Grid operation 4.0 – IoT technology and innovation combined in a low-voltage grid

In recent years, the share of renewable energy in power generation has increased in accordance with the political goals in Germany. Most of the renewable energy systems (RES) are installed in the distribution grid. In the past, the electricity grid was sufficiently designed for the top-down direction of energy flow and was not operated with smart technology. With the change of the energy flow, more challenges appear for DSOs.

In the future, parts of the distribution grid could reach their limits so that flexibility will become more important. The project “Grid Operation 4.0” is the first rolled-out project at Westnetz GmbH that shows the usage of flexibility in a newly built low voltage (LV) management system.

The system is able to meet the requirements of the traffic light concept of the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW). Its aim is to reduce grid expansion by using grid-related flexibility in the distribution grid. Therefore, three traffic light phases are described as different situations for the market. In the green phase, the electricity grid is stable and therefore available to the market participants without restrictions. In the red phase, the grid stability is endangered. The most relevant phase is the yellow phase in which the DSO calls up for flexibility offered by market participants to avoid the red phase.

“Grid Operation 4.0” aims to realize the first LV management system, focusing on currently available technologies and standards. The crucial requirements for using flexibilities are observability and controllability including reliable communication. Therefore, the infrastructure of the grid is upgraded. With newly installed sensors, e.g. in secondary substations, and smart meters, measurements of voltage and current are collected. Using a new ICT layer, this data is sent directly to a backend, allowing the grid to be monitored in real time. The requirements of the information and security management system (ISMS) are also met. Furthermore, control commands from installed control boxes ensure remote or automatic switching.

Means of controllability are grid devices such as remote secondary substations and LV-switches as well as emobility charging points, RES or storages and also power-to-heat/-gas applications.      

“Grid Operation 4.0” offers several new opportunities. Firstly, its technology makes LV and MV grids observable. This is the essential prerequisite for controllability and grid-friendly flexibility management. It enables new, more efficient operation concepts (e.g. for fault location, isolation and recovery) and provides real-time load flow data for grid planning and operation. Secondly, the implementation is carried out in cooperation with service providers and field workers, so that the future users are integrated in the design and implementation of the technology. Thirdly, in order to roll out the project comprehensively, new training courses are designed and carried out to successfully apply the future grid operation.