white paper smart grid
TRANSCRIPT
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WhitePaperbyViolaSystemsOyJanuary2010
Towards a Smarter Grid: Why
Bridging the Communications
Gap is Key
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
DRIVERSBEHINDTHESMARTGRID.................................................................................................................................................1
THEARCHITECTURALLAYERSOFTHESMARTGRID............................................................................................................................2
THEAPPLICATIONSLAYER:CUSTOMERSIDEAPPLICATIONAREASANDBENEFITSOFSMARTGRID
..............................................................
3
GridoptimizationorDistributionautomation(DA):.........................................................................................................3
Advancedmeteringinfrastructure(AMI):.........................................................................................................................4
Demand/response(D/R):..................................................................................................................................................4
EnergyStorage:.................................................................................................................................................................4
MeterDataManagement(MDM):...................................................................................................................................4
CHALLENGESRELATEDTOSMARTGRID..........................................................................................................................................4
WHYISTHECOMMUNICATIONSLAYERAPRIORITY?..........................................................................................................................5
LayingtheGroundworkFirst.............................................................................................................................................5
AppliancesareReliantonCommunicationsandConnectivity..........................................................................................5
InternalImprovementsofGridaLogicalStartingPoint....................................................................................................5
KEYCUSTOMERCHALLENGESINCONNECTIVITY................................................................................................................................
5
LargeNumberofNodesbeyondPrimarySubstations......................................................................................................6
Interoperability.................................................................................................................................................................6
Reliability..........................................................................................................................................................................7
FutureProofingSystemsArchitecture...............................................................................................................................7
Security..............................................................................................................................................................................7
DESCRIPTIONOFVIOLASSOLUTION...............................................................................................................................................8
EndtoEndCommunication..............................................................................................................................................8
TechnologyAgnostic.........................................................................................................................................................8
FlexibleIntegration...........................................................................................................................................................9
TwoWayCommunication.................................................................................................................................................9
RealTime,AlwaysOnCommunication.............................................................................................................................9
ProtocolConversion..........................................................................................................................................................9
BuiltwithanOpenArchitecture........................................................................................................................................9
KEYBENEFITSOFVIOLASSOLUTION............................................................................................................................................10
CostEfficient...................................................................................................................................................................10
Reliable............................................................................................................................................................................10
Secure..............................................................................................................................................................................11
Scalable...........................................................................................................................................................................11
FutureProof....................................................................................................................................................................11
Flexible............................................................................................................................................................................11
BASICELEMENTSOFANELECTRICGRID........................................................................................................................................12
Substations......................................................................................................................................................................12
Reclosers.........................................................................................................................................................................12
CapacitorBank................................................................................................................................................................12
VoltageRegulators..........................................................................................................................................................12
Disconnectors..................................................................................................................................................................12
DistributionTransformers(DT).......................................................................................................................................12
RingMainUnits(RMU)...................................................................................................................................................12
APPLICATIONSOFSMARTGRIDCOMMUNICATION..........................................................................................................................13
BUSINESSCASEEXAMPLE:OUTAGEMANAGEMENT........................................................................................................................14
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INTRODUCTIONTO THEPOWERGRIDOF THEFUTURE:THE SMARTGRID
In recent years, regulators, politician and energy companies have been pushing the development of a
phenomenon
called
the
Smart
Grid.
In
principle,
the
Smart
Grid
is
an
upgrade
of
the
20th
century
power
gridswhichgenerally"broadcast"powerfromafewcentralpowergeneratorstoalargenumberofusers.Now
theconvergenceofthreeindustries;energy,telecommunicationsandIT,areturningthetraditionalpowergrid
into an intelligent utility network of the 21st century, capable of routing power in more optimal ways to
respond to the changing requirements of todays energy sector. Fundamentally, the traditional strictly
hierarchicalgridwillbecomeamorecomplexdynamicnetworkconsistingofmutuallyinteractingislands.
Smart Grid technology is sometimes referred to as the Internet for power due to its potential to
fundamentallyshiftthewaywethinkaboutelectricityproduction,distributionandconsumption.Whereasthe
Internetchangedthe informationparadigmfromaonetomanytoamanytomanyview,theSmartGridhas
thepotentialtoachieveasimilarchangeinthewayelectricityflows.Theresultwillbeamoreflexiblepower
gridwhich
is
largely
automated,
will
draw
on
intelligent
monitoring
and
control
mechanisms,
and
allow
for
twowaycommunicationbetweendifferentnodesinthenetwork.Theshiftfromthetraditionalpowergridto
theSmartGridisillustratedinFigure1.
Figure1:IllustrationofthetraditionalpowergridandtheSmartGridThe Smart Grid will be more responsive, transparent and reliable, and better equipped to answer to the
demandsof
the
future.
The
key
differences
between
the
traditional
power
grid
and
the
Smart
Grid
are
summarizedinTable1.
DriversbehindtheSmartGrid
Thereareseveralmajorongoingtrendsthatdrivethedevelopmentofamoreintelligentutilitynetwork:
Needtorundistributiongridsmoreefficiently Growingneedfordistributedgenerationofelectricity,e.g.fromrenewablesources Customerparticipation inenergyconsumptionboth intermsofconsumerswantingtocontroltheir
energyconsumptionandutilitieswishingtocutpeakpowerdemand
Traditional
Power Grid
Smart Grid
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Growingdemandforenergy,andespeciallyelectricity Governmentsincreasinglywanttoensureenergyindependenceandgridsecurity Regulatorypressurefore.g.environmentalsustainabilityandqualityofservice
Table1:SummaryofdifferencesbetweenthetraditionalgridandtheSmartGridTraditionalPowerGrid SmartGrid
Communication Noneoronewayonly,notrealtime Twoway,realtimeinformation
PowerGeneration CentralizedgenerationBothcentralizedanddistributedpowergeneration
Intermittentanddecentralizedgenerationfrom
renewablesources
Possibleforconsumerstoparticipateinthemarket
Operationalinformation Operationsbasedonhistoricaldata OperationsbasedonrealtimedataReliability Receptivetofailures Automaticandproactiveprotection,remoterestorationwhenneededFaultrestoration Manualrestoration,reactivemaintenance Remoterestoration,correctivemaintenancereduces
outages
Systemstructure Hierarchical,strictlyonewaypowerflow Networklike,multiplepathsforpowerflow
Efficiency isoneoftheleadingdriversoftheSmartGrid.Eveninmodernsystemstheelectricitylostbetween
powerplants and the customer canbe in the rangeof 820%.Thusefficiency improvements through grid
optimization canhave a considerable impactbothon the costofelectricityaswellason theenvironment.
Investmentingridoptimizationhasevenbeensaidtorepresentoneofthemostlucrativeinvestmentsintothe
reductionof
CO2
emissions.1
If,
for
example,
the
U.S.
could
improve
grid
efficiency
by
only
5%
(which
is
consideredfeasible)theycouldpermanentlyeliminatetheequivalenceoffuelandgreenhousegasemissionsof
53 million cars2. Another noteworthy driver of the Smart Grid is the growing supply of renewable energy
sourcesthatcurrentlyfaceconsiderableoperationalchallengesinthetraditionalgridduetotheirintermittent
and distributed nature. Without Smart Grid infrastructure these energy sources will remain niche as they
cannotbelinkedtothegridinanefficientway.
RegulatoryandpoliticalsupportforSmartGridinitiativeshasbeenconsiderable.BoththeUSgovernmentand
theEuropeanCommissionhavesetinvestmentsinSmartGridtechnologyasatoppriorityforupcomingyears,
andPresidentBarackObamaemphasizedtheneedforatransformationinthepowermarketinFebruary2009:
Today,theelectricityweuseiscarriedalongagridoflinesandwiresthatdatesbacktoThomasEdisonagrid
thatcantsupportthedemandsofcleanenergy.Thismeanswereusing19thand20thcenturytechnologiesto
battle21stcenturyproblemslikeclimatechangeandenergysecurity.
TheArchitecturalLayersoftheSmartGrid
Contrary towhat itmay seem, the SmartGrid will not be a revolution over night, and the entire existing
physical power transmission and distribution network will not need to be replaced. The intelligent utility
networkwill largelyuseexisting infrastructure,andnewtechnologywillbeaddedgraduallyovertheyearsto
1TheSmartGridin2010:MarketSegments,ApplicationsandIndustryPlayersGTMResearch,July2009
2TheSmartGrid:AnIntroduction,U.S.DepartmentofEnergy
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incorporatemoreintelligentandeffectivefunctionalities.TheSmartGridcanbeviewedascomprisingofthree
architectural layers (seeFigure2): thephysicalpower layer including transmissionanddistribution; thedata
transport and control layer (or communications layer); and the application layer, i.e. the applications and
servicesthegridperforms.
The physical layer is already largely existent and only needs minormodifications, and the applications are
alreadybeingdevelopedoratleastenvisioned.Thecommunicationslayeriscurrentlybeingenhancedbymany
utilitycompanies,butnotveryrapidlyconsideringthatallapplicationsandservicesareheavilyreliantonthe
existenceofanendtoend, twowaycommunications layer.Thecommunications layer isthegluethatholds
thephysicalpowerlayerandtheapplicationstogether,andmakestheSmartGridfunctionalitiespossible.
Figure2:ThethreearchitecturallayersoftheSmartGridThe firststep inmovingtowardsasmartergrid iseffectivecommunications infrastructureconnectingallthe
elements inthegrid.Violasbusiness is focusedonexactlythisbuildingupcommunicationstoenablegrid
enhancingapplications.The transition from theelectricgridof today to theSmartGridof tomorrowwillbe
profoundbutforallbenefitstomaterializeitfirstandforemostneedsaneffectivecommunicationsystem.
TheApplicationsLayer:Customer-SideApplicationAreasandBenefitsofSmartGrid
TheSmartGridchangesthewayenergyisdistributed,purchasedandused.Addingintelligencethroughoutthe
gridchallengesthestatusquoforeachstakeholderinthemarketthecustomercanparticipateintheenergy
market,SCADA can remotelycontrolgriddevicesandenergycompaniescanadoptnewpricingmodelsand
services. These functionalities rely on the development of Smart Grid applications. Utility companies are
alreadydevelopingarangeofdifferentapplicationsandservicesfortheSmartGrid:
Grid optimization or Distribution automation (DA): Grid optimization includes a broad range of
improvements that energy companies can implement to turn their old grid into a dynamic SmartGrid. By
addingIT,communicationandadvancedtechnologyutilitieswillbeabletoe.g.remotelyoperatefielddevices,
drawmore information fromthefieldandquickly locateand isolateoutages inthenetwork (knownasFault
PHYSICALPOWER LAYER
LAN WAN FAN
3G Satellite
WiMax
RFMeshM2M
Private
APPLICATION LAYER
COMMUNICATION LAYER
AMI DR
MDMDA
FLISR
Billing
SCADA
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Detection, Isolation andRestoration,FDIR), thusoptimizing theuseof theexisting infrastructure. Since the
benefits tobehad fromgridoptimizationdonotdependonchangingcustomerbehavior, these returnsare
regardedasmorepredictableandcertainthanthereturnsfromotherapplications,makinginvestmentingrid
optimizationveryattractive.The focalpointofViolasoffering lies largely ingridoptimizationandViolahas
specializedinoperationssuchasassetmanagement,faultisolationandrestoration,andfeederautomation.
Advancedmetering infrastructure (AMI):AMI refers to the replacementofoldmechanicalmeterswith
advanced smart digital meters. These smart meters allow for twoway communication, but require a
communications infrastructure to transfer the data. Endtoend connectivity between the utility and the
customerislikelytobringaboutlargechangesinanindustrywheredirectcustomercontacthasbeenlimited.
Demand/response(D/R):D/Rreferstoinvolvingthecustomerdirectlyinlevelingoutdemandforelectricity.
Customers are provided with incentives through e.g. pricing schemes to reduce their power consumption
during peak hours of demand, which allows for the utility to handle more customers with the same
infrastructure,avoidingthebuildingofunnecessary,expensiveandlessenvironmentallyfriendlyextracapacity.
Thelast5%ofenergyproductioncapacity,i.e.peakdemand,isbyfarthemostexpensivecapacitysinceitstays
idlemostofthetime.Soifpeakenergycouldbereducedevenslightly,thefinancialresultwouldbesignificant.
EnergyStorage: Historically, power grids have had effectively no storage capacity, and in developing a
modern,more intelligentgridenergy storagehasemergedasanecessarycomponentof the future.Energy
storagenotonlyreducesdemandfornewpowerplantsandtransmissionlines,butalsosolvestheoperational
problemrenewableenergysourceshavebeendealingwithduetotheirintermittentnature.
MeterDataManagement(MDM):MDMquite literally involvesthemanagementofthedatasmartmeters
produce,be itdataprocessing,analyticsorstorage.Sincemostofthe largeplayersofferingsmartmetersdo
nothistoricallyhavemuchexperienceinhandlinglargeamountsofdata,thisisamarketsegmentwherealot
ofsmall
start
up
companies
have
been
gaining
market
share.
ChallengesRelatedtoSmartGrid
Beforetheseapplicationscanbecomeoperational,SmartGridimplementationholdsseveralcriticalchallenges.
GreentechMedia(GTM)ResearchsummarizedthethreemainSmartGridchallengesasfollows:
Interoperability standardsAn intelligentgrid requires that amultitudeof independent actorsareable to operate and communicate with each other. If technologies and systems are created
incompatiblealargepartofthepromisedbenefitswillnevermaterialize.
Futureproofing As utilities (and governments) are investing astronomical sums into Smart Gridinitiatives,akeyrequirementisthatthesystemarchitecture(andespeciallycommunications)isbuiltto
bescalableandmodifiableinthefuture.
Redefining business models and incentives With the rules of the game changing in the energymarket, regulationsandbusinessesneed tochange relatively fast toprovide the right incentives for
eachactorinthesystemtoengageinrealizingthebenefitsattainablefromanintelligentutilitygrid.
Wehavepreviouslyconcludedthataneffectivecommunicationslayerliesasavitalintermediarybetweenthe
physicalpowergridand theenvisionedSmartGridapplications.Wecannowalsoseethattwoofthemajor
challengesrelatedtoSmartGridarecloselyconnectedtoanddependentonthecommunicationslayer.Endto
endconnectivityandcommunicationsthusemergesasthekeyareafordevelopinganintelligentpowergrid.
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CONNECTIVITYANDCOMMUNICATIONS:THE FOUNDATIONSFORTHESMARTGRID
It is hardly uncommon for mankind to plunge head first into new ideas and visions. People have the
unfortunate
tendency
to
jump
at
a
bold
plan,
only
to
realize
later
that
poor
planning
and
badly
laid
groundwork
forces them to start from the beginning, often at a much higher cost. The same applies to Smart Grid
applications;e.g.smartmetersarerevolutionarybutrequireanendtoendcommunicationsanddatatransfer
network tomake the informationaccessible,anddemand/responseholdsgreatpotentialbut theutilitywill
needtohavebettercontroloveralldevicesinthenetworktomakeithappen.
ConnectivityandcommunicationintheSmartGridreferstoanetworkwhereeachnodeislinkedtoacentral
system,andwhere informationcanflowfreelybetweenthedifferentparts.Violascompetence liesprecisely
here: in creating an extensive communications layer that enables contact to even the most remote field
devices.
Why
is
the
Communications
Layer
a
priority?
Utilitiesshouldprioritizeinvestmentsinthecommunicationslayerforanumberofdifferentreasons:
LayingtheGroundworkFirst
FredButler,ChairmanoftheNationalAssociationofRegulatoryUtilityCommissioners(NARUC,anassociation
comprisedof the commissioners forutility regulation fromeachU.S. state)haspinpointed thisproblemby
warningutilitiesofprioritizingwronglyandstartingbyinvestinginAMI.Instead,utilitiesareadvisedtostartby
investinginthedistributioncommunicationsnetwork,andfocusondesigningittosupportfutureapplications.
This represents not only a smaller upfront investment but is also much more likely to create immediate
benefits.
Appliancesare
Reliant
on
Communications
and
Connectivity
ForallSmartGridservicesandappliancesonecomponent isessential:communicationsandconnectivity.To
enabletheapplicationsandahigherdegreeofservice,movinglargeamountsofdatafromonepartofthegrid
toanother isvital.This iseasilyvisualized inthethreearchitectural layersoftheSmartGrid (see[Figure2]),
where the communications layerconnects thephysicalpower layerand theapplications.Connectivity toall
partsofthenetworkandcommunicationbetweentheseisthecornerstoneofSmartGridappliances.
InternalImprovementsofGridaLogicalStartingPoint
EarlierweidentifiedthattheSmartGridwillimplyarevolutionintheenergymarket.Changeswilltakeplacein
regulations,companiesbusinessmodels,intheconsumermarketandinpowergeneration.Whilenotall,alot
ofthe
changes
are
external
that
is,
not
directly
dependent
on
the
actual
infrastructure.
The
infrastructure
is,
however, the starting point for efficient energy distribution, and internal improvements should thus be a
priorityforenergycompanies.Withwellmanaged internaloperations,facingtheexternalchangeswillresult
easier. Internal improvements will happen through grid optimization, a market segment that is especially
reliantonendtoendcommunicationsandconnectivitytoallpartsofthenetwork.
KeyCustomerChallengesinConnectivity
To gain control over an entire distribution grid involves many challenges for utilities, and due to the
intermediate nature of the communications layer between the infrastructure and the applications, these
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challenges areespecially important to tackle and solve.A summaryof the central connectivityproblems is
presentedinTable2.
LargeNumberofNodesbeyondPrimarySubstations
Traditionally,utilities
have
had
internal
systems
for
transporting
data
within
the
company
and
to
and
from
the
primary substation level. The missing links, however, have been firstly the connection to devices beyond
primary substations, toe.g. reclosersanddisconnectors,and secondly, the connection to theenduser.The
numberofnodesgrows,however,drasticallyaftertheprimarysubstationlevelforonesubstationtherecan
be23reclosers,50distributiontransformers,andthousandsofcustomers.InFigure3asmallpartoftheUS
electric grid illustrates clearly the highly complex and networked structure of the grid. Building a
communicationslayertocoverallthesenodesisthusnotasmallproject,andsetsstrictrequirementsonthe
technologyusedaswellasonthe installationprocess.Utilitiesmayaskthemselves:Howcanweachievecost
efficiencyandfastinstallationinaprojectencompassingtens(orhundreds)ofthousandsofnodes?
Figure3:AsmallpartoftheUSelectricgrid.Source:NewYorkTimesInteroperability
The challenge of interoperability can be tackled on two levels: internal interoperability (compatibility of
existinggriddevices)andexternalinteroperability(gridcompatibilitywithothersystems,e.g.regulators).
INTERNAL INTEROPERABILITY The total asset base ofmostutility companies has been developed over a
longerperiodoftime,and largeutilitieshaveoftenbeen formedbymergingmanysmallerutilities intoone.
Thishasmoreoftenthannotresultedintheutilityassetsofonecompanycomprisingofaveryfragmentedset
ofdifferenttechnologiesandstandards.Thismixtureofoldandnewtechnologyfromamultitudeofvendors
leadstodeviceshavingtheirownphysicalandlogicalinterfaces,makingitveryhardtofindauniversalwayto
connect thedevices.Moreover, communication is inhibitedby the fact thatdevices tend to speakdifferent
languageswithoutawaytoconvertbetweenprotocolsdevicesarenotabletocommunicateeven ifthey
areconnected.Thechallengeis:Howcandistributiongriddeviceswithheterogeneousinterfacesbeconnected
centrally?
Anadditionalhindranceisbroughtaboutbytheabundanceofproprietarysystemsthatpersistintheindustry.
Thesesystemsareseldomeasilycompatiblewithothertechnologiesandsimplydonotprovidetheflexibility
anintelligentgridneeds.
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EXTERNAL INTEROPERABILITYMovingbeyondonecompanysassetsand lookingfarther intothefuturewe
encounterthechallengeofgettingamultitudeofactors intheenergymarket to fluentlycommunicatewith
eachotheracrossgridborders.Inessence,thegrid isnotparticularlysmart ifallmajorplayersdeveloptheir
systems and technologies independently, resulting in poorly compatible interfaces. We are faced with the
following problem: How can we make sure that the technology of different actors and stakeholders
communicateseamlesslywitheachother?
Themissinglinkhereisuniversalstandards.Somestandards,liketheopencommunicationIEC61850standard,
havereceivedwidesupport,butduetothebroadfieldSmartGridencompasses,itwillbeverydifficulttofind
commonstandardsforenergydistributors,consumers,applicationmanufacturersandregulatorsalike.
Table2:SummaryofkeychallengesrelatedtoSmartGridconnectivityLargenumberofnodes Howcanweachievecostefficiencyandfast installation inaprojectencompassingtens
(orhundreds)ofthousandsofnodes?Internalinteroperability Howcandistributiongriddeviceswithheterogeneousinterfacesbeconnectedcentrally?Externalinteroperability How can we make sure that the technology of different actors and stakeholders
communicateseamlesslywitheachother?Reliability How can we reduce network downtime in terms of occurrence, duration, extent and
economicimpact?Futureproofingsystemsarchitecture How canwe obtain a system that is flexible and scalable enough tomeet any futureneeds?Security Howcanweprotectthesystemfrombeinghackedbyunauthorizedpeople?Reliability
People,businesses
and
communities
have
become
highly
dependent
on
reliable
power
supply,
and
are
growing
moredependentonitbythedayjustimaginethedevastationofablackoutine.g.ahospitaloracellphone
network.Regulationsonacceptablenetworkdowntimearealsotightening,andthepenaltiesforblackoutsare
immediately felt in utilities financial results. Reliability of the power grid refers to eliminating faults and
minimizing theeffectofanydisruption in thedistributionsystem.Utilitiesare thus facedwith theproblem:
Howcanwereducenetworkdowntimeintermsofoccurrence,duration,extentandeconomicimpact?
FutureProofingSystemsArchitecture
As mentioned earlier, Smart Grid is not an overnight revolution, but a gradual evolution with continuous
upgrades.Thus,utilitycompaniesnotonlyneedtodevelopcommunicationstosupportpresentneeds,butalso
futureones.
Developing
ascalable
and
flexible
communications
platform
to
adapt
to
any
future
need
is
thus
vital inorder to avoidhaving to redo todays investments in the future.Thechallenge ispinpointed in the
question:Howcanweobtainasystemthatisflexibleandscalableenoughtomeetanyfutureneeds?
Security
Despitethesound logicbehindopencommunicationsanduseofcommonstandards,theopenapproachhas
itsdrawbacks.Previously,whencommunicationssystemswerepredominatedbyproprietary,closedsystemsit
wasalmostimpossibleforanoutsidertopenetratethesystemandcauseasecuritythreat.Nowasconnectivity
is increasing dramatically and the data is (literally and metaphorically) flying through the air, the security
questionismoretopicalthanever:Howcanweprotectthesystemfrombeinghackedbyunauthorizedpeople?
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VIOLASSOLUTION TO CUSTOMERCHALLENGES
Violaoffersacomplete connectivity solution forelectricitydistribution companies that tacklesprecisely the
problems
described
above.
Here
we
will
present
the
basic
features
and
the
benefits
of
Violas
solution.
DescriptionofViolasSolution
ThebasicfunctionalityofViolasConnectsolutionconcept isoutlined inFigure4,and isinfactverysimple.
Eachfielddevicethecustomerwantstohaveundercentralmonitoringandcontrolisequippedwithawireless
router, most often from the Arctic product family. These routers are then wirelessly connected to and
integratedbyagatewaylocatedintheutilitycompany,whichconnectstotheutilitysapplications,e.g.billing
or SCADA. In the solution, Viola delivers on its value proposition Any device can be connected via any
networktoanycustomerapplication.
Figure4:BasicfunctionalityofViola'sConnectsolutionThemainfeaturesofViolaConnectareaccountedforbelow.
End-to-End Communication Viola offers a complete endtoend connectivity solution for distribution
companies,withthe intentionofextendingcommunicationbeyondthesubstation level.Violasbusiness isto
wirelessly connect geographically dispersed devices and sites, which provides for a complete endtoend
system. As Violas products are small, costefficient and easy to install, equipping a large number of field
devicestothecommunicationssystemisnolongeraproblem.
TechnologyAgnosticViolastrivestonotlimititsproductstoanyonetechnologyorplatform,andthusleaves
the door open for different options. Customer critical decisions, such as deciding on the communications
Substation Recloser Disconnector RMU
ViolaM2MGateway
Network
Billing Customer
Care EnergyAudit
Distribution
Automation
DistributionTransformer
CUSTOMERAPPLICATIONS
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technology or network is considered casebycase, and any alternative the customer decides upon can be
implementedwiththeViolacommunicationsolution.
FlexibleIntegrationOneofthefirstchallengesanyutilityplanningtobuildouttheircommunications layer
stumblesupon
is
the
diversity
of
the
assets
base
and
the
heterogeneous
interfaces
of
different
devices.
Violas
productsare,however,designedtoprovideasmooth interfacetoANYavailable fielddevice,nomatterwho
themanufacturer.Anydistributiongriddevicethecustomerhas,Violahasthemeanstoconnectit.
Two-Way Communication The Viola M2M Gateway provides field devices with static IP addresses that
enabletwowaycommunicationandasecureconnectionthroughaVPNtunnel.Violasproductsthusestablish
atwowaycommunicationrelationshipbetweentheutilityandthefielddevices,meaningthatnotonlycanthe
field devices collect and send information about events in the field, but the devices can also be remotely
controlledbytheutility.
Real-Time,Always-OnCommunicationViolas communication solution leveragespublicmobilenetworks
whenpossible,
which
means
that
the
connection
is
always
on
and
real
time,
which
enables
very
fast
and
effectiveremotecontrolandmonitoringofthedistributiongrid.Allfieldcommunicationishandledwirelessly,
whichincomparisontotraditionalmodembasedconnectivity increasesthedatatransfercapacityimmensely
anddoesnotrequirecontinuousreestablishingoftheconnection(andthusinducedelays)asmodemsdid.In
termsofgridoptimizationactivities,thischaracteristicisvitalforincreasingtheefficiencyofthegrid.
ProtocolConversionFielddevicestypicallyuseoldserialprotocolssuchasIEC101,DNP,ModbusorSPAfor
communications.WhenusingGPRSandTCP/IP technologies, so calledpacketbasedcommunications, these
protocolsno longerwork. Communication in thismanner has thus previously not been possiblewithout a
separateprotocolconverter.TocircumventthisobstacleViolasproductshavebeenequippedwithaninternal
protocol conversion functionality, serving as a builtin multilingual translator between devices and
technologyusing
different
protocols,
e.g.
converting
between
IEC
101
and
IEC
104.
Builtwith an OpenArchitecture Historically, many communication networks in utilities were based on
proprietary systems.Notonlydid these systems result costly, theywere also rigid,difficult to scaleup and
impossibleto integratewithothersystems.Themantratoday istouseopenstandardsand leverageexisting
communications technology.Viola does exactly this Violas solution isbuilt on an open architecture, and
leveragesthemassive investmentsput intoTCP/IPInternet.Theproductsarethereforeeasilyconnectableto
othersystemsanddevices,makingitflexibleandveryeasilyscalableforfutureneeds.
Figure5:MainfeaturesofViolaConnectsolution
EndtoEnd
Communication
Technology
Agnosticism
Flexible
Integration
RealTime
TwoWay
Communication
AlwaysOn
Connection
Protocol
Conversion
Open
Architecture
Viola'sConnect
SolutionFeatures
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KeyBenefitsofViolasSolution
Violassolutionholdsmanybenefitscomparedtocompetitorsandalternativetechnologies.Thebenefitsare
summarizedinError!Referencesourcenotfound.andexplainedbelow.
Figure6:SummaryofsolutionbenefitsCostEfficient
Violas communications solution lowers capital expenditure by leveraging existing technology, so the
technology does not need to be tailored for a specific customer. As the network can be operated more
efficiently investment in new capacity are deferred or even completely eliminated. Operating costs are
reducedthrough lowermaintenanceand installationcosts,andreducedregulatorypenaltiespaidoutdueto
outages.Whenapplicable,theuseofpublicmobilenetworksalsoimpliescostsavingsnoinstallationcharges
areneeded,andevenwithlargeamountsofdatatransfer,thecommunicationcostsdonotskyrocketsuchas
withradio
modems.
Thus,
the
total
cost
of
ownership
in
the
long
term
will
be
smaller.
To
quantify
these
benefits, theElectric PowerResearch Institute (EPRI)has estimated that SmartGrid initiativeshave a cost
benefitratiobetween4:1and5:13.
Reliable
Autilityneedstobecertainthatoncethousandsofroutersareinstalledinremotelocations,theproductswill
workanddonotneedtobeserviced.Sendingamaintenanceguytoaremotelocationtoclimbupapolejust
topress a resetbutton is a timeconsuming and costlyprocedure and shouldbe avoided at all cost.A key
benefitofViolassolutionis itsreliability.Theproductshavebeendesignedtobeinherentlyrugged,andthe
solutionhasbeenfieldproven inmanycustomerprojects Violasproductsare thus reliablebyexperience.
The
products
also
have
several
functionalities
designed
to
support
mission
critical
applications;
the
devices
monitorsthemselvesinordertopreventproblemsandarecapableofperformingcorrectiveprocedurestostay
functional,inadditiontothepossibilityofremotecontroltofixproblems.
Violasproductshavealsodeliveredontheirpromiseofreliability.In2005adistributionnetworkprojectwas
carriedoutdelivering1000routerstoautility.Tothisdate,notasinglecommunicationfailurehasoccurred.
3TowardaSmarterGridABBsVisionforthePowerSystemoftheFuture,ABB,July2009
Reliable
Scalable
Secure
BENEFITS OF VIOLA'S COMMUNICATIONS SOLUTION
CostEfficient
FlexibleFutureProof
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TOWARDSASMARTERGRID:WHYBRIDGINGTHECOMMUNICATIONSGAPISKEY 11
Secure
Violaleveragesarangeofdifferentdatasecuritytoolstoimprovethesecurityofthecommunicationssystem.
AllViolaproductsareequippedwithaninternalfirewallandallinformationsenttoandfromthedistribution
gridisencryptedandcomplieswithInternetsecuritystandards.TheViolaM2MGatewayusedtointegratethe
products inthefieldprovidestheproductswithasecureVPNtunnelforsecurecommunication.Thesecurity
systemiscapableofsupportinghighlysensitive,missioncriticalapplications,andtraceability isakeyelement
ofthesystem.
Scalable
AsViolassolution leveragesexisting,widelyusedtechnologiessuchasGPRSandTCP/IP,thesystem iseasily
scalable for future needs. The solution is architectedfor awidely dispersed network, and Violas solution
supportsapartial,aphasedorafullblown implementationof the communications system,basedon the
customersneed.
FutureProof
Violas solution is, above all,open.Violas solution relieson anopenarchitecture and commonly accepted
standards,andViolashunsaway from limiting theproducts toanyparticular technologyorapplication. It is
thusveryeasytointegratethesystemwithothernetworksortechnologiesinthefuture,andthefunctionality
oftheproductsisextensibletosupportfuturerequirementsandbuilduponthesysteminthefuture.
Flexible
Violas solution is designed to be as flexible as the customer needs, and Viola aims to support a healthy
technology agnosticism. All customer grid devices can be connected through Violas solution, any
communicationstechnologyornetworkmaybeusedandthecommunicationmaybedirectedtoanycustomer
applicationavailable.HenceViolasvalueproposition:Anydevice,anynetwork,anyapplication.
How Violas communications solution answers to and solves the central customer challenged related to
connectivityaspresentedinKeyCustomerChallengesinConnectivityissummarizedinTable3.
Table3:SummaryofcustomerconnectivitychallengesandViolasolutioncharacteristicsHighlevel
challengeLargenumberofnodes Internalinteroperability External
interoperability Reliability Futureproofing SecurityOperational
challenge
Cost
efficiency
Installation
time
Differing
interfaces
Differing
protocols
External
communications
Network
downtimeFlexibility
Future
threats
Viola
solution
character
istics
Usesexisting
infrastructure
Pre
configuration
ofproducts
Analogand
digitalI/Os
Protocol
conversionOpenarchitecture
Connection
monitoring
Any
network
SecureVPN
tunnel
Open
architecture
Remote
configuration
Serialand
Ethernet
interfaces
Usescommon
standards
Internal
watchdog
features
Anyphysical
device
interface
Builtin
firewall
Usespublic
networks
when
applicable
Installation
support
throughlocal
partners
Endtoend
Interoperability
testing with
majorplayers
Rugged
design
Anylogical
device
protocol
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CONNECTIVITYANDCOMMUNICATION APPLICATIONS IN ADISTRIBUTIONGRID
WehavenowpresentedViolassolutiontotheSmartGridconnectivityproblemonahigh level.Next,wewill
takeastep
down
the
abstraction
level
and
focus
on
the
actual
grass
root
level
solutions,
i.e.
the
customer
applicationsthatareenabledthankstoaneffectivecommunicationslayer.Next,theelectricalcomponentsof
thedistributiongridthatcanbenefitfromhavingtwoway,realtimecommunicationarepresented.
BasicElementsofanElectricGrid
SubstationsDistribution level substations (orprimary substations,henceforthonly
substations)serveasaconnectionbetweentransmissionanddistribution.Themain
functionofadistributionsubstation isto lower thevoltageof theelectricity tosuit
thedistributionnetwork.Mostsubstationscontaintransformers,switchesandcircuit
breakerstocontroltheflowofelectricityandprotectthenetworkfromfaults.
ReclosersReclosers
are
atype
of
circuit
breakers
located
in
pole
tops.
Reclosers
are
usedonfeederlinestoisolateasectionofthefeederintheeventofafault,inorder
toreducethenumberofendcustomers leftwithoutpower.Reclosersalsohavethe
abilitytorestorepowerintemporaryfaultsituationsbyreclosingthecircuit.
Capacitor Bank Capacitors help adjust the power factor and voltage and allow
electricity tobedistributedmoreefficiently.Theycanoftenberemotelycontrolled
andswitched intoandoutofthesystemasneeded,orautomatedtoturnonoroff
accordingtotemperatureortimeofday.
VoltageRegulatorsVoltageregulatorshelpmaintainaconstantvoltagelevelalong
theentirefeeder.Theyraiseorlowerthevoltageonthedistributionlinetoprovidea
moreor
less
constant
voltage
as
the
amount
of
load
on
the
line
changes.
Voltage
regulatorsautomaticallyadjusttolowandhighloadsituationstoassureallcustomers
havepropervoltagetoruntheirelectricalequipment.
DisconnectorsA disconnector is a type of switch that can be found in poletops
alonga feeder.Disconnectors areused toopenanelectric circuit,but canonlybe
usedwhenthereisnocurrentrunningthroughit.Disconnectorsareusedforexample
toisolateapartoftheelectricgridtoensuresafeconditionsformaintenancestaff.
Distribution Transformers (DT) Distribution transformers operate like large
substation transformersthey reduce thevoltage from thedistribution level to the
voltagerequiredbythecustomer.Thesetransformersarethus locatedclose tothe
endcustomer
and
are
sized
to
meet
the
needs
of
all
customers
connected
to
it.
Distributiontransformerscaneitherbelocatedoverheadaspoletoptransformersor
onthegroundaspadmounttransformers.
Ring Main Units (RMU) Distribution networks are normally structured using a
numberofinterconnectedringshapedgrids.Distributiontransformersareconnected
tothesystembyTshapeddistributionlines,Toffs.ThecomponentsrequiredforaT
off are integrated in a device called a ringmain unit (RMU), often comprising of
switchesandfusesinordertoprovideprotectiontodistributiontransformers.RMUs
areespeciallyused in compactplaceswith largeelectricityneeds such as airports,
hospitalsandsmallindustries,andarenormallyrelatedtoundergroundcables.
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TOWARDSASMARTERGRID:WHYBRIDGINGTHECOMMUNICATIONSGAPISKEY 13
ApplicationsofSmartGridCommunication
Asnotedearlier,utilitieshavehistoricallynothadcommunicationorcontrolcontactbeyondsubstations.Smart
Gridcommunicationstechnologyextendsthereachtosecondarysubstationsandotherdevicesintheelectric
grid,allowing
for
many
Smart
Grid
applications
and
operational
improvements
to
be
implemented.
OUTAGEMANAGEMENT
With realtimedataonall relevantevents in thegridand thepower tocontrol reclosers,disconnectorsand
RMUs,utilitiescannowmanageoutagesinthenetworkmuchmoreefficiently:
Reduced total outage time Realtime information facilitates more rapid location of the fault, andremotecontrolwillallowforfastisolationandrestorationoffaults
ReducednumberofoutagesFieldinformationallowsforbettermaintenancetoavoidoutages ReducedmaintenanceRemotecontrolimpliesthatoftennomaintenancecrewsareneededatthesite
ASSETMANAGEMENT
Withacommunications
layer
employed
in
large
parts
of
the
network,
utilities
will
be
able
to
obtain
huge
amountsofdatafromtheirfieldassets,openingupawholenewworldofimprovementpossibilities:
Continuous monitoring of the condition of network components, allowing for replacementinvestmentstobetimedoptimallyandoutagesprevented.
The ability to optimize corrective maintenance based on the actual condition of the equipment,insteadofonaprescheduledplan.
REACTIVEPOWER ANDVOLTAGEMANAGEMENT
By remotely controlling, automating and centralizing the information from capacitor banks and voltage
regulators,utilitiescanimproveefficiencythroughsocalledvolt/VArOptimization.
Reducingtheamountofreactivepower(thatonlyheatsupconductors)inthewires,infavorofactivepower(thatdoestheactualwork).4
Keepingvoltageattherightlevelinordertoavoidenergylossesthatarisefromtoohighvoltage.LOADMANAGEMENT
Load management practices are important tools for energy companies in markets where demand often
exceedssupply,leadingtocustomersbeingleftwithoutelectricity.Thisphenomenonespeciallyvisibleinfast
growingemergingcountriessuchasIndiaorChina.Loadmanagementcanbeimplementedby:
Collecting informationonelectricity flows indifferentpartsofthenetwork todeterminewhereandwhenelectricityismostneededinordertosatisfyallcustomersandavoidoutages.
Addingswitchestothenetwork,whichcanturnpowersupplyonoroffaccordingtoneed.ADVANCEDMETERING
Advancedmetering is an important tool in engaging the consumer to takepart in the energymarket. The
followingbenefitscanbeattained:
Sophisticated pricing and billing as meters can be used to introduce a connection between theconsumerandtheutility.
Reductionofpeakdemandascustomersareprovidedwithincentivestoconsumeelectricityoffpeak.4ASmartGridisanOptimizedGrid,ABB,September2009
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TOWARDSASMARTERGRID:WHYBRIDGINGTHECOMMUNICATIONSGAPISKEY 14
BusinessCaseExample:OutageManagementIntheend,efficiency increases isabout improvingoperationsandcuttingcosts.Todemonstratethefinancial
benefits of automation and communication in the electric grid, we will quantify the impact of outage
managementto
reduce
the
regulatory
penalties
distribution
companies
incur.
Consider
atypical
feeder
design
beyond the substation level we position a recloser halfway
alongthefeeder line,andtwodisconnectorsat25%and75%of
thefeeder(seeFigure7).
Due tonetworkoperatorsholdingaspecialposition inanatural
monopoly,utilitiesarepenalizedbyregulatorsforoutages.Inour
caseweapplyFinnishregulatorypenaltiesforunplannedoutages:
Theinstancebasedfeeis1,10/kW Thetimebasedfeeis11/kWh
Additionally,we
make
the
following
assumptions:
Thefeederlinehasacapacityof5000kW Thefeederhasonaverageonefaultperyear Theremotelycontrolledreclosersanddisconnectorscan
bequicklyusedto isolatethefaulttothecorrect25%of
thefeeder
Asaresult,weconservativelyassumethatthetotalrestorationtimeforthefaultisreducedtohalfofwhatitwaspreviously,i.e.from3hoursto1,5hours.
Before automation of the recloser and disconnectors the annual penalty paid for this type of feeder was
170500.
With
the
reclosers
and
disconnectors
locating
and
isolating
the
fault
the
total
penalty
for
the
same
feederis26125,areductionof85%.Thereductioninpenaltyarisesfromtwosources:
1. from the faultbeing isolated to 25%of the feeder, reducing the affected capacity from 5000 kW to1250kW,and
2. fromthereductionofmaintenancetimetohalfoftheprevious.Now, if we consider the investment cost of the reclosers and the disconnectors, as well as the cost of the
communicationdevicesthatmakeremotecontrolpossible,wearriveatatotalinvestmentof540005.Thus,
the investment paybackof the complete system when only consideringoneyearofoperation is a mere 4,5
months.Herewehaventconsideredinstallationcosts,butneitherhaveweconsideredthesavingsattainedin
furtheroperational
years,
so
all
in
all,
equipping
pole
tops
with
communication
and
remote
control
proves
to
beaverylucrativeinvestment.
5Energiamarkkinavirasto,Finland:Bookvalueofarecloser21000,bookvalueofadisconnector15000.Viola:costofone
communicationdeviceapproximately1000.
Substation
R
C
D
C
D
C
D
C
Recloser
Disconnector
25%
25%
25%
25% RC
Figure7:Examplefeederdesign
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TOWARDSASMARTERGRID:WHYBRIDGINGTHECOMMUNICATIONSGAPISKEY 15
Figure8:Savingsinregulatorypenaltiesofoneautomatedfeeder
Additionalcostreductionsincurredfromoutagemanagementnotconsideredinthisexample:
Reduction inmaintenancecostsasfaultscanbe locatedand isolatedremotely,thusreducingmanualmaintenancetime.
Reducedpenalties thatdistribution companiesareobligated topaydirectly to consumers inoutagesituations that exceed a certain time limit. E.g. in Finland this time limit is 12 hours, but some
distributioncompaniespayvoluntarycompensationcostsalreadyafter6hours.
Thepenaltiesdistributioncompaniesneedtopaydirectlytocustomerscanbesignificant.In2008anelectricity
distributioncompany inFinlandwitharound90000customershad topayoutpenaltiesof0,5million for
outagesfollowingastorm.
5500 5500
165 000
20625 0
40000
80000
120 000
160000
200 000
Noautomated
devices
Automation:One
recloser,two
disconnectors
BusinessCaseofOneAutomatedFeeder
Penalty(time
based)
Penalty(instance
based)
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TOWARDSASMARTERGRID:WHYBRIDGINGTHECOMMUNICATIONSGAPISKEY 16
SUMMARY
In theenergy industry,efficiency involvesgettingasmuchenergyaspossible frompowergeneration to the
end
customer.
Even
in
the
most
modern
systems
today
around
6
8%
of
electricity
is
lost
on
its
way
from
the
powerplantstotheconsumer,andalargepartofthislossisduetoinadequateinfrastructureandoperations.
Thetraditionalelectricitygridwehave inusetodayno longerhastheneeded functionalitiestosupport21st
century power generation and the modern power consumer. The Smart Grid is supposed to update our
traditionalgridtobecomeamoreefficient,transparentandflexiblegridofthefuture.
SmartGrid servicesandapplicationshavebeenenvisioned in largequantities, ranging fromactivecustomer
participationintheenergymarkettoanintelligentdistributionnetworkwithselfhealingabilities.Thephysical
powergridandtheseapplicationsare,however,separatedbyalayerofcommunicationanddatatransferthat
isneeded tomake the visions andbenefits SmartGrid initiatives arepromising real.Utilities thusneed to
prioritizetheireffortofbuildingacomprehensivecommunicationssystemuponwhichallfutureapplications
canbe
built.
Violaisaforerunnerindevelopingwirelesscommunicationsolutionsforelectricutilities,inordertobringreal
time visibility and control into every cornerof distribution grids.Violas Connect solution answers to the
customersconnectivitychallengesbyofferingacostefficient,twowayandrealtimecommunicationssolution
thatstandsthetestoftimetoprovidesecurity,flexibilityandscalabilitynotonlytodaybutalsointhefuture.
By being able to connect any customer device independent of age or manufacturer, through any wireless
networktoanycustomerapplicationthatneedsrealtimefieldinformation,Violastandsbyitsvalueproposal:
Anydevice,anynetwork,anyapplication.
Figure9:Anydevice,anynetwork,anyapplication
VIOLA PROVIDES
THE
COMMUNICATION
ANYDEVICE
LAN WAN FAN
3G Satellite
WiMax
RF Mesh
M2M
Private
ANYAPPLICATION
ANYNETWORK
AMI DR
MDMDA
FLISR
Billing
SCADA