SMART GRIDS INTELLIGENTLY MONITORED, CONTROLLED, MANAGED & PROTECTED FROM ONE PLATFORM

SMART GRIDS IN A NUTSHELL: • Big data, advanced analytics and IoT technologies (Internet of Things) are essential technology drivers in smart grids whereby analytics shift to the edge, as in edge computing. Smart grids leverage more technologies with an obvious key role for IoT. • An electrical grid is a network to deliver electricity from the producer(s) and places where it’s generated and transformed (power plants and substations) to the final destinations where electricity is ‘consumed’: households, businesses, various facilities and the consumer in general. In practice it is a highly interconnected network with several components such as substations, transmission lines and wiring, distribution lines, transformers and more. • The purpose of a n electrical grid is to make sure that electricity is always provided when and where needed, without interruption – and herein lie many challenges where a smart grid can already offer solutions/answers . The two-way flow of electricity and data that is the essential characteristic of a smart grid enables to feed information and data to the various stakeholders in the electricity market which can be analyzed to optimize the grid, foresee potential issues, react faster when challenges arise and build new capacities – and services – as the power landscape is changing. The electricity market, the consumption of electricity, regulations, demands of various stakeholders and the very production of electricity are all changing. So, smart grid initiatives exist across the globe, with different approaches and goals. • However, a smart grid is about much more than just smart metering and some other elements include the distribution lines and substations (substation automation and, increasingly, digital substations), technologies and mechanisms to prevent power outages and ensure power quality (availability, reliability, etc.), the integration of energy from various sources with an increased focus on ‘green energy’, smart power generation, sensing along transmission lines, power system automation,, the inclusion of micro-generation whereby especially organizations and larger facilities can generate their own power and supply it to the central network grid (on top of prosumers - people that both produce and consume power), better and more power storage capabilities, ways to enhance security, alternative transmission methods to save on precious metals and the design of more modern and stable electrical grids in countries and areas where old grids need replacement. • “One of the primary characteristics of a smart grid is its ability to self-heal with flexibility ”. Pointing to FLISR technology (fault location, isolation, and service restoration) self-healing capabilities minimize blackouts because they allow for continuous self-assessments that inspect, analyze, react to, and automatically respond to problems. This is made possible through the widespread deployment of sensors and other intelligent devices and automated controls that check and evaluate the status and condition of the network to identify abnormalities and problems. • In short, the digital technology that allows for two-way communication between the utility and its customers, and the sensing along the transmission lines is what makes the grid smart. Like the Internet, the Smart Grid will consist of controls, computers, automation, and new technologies and equipment working together, but in this case, these technologies will work with the electrical grid to respond digitally to our quickly changing electric demand. • The benefits associated with the Smart Grid include: o More efficient transmission of electricity o Quicker restoration of electricity after power disturbances o Reduced operations and management costs for utilities, and ultimately lower power costs for consumers o Reduced peak demand, which will also help lower electricity rates o Increased integration of large-scale renewable energy systems o Better integration of customer-owner power generation systems, including renewable energy systems o Improved security & Management

INTELLIGENT SMART GRIDS FOR A FUTURE READY CITY