, federal grants and
matching funds for smart technology adoption.
Currently, the application of smart grid technologies is often
approached in an isolated, piecemeal fashion. Automatic meter
reading (AMR) is often the first phase of an intelligent grid initiative.
These projects involve huge capital outlays – one study put the average
at $700 million – and are typically driven by regulatory policies
designed to improve customer pricing and reduce system costs. AMR
can, however, and often does, act as the gateway to larger, more
ambitious improvements. With the communications infrastructure in
place, feeder automation, substation automation and other operations
improvements can be justified.
EET&D: So, with a rational approach, it would seem that the
business case for smart grid enhancements builds upon itself as more
elements are added. With economic, regulatory and environmental
forces driving it forward, what is it going to take for the grid of the
future to become the grid of today?
Scheu: The T&D system is an efficiency enabler. With well-designed
systems, consumers should be able to purchase power from the
cheapest, most efficient or least polluting source. Reality, however, is
not quite there yet. But the evolution to a smart grid, starting now, will
enable a much more efficient energy value chain. You can be assured
that we will do whatever we can to ensure it happens as quickly as
possible using tools that are technologically advanced, affordable and
easy to deploy and support.