CIRED 2012 - CIRED 2012 Workshop 2012 : Integration of Renewables into the Distribution Grid

The transition to a low carbon economy is leading to a very rapid development of Decentralised Generation using renewable energy sources. This implies in-depth changes in the planning and operation of distribution networks. New methods and tools are needed to analyse networks, optimise investment decisions, assess security levels, manage congestions and regulate the voltage level.

The consequences on the regulation of the industry are also very high: DSOs will need appropriate incentives in order to implement the innovative solutions needed to continue guaranteeing security of supply and acting as efficient local market facilitators. The co-ordination between DSOs and TSOs will have to be strengthened.

The implementation of advanced metering infrastructures (AMI) will offer a wealth of new information as well as new communication capabilities which can greatly facilitate the integration of Renewables into the Distribution Grid.

The objectives of the workshop are

To appraise the present state of the art solutions and discuss the expected progress in integrating renewables into distribution networks.
The workshop will be structured following two themes:

Installations and investments both in distribution network and customer connection lines
Methods and tools for analysing and planning distribution networks
Regulatory matters
Funding of innovation

Operation, automation and protection issues
Network operation, safety assessment and congestion management
Voltage regulation
Theme 1: Installations and investments both in distribution network and customer connection lines

The existing software tools and methods have significant shortcomings for analysing and planning today’s distribution systems. According to which rules should decisions be made in the era of smart grid with high shares of renewable energy sources?

Can probabilistic planning of investments and risk management be a solution? Can multi criteria and multi objective programming help take into consideration contrasting goals and tensions among the stakeholders?

To what extent can the active management influence investment strategies at distribution level?

Will the reliability of distribution systems be affected by innovative operation schemes? What is the role of ICT in the expected reliability level? Are the existing planning methodologies suitable to compare different planning alternatives from a reliability point of view?

Existing software tools and methodologies do not provide a convenient mechanism to enable planning engineers to tap the wealth of new information from advanced metering infrastructure (AMI). Can data gathered with smart meters be useful for new investment planning, particularly in big cities and fast developing countries?

Where should the majority of costs and investments be allocated? Substation, Overhead lines, Cables, Storage?

Influence of Regulators

For large scale integration of RES, new financing and regulatory frameworks are essential in order to: support large-scale investments; approve DSO related costs; and ensure sufficient return on investments. Is the current regulation capable of promoting innovation at deployment level?

Regulators/politicians should ensure network companies are incentivised to pursue value for money innovative solutions. Business case studies are necessary to determine a fair mechanism of incentivisation as well as the related benefits to stakeholders.

RES integration impacts both transmission and distribution networks. Significant savings may be achieved with a strong cooperation between TSOs and DSOs. How can regulation be used to establish a more strict coordination between TSOs and DSOs?

RES integration requires investments for innovative distribution systems. Costs for innovation are mainly incurred by DSOs but the benefits are widely spread. How can the Regulator allow a fairer distribution of costs and benefits?

Where is the border between DG and Customer?
Theme 2: Operation, automation and protection issues

What is the impact of DG on distribution network operation, safety assessment and congestion management?

What is the level of integration of DG into SCADA?

Do operating schemes rely on the contribution of DG to guarantee network security and quality of supply? What are the congestion management schemes used? What kind of network analysis should be performed on week-ahead, day-ahead and intra-day basis?

How do network operators use wind and solar power production forecasts to optimise network operation? What is the present state of the art and expected progress in this field?

What rules should be revised regarding the behaviour of DG in case of network disturbance?

Voltage regulation (both on HV, MV and LV networks):
To what extent can local regulation, without communication links, be used for voltage control?

Will voltage be centrally controlled and regulated by automatic optimisation tools implemented in distribution networks control centres? What is the amount and quality of data needed for this purpose and how will this data be obtained (what kind of sensors?) and transmitted?

Are innovative components available or under development to address this issue?
Are new protection concepts needed?

What are the consequences of the development of DG on the DSO-TSO interface?

Can the development of Advanced Metering Infrastructures contribute to the integration of DG in distribution network operation