I.

Introduction to Smart Grid

Evolution of Electric Grid, Concept, Definitions and Need for Smart Grid, Smart grid
drivers, functions, opportunities, challenges and benefits, Difference between conventional
& Smart Grid, Concept of Resilient & Self-Healing Grid, Present development &
International policies in Smart Grid, Diverse Prospective from experts and global Smart Grid
initiatives
1.1 Evolution of Electric Grid

Figure 1.1 Existing Electric Grid.

1.2 Disadvantages of Existing Electric Grid

1. Over strained and interregional bulk power transfer is limited

2. Cannot fully support the integration of renewable energy
3. Low reliability of power and outages
4. Fluctuating Power quality
2
 5. Lack of Consumer Discipline
6. Increasing levels of Green house gases
7. Almost Zero Customer Participation
8. Low billing and collection
9. Less Efficiency

1.3 Concept, Definitions and Need for Smart Grid

A Smart Grid is an electricity Network based on Digital Technology that is used to supply
electricity to consumers via Two-Way Digital Communication. This system allows for
monitoring, analysis, control and communication within the supply chain to help improve
efficiency, reduce the energy consumption and cost and maximise the transparency and
reliability of the energy supply chain.
The term “Smart Grid” was coined by Andres E. Carvallo on April 24, 2007 at an IDC energy
conference in Chicago.
Definition: Smart grid is integration of an electric power system, communication network,
advanced Sensing, metering, measurement infrastructure, complete decision support and
human interfaces software and hardware to monitor, control and manage the creation,
distribution, storage and consumption of energy.
The areas of application of smart grids include: smart meters integration, demand
management, smart integration of generated energy, administration of storage and renewable
resources, using systems that continuously provide and use data from an energy network.
A Smart Grid is an electricity network that can intelligently integrate the actions of all users
connected to it – generators, consumers and those that do both – in order to efficiently deliver
sustainable, economic and secure electricity supplies.
➢ System (Generation, Transmission, Distribution) with an advanced two- way
communications system
➢ Enables real-time monitoring and control
➢ Provide greater visibility and transparency
➢ Consequently, enables cost reduction and efficiency improvement

Smart Grid is based on Digital Technology that is used to supply electricity to consumers
via Two-Way Digital Communication. This system allows for monitoring, analysis, control
and communication within the supply chain to help improve efficiency, reduce the energy
consumption and cost and maximise the transparency and reliability of the energy supply
chain.

3
The flow of electricity from utility to consumer becomes a two-way conversation, saving
consumers money, energy, delivering more transparency in terms of end-user use, and
reducing carbon emissions.
A smart grid distribution system, whose objective is to develop a power grid more efficient
and reliable, improving safety and quality of supply in accordance with the requirements of
the digital age.

✓ Higher Penetration of renewable resources or distributed generation

✓ Extensive and effective communication overlay from generation to consumers
✓ Use of advanced sensors and high speed control
✓ Higher operating efficiency.
✓ Greater resiliency against attacks and natural disasters
✓ Automated metering and rapid power restoration
✓ Provided greater customer participation

Presently the Indian Electricity System faces a number of challenges such as:
✓ Shortage of power
✓ Power Theft
✓ Poor access to electricity in Rural areas
✓ Huge losses in the Grid
✓ Inefficient Power Consumption
✓ Poor reliability
To overcome these problems; smart grid is needed.

1.4 Smart grid drivers & functions

❖ Increasing demand: Information and communications technology, Measurement

and control Demand response, Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI)
❖ High Aggregate Technical &Non-Technical, Losses:18%-62%
❖ Ageing Assets: Transformers, Feeders etc.,
❖ Grid to carry more power: Need for, Reliability and greater Security
❖ Billing and collections: Profitability of distribution companies
❖ Energy mix: Need for Renewable Energy [Hydro Power, Solar Thermal Energy,
Wind, Biomass, Biogas ] to reduce carbon footprint

4
 ❖ Deliver sustainable energy: Voltage & VAR control, Resource planning, analysis,
and forecasting tools, Fault Detection, Identification, and Restoration (FDIR)
❖ Increased efficiency: Direct load control, Distributed energy resources, Distributed
energy resources integration, Energy storage, Advanced metering infrastructure
(AMI)
❖ Empower consumers: Consumer education and awareness, Residential consumer
energy management, Information and communications technology
❖ Improve reliability: System wide monitoring, Measurement and control,
Distributed energy resources, Distributed energy resources integration, Energy
storage, Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI)

1.5 Challenges of Smart Grid

✓ Policy and regulation
✓ Ageing and outdated Infrastructure
✓ Lack of integrated communication platform
✓ High Capital and operating costs
✓ Big Data Handling
✓ Compatibility of older equipment
✓ Lack of standards for interoperability
✓ Smart Grid Cybersecurity
✓ Lack of Smart consumers

Technology Challenges Obligations

Exposed to internet attacks (Spasm, Worms,virus etc.), question

Self-Healing Security of National security
Action
Failure during natural calamities, system outagesand total
Reliability blackout

Long-term and un-predictable intermittent sources of energy,

Wind/Solar unscheduled power flow and dispatch
Generation
Renewable
Energy
Power Flow Transmission line congestions and huge
Integration
Optimization investments

Decoupling causes system stability issues causes reduced inertia

Power System due to high level of windpenetration
Stability

5
 Expensive energy storage systems like Ultra-capacitors, SMES,
Cost CAES etc.
Energy
Storage
Systems Complexity Complex customary design module and networks

Non- Unique designs for all individual networks notease adaptation.

Flexibility

Malware, data intercepting, data corruption,Illegal power

Security handling and Smuggling
Consumers
Motivation
Privacy Sharing of data cause privacy invasion, etc.,

Corruption and system threats like security andprivacy issues

Consumer awareness

Need of strong data routing system, with secure and private network
Grid Automation for reliable protection, control and communication
Reliability

Grid Generation demand equilibrium and power systemstability with

Reconfiguration grid complexity

Disturbance Grid disturbances due to local faults in grids, loadcentres or

Identification sources
Power
Quality
Harmonics System instability during sags, dips or voltage
Suppression variation such as over-voltages, under-voltages,voltage flickers,
etc.

1.6 Benefits of Smart Grid

➢ Self-Healing :A smart grid automatically detects and responds
to routineproblems and quickly recovers if they occur,
minimizing downtime and financial loss.
➢ Resists Attack: A smart grid has security built in from the ground up.
➢ Motivates and Includes the Consumer: A smart grid gives all
consumers industrial, commercial, and residential-visibility in to
real-time pricing, and affords them the opportunity to choose the
volume of consumption and price that best suits their needs.
➢ Reduction in AT & C losses
➢ Reduction in CO2 Emission
➢ Enabling Energy Audit
6
 ➢ Reduction in Cost Billing
➢ Remote Load Control
➢ Shifting of Peak requirement to non-peak time [Peak Shaving]
➢ Integration of Renewable Energy
➢ Clean Energy Development.
➢ Provides Power Quality
➢ Optimizes Assets and Operates Efficiently
➢ Safety, Reliable and Efficient
➢ Improved National Security
➢ Improved Environmental Conditions
➢ Improved Economic Growth

1.7 Difference between conventional & Smart Grid,

Sl.No. Smart Grid Conventional Grid

1. Self-Healing Manual Restoration
2. Digital Electromechanical
3. Pervasive Control Limited Control
4. Two-Way Communication One-Way Communication
5. Distributed Generation Centralized Generation
6. Network Hierarchical
7. Adaptive and Islanding Failures and Blackouts
8. Sensors Throughout Few Sensors
9. Remote Check/Test Manual Check/Test
10. Self-Monitoring Blind
11. Many Customer Choices Few Customer Choices
12. Extensive real time monitoring Lack of real time monitoring
13. Extremely quick reaction time Slow Reaction time
14. Energy Storage No energy Storage
15. Increased customer participation Total control by Utility

7
1.8 Concept of Resilient
The capability of a strained body to recover its size and shape after deformation caused
especially by compressive stress
An ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change
Resilience is the property of a material to absorb energy when it is deformed elastically and
then, upon unloading to have this energy recovered. In other words, it is the maximum
energy per volume that can be elastically stored. It is represented by the area under the curve
in the elastic region in the Stress‐Strain diagram.
A resilient electric grid begins with
➢ a system that is designed and built to withstand high winds, powerful storms,
➢ cybersecurity threats and
➢ other disruptions that could result in outages

1.9 Concept of Self-Healing Grid

❖ A self-healing grid is expected to respond to threats, material failures, and other
destabilizing influences by preventing or containing the spread of disturbances. This
requires the following capabilities:
❖ Timely recognition of impending problems
❖ Redeployment of resources to minimize adverse impacts
❖ A fast and coordinated response to evolving disturbances
❖ Minimization of loss of service under any circumstances
❖ Minimization of time to reconfigure and restore service
A smart grid automatically detects and responds to routine problems and quickly recover if
they occur, minimizing downtime and financial loss.
Self-healing concept important to the Energy Infrastructure
A secure ―architected sensing, communications, automation (control), and energy
overlaid infrastructure as an integrated, reconfigurable, and
electronically controlled system that will offer unprecedented flexibility and functionality,
and improve system availability, security, quality, resilience and robustness.
8
 Figure 1.2 Block Diagram for Self-Healing Grid
The Self-Healing Grid is a system comprised of sensors, automated controls, and advanced
software that utilizes real-time distribution data to detect and isolate faults and to
reconfigure the distribution network to minimize the customers impacted.
One of the main goals of a Self-Healing Grid is to improve system reliability.
This can be accomplished by reconfiguring the switches and reclosers installed on the
distribution feeder to quickly isolate the faulted section of the feeder and re-establish service
to as many customers as possible from alternate sources/feeders.
1.10 International policies in Smart Grid
1.10.1 Smart grids policies For USA
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 is the first federal law that specifically promotes the
development of smart meters. It directs utility regulators to consider time-based pricing
and other forms of demand response for their states. Utilities are required to provide each
customer a time-based rate schedule and a time-based meter upon customer request.
The 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) lays out a national policy for the
Smart Grid in the U.S.
– The Act assigned NIST the primary responsibility to coordinate
development of standards for the Smart Grid

9
 – NIST is also supporting future FERC and State PUC rulemaking to adopt
Smart Grid standards
• Key Federal policy recommendations:
– Enable cost-effective smart grid investments
– Unlock innovation
– Empower and inform consumers
– Secure the grid
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a major standards
developing federal agency, is directed to develop a smart-grid interoperability framework
that provides protocols and standards for smart-grid technologies.
EISA established a federal smart-grid investment matching grant program to reimburse
20% of qualifying smart-grid investments.
The next important legislative effort is the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. It accelerates the development of smart-
grid technologies by appropriating $4.5 billion for electricity delivery and energy reliability
modernization efforts. Utilities and other investors can apply stimulus grants
to pay up to 50% of the qualifying smart-grid investments. To date, the Smart Grid
Investment Grant authorized under this Act has 99 recipients, with a total public investment
of $3.5 billion
1.10.2 Smart grids policies For UK
To modernize and reduce the carbon footprint of electric grids, one major initiative of the
United Kingdom is to encourage energy efficiency through smart-meter deployment.
The British government expects full penetration of smart meters by 2020, with a total
financial investment of £8.6 billion ($13.5 billion) and total benefits of £14.6 billion ($22.9
billion) over the next 20 years

10
References
[1] Stuart Borlase “Smart Grid: Infrastructure, Technology and Solutions”,CRC Press2012.
[2] Janaka Ekanayake, Nick Jenkins, Kithsiri Liyanage, JianzhongWu, Akihiko Yokoyama,
“Smart Grid: Technology and Applications”,Wiley, 2012.
[3] Vehbi C. Güngör,DilanSahin, TaskinKocak, SalihErgüt, Concettina Buccella, Carlo
Cecati, and GerhardP. Hancke, “Smart Grid Technologies: Communication Technologies
and Standards”, IEEE Transactions On Industrial Informatics, Vol. 7, No. 4, November
2011.
[4] Xi Fang, Satyajayant Misra, Guoliang Xue, and Dejun Yang “Smart Grid – The New and
Improved Power Grid: A Survey”, IEEE Transaction on Smart Grids,Vol.14,No.4,pp.944-
980,2012.

Course
S. No. Question Outcomes
(Level)
UNIT – I
Part – A

1. Interpret the term smart grid. CO1(2)

2. List out the Benefits of Smart Grid. CO1(4)

3. Examine the Need of Smart Grid in Power system. CO1(4)

4. List out the Challenges of Smart Grid. CO1(4)

5. List out the applications of Smart Grid. CO1(4)

6. Classify the different types Smart Grid Drivers. CO1(4)

7. Explain the concept of self- Healing Grid. CO1(5)

8. Interpret the term Resilient. CO1(2)

9. List out the opportunities of Smart Grid. CO1(4)

10. Compare the difference between Conventional Grid and Smart Grid CO1(5)

11