Overview
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ABSTRACT
This paper presents the concept of smart electrical grids with an emphasis on measurement: some technological issues are discussed. Two different approaches are analyzed: from the point of view of utilities and from that of the consumer. The first one concerns the phasor measurement unit and its importance for the monitoring and control of wide area networks. Standards, power quality, GPS synchronization and real-time mapping of grid state are described. The second approach addresses energy management. In this case smart metering, renewable energy sources and electric vehicle applications are presented. Finally energy efficiency is assessed through established or planned economic models and the carbon footprint of human activities.
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Hervé NDILIMABAKA: Research engineer, low-frequency electrical metrology - Laboratoire national de métrologie et d'essais (LNE)
INTRODUCTION
Over the last hundred years, the power grid has changed little. The production, transmission and distribution of electrical energy has remained largely unchanged: centralized. The multiplication of electricity uses, combined with new environmental considerations (reducing the impact of our activities) and societal concerns (in terms of opening up the electricity market to competition in particular) have revealed the limits of this approach. The system is on the verge of saturation. Profound changes are necessary.
The deployment of smart grids offers the possibility of using information technology and new (decentralized) network infrastructures to control the production, transmission and distribution of electrical energy. Real-time monitoring of the state of the network enables us to determine its stability and the quality of the energy supplied, and to plan the management of its balance.
New concepts are emerging in response to these new challenges: energy demand must match supply from available sources at all times. And the network must be reliable, even during periods of heavy load, and remain robust to faults.
However, the success of this venture depends on the measurement resources that can be deployed on the network. In this article, we present both the individual measuring devices (and the physical principles associated with them), and the large-scale monitoring and control systems. The choice of a particular technology must be dictated by the quality of the result envisaged and the information sought.
Finally, the environmental challenges posed by the increasing scarcity of fossil fuels and climate change have generated a variety of challenges, with the integration of renewable energies into the overall energy balance. These aspects are also discussed. Similarly, the prospects of a new economy generated by massive investment programs undertaken around the world are explored.
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KEYWORDS
sustainable development | Smart (electrical) grids | Renewable energies | electric networks | electrical energy | Phasor Measurement Unit | Real-time monitoring and control of the grid | Grid planning
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Smart grids: technological challenges and measurement methods
Bibliography
Websites
Alstom, Challenges of electrical grids,
http://www.alstom.com/grid/about-us/understanding-electrical-grids/Challenges-of-electrical-grids/ (page consulted in April 2015).
Integrating the 19 th ...
Standards and norms
non-exhaustive list
- American National Standard Protocol Specification for ANSI Type 2 Optical port. - ANSI C12.18-2006 -
- American National Standard For Utility Industry End Device Data Tables. - ANSI C12.19-2012 -
- Protocol Specification for Interfacing to Data Communication Networks. - ANSI C12.22-2012 -
- Guide for the application of current transformers used for protective...
Regulations
Law no. 2010-1488 of December 7, 2010 on the new organization of the electricity market.
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The Ultimate Scientific and Technical Reference