XYLENE POWER LTD.

SMART GRID

By C. Rhodes

DUMB GRID:
The present electricity grid in Ontario is a classic dumb grid in which central dispatch rather than distributed intelligence is used to match generation to load. The intelligence on the grid is limited to transformer tap controllers in substations to regulate feeder voltages and breaker controllers which clear, isolate and identify faults.

SMART GRID:
A Smart Grid is an electricity grid that uses distributed control systems to achieve maximum efficiency and reliability. Implementation of a Smart Grid involves abandonment of the concept of central control of electricity dispatch. Instead each part of the electricity system should have its own local controller which should act to maximize the load factor or capacity factor of that part of the system consistent with proper voltage regulation. A local control zone may be as small as a single building. Ideally, if there is an electricity supply interruption the controller should have sufficient intelligence to obtain power from an alternate source or an alternate feeder.

The primary advantages of a smart grid are that it maximizes economic grid usage and electricity supply reliability.

REDUNDANCY:
In order for local controllers to satisfactorily manage fault conditions there must be sufficient transmission redundancy that the electricity system can operate with any single component out of service. A problem in Ontario at present is that there are numerous points, particularly around Toronto, where that redundancy simply does not exist at peak load conditions.

IMPLEMENTATION:
Implementation of a Smart Grid involves the following steps:
1. Upgrading the grid such that any single component can be taken out of service without impacting electricity service to end users;
2. Installation of direction sensitive kWh meters that record all energy flows into or out of the grid as a function of time;
3. Installation of a communications system that gathers the metered data and that broadcasts common information needed by local controllers to optimize their control strategies;
4. Changes to the electricity rate structure so that all grid customers have a strong economic motivation to control their generation/load in a manner which is consistent with stable and economic grid operation;
5. Implementation of the new electicity rate structure using the metered data;
6. Implementation of local control systems at most substations and grid customer locations;
7. Ongoing analysis of metered data to identify grid segments that need service or further upgrades.

PROGRESS:
In early 2010 Ontario is still in the midst of steps #1,#2 and #3. The Ontario government, the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) and the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) have made little or no progress on step #4 and #5. The technology necessary to implement step #6 exists, but end users have little motivation to apply it because there is insufficient economic incentive in the electricity rate structure. There has been little progress on step #7.

PROBLEMS:
At the root of the smart grid implementation problems is the unwillingness of politicians to proceed with necessary grid upgrades that have been clearly identified by engineers for many years. The best computer solution in the world will not solve an electricity system problem if a local politician with NIMBY supporters blocks its physical implementation.

Ontario has a fundamental problem that both the province and local municipalites have not made adequate planning provisions for sufficient electricity transmission corridors. Until provincial politicians address this problem this issue will constrain the smart grid benefits. At the present the OPA is attempting to resolve transmission bottlenecks through the use of local natural gas fired generation. However, use of this generation is contrary to necessary CO2 emission reductions. The smart solution is to face the transmission planning problems head on and to site transmission where it is reasonably required.

TRANSMISSION CORRIDORS:
Proper planning requires restricting use of real estate along future transmission corridors. The transmission corridor land acquisition process takes many years and is an issue that the Ontario government has procrastinated about for the last 20 years.

This web page last updated March 12, 2010.