Electricity and Control March 2024

TRANSFORMERS, SUBSTATIONS + CABLES

Creating flexibility in the power grid

The concept of grid flexibility is assuming new dimensions in the changing energy landscape. As power generation shifts towards the use of renewable energy and distributed energy resources, power transmission and distribution systems need to adapt and establish a future-oriented flexible, optimised grid. DwibinThomas, Cluster Automation Leader at Schneider Electric, points to digital solutions.

Dwibin Thomas, Cluster Automation Leader at Schneider Electric.

T raditionally, grid flexibility involved utilities enrolling large industrial energy consumers in load curtail ment and demand-response programmes to help adjust the balance between supply and demand. Those electricity-intensive users would reduce or shift their energy use during peak periods. However, today, grid flexibility has become far more complex. For one, an increasing investment in renewables means energy flow becomes bi-directional, with decentral ised energy coming from multiple distributed energy re sources (DERs). Furthermore, as organisations and individual house holds move to generating their own electricity, there is a growing sector of prosumers that produce and consume energy, further amplifying the need for grid flexibility. Traditional demand-response shows its limitations in bal ancing an evolving grid. This presents a critical paradigm shift for utilities and, given the pace of innovation, it is chal lenging to plan for a future that includes rapidly growing DERs. Plus, there is the fundamental challenge of upgrading a decades-old grid, which takes time and requires signifi cant capital expenditure. Grid-connected prosumers, an in crease in electrification, and climate uncertainty also mean energy demand will continue to be variable and uncertain. Digitisation enables flexibility A digitised grid – one that adapts to variable energy sources and responds to dynamic challenges – is needed to iden

enabling predictive maintenance strategies. With digitisation, operators can benefit from a consoli dated view of the various energy resources that are feed ing into the grid and ensure the energy is managed and distributed methodically, based on real-world demand and supply. This requires careful management to maintain grid stability. Change requires flexibility In order to establish a more flexible grid we have to keep pace with the evolving energy landscape. Firstly, at the prosumer level we are seeing a hybrid fu ture taking shape. Here, more IoT-connected assets (build ings, houses, EVs, and such) are moving online, ready to be dispatched and aggregated. These assets are looking for the right ‘flex’ – a compro mise between efficiency through more automation, and freedom of choice enabled by customer engagement plat forms. Secondly, utilities responsible for grid management need to optimise each hybrid prosumer and other suppliers of DERs by incorporating the necessary technology (direct ly or via services vendors) that will enable the grid to oper ate in a more agile and flexible way. At the level of the distribution system operator, there are DER management software solutions available that are tai lored to enable the efficient planning, design, and opera tion of a flexible, dynamic grid. These solutions maximise the connection of renewables by leveraging DER flexibility – an approach that supports small proof-of-concept projects to full-scale deployment rollouts that require direct device monitoring, control, and integration with third-party aggregators. DER management solutions provide energy suppliers and distributors with smarter, more efficient ways to man age the integration of various energy sources into the grid. At Schneider Electric, for example, our DER manage ment software options incorporate AI and machine learning algorithms, to analyse historical and contemporary data and, for instance, to consider weather patterns and fore casts that will give utilities additional insight into the renew able energy supply. □

tify, enrol, and aggre gate distributed en ergy resources. The grid of the future sup ports sustainability as it can incorporate DERs in a more flex ible and optimised way to build-in grid resilience. It adapts faster and is more re sponsive to weather crises, is more sus tainable, more relia ble, and can reduce operational costs by

Digital solutions provide energy suppliers and distributors with smarter, more efficient ways to manage the integration of various energy sources into the grid.

For more information visit: www.se.com

20 Electricity + Control MARCH 2024