Plenary Lectures at ISGT Europe 2017 include:

 

Lessons learned from smart grids projects in Europe

Wednesday 27 September, Aula Magna, 10:10-10:50

Speaker: Marcelo Masera (Joint Research Centre of the European Commission)

Abstract:

The presentation will detail the results of the Smart Grid Projects Outlook 2017 exercise. It will present the latest analyses and insights from the most comprehensive database of smart grid projects across the European Union (EU) Member States, including a total of 950 smart grid projects.

This outlook is intended to be a compendium of key facts and figures that can be used to inform and support further analysis. It also aims to collect and share success stories and best practices. The analysis is based on a database of smart grid R&D and demonstration projects, a living compilation of facts and knowledge that is periodically updated to reflect the continuous developments in the field.

The analysis shows strong differences between Member States in the number of projects and the overall level and pace of investment. Private investment is clearly the most important source of financing of smart grid projects, but European and national funding play an important role in leveraging private finance and incentivising investment. Distribution system operators (DSOs) are the stakeholders with the highest investment, but non-traditional actors such as public institutions and other emerging stakeholders are steadily increasing their investment in the field. The domains with highest investment are smart network management, demand-side management and integration of distributed generation and storage, together accounting for around 80 % of the total investment. Many projects however address several domains at the same time to investigate and test the systemic integration of different solutions.

Biographical notes:

Marcelo Masera is Head of the Unit “Energy Security, Distribution and Markets” at the Directorate “Energy, Transportation and Climate” of the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission.

He studied Electronics and Electricity Engineering. Between 1981 and 1989 he was grantholder and research of CONICET (Argentina’s National Scientific and Technological Research Council). His research work was centred on reliability and risk of complex engineering systems.

He was visiting scientist at the Joint Research Centre between 1990 and 1992, working on the assessment of industrial risk.

Between 1992 and 2000 he acted as private consulting, mainly working in research and development projects for petrochemical and other engineering companies.

Since 2000 he is officer of the European Commission, working at the Joint Research Centre. Between 2000 and 2010 he was responsible for the group dealing with Critical Infrastructure Protection, theory of failures in cyber-physical systems and cybersecurity related aspects.

Since 2011 he is Head of Unit responsible for security of supply, energy infrastructure and energy markets, based at the JRC site in Petten, the Netherlands.

 

Automatic fault selection and self-healing techniques on Medium Voltage networks: first results from e-distribuzione large pilot experience of the new “Smart Fault Selection algorithms”

Thursday 28 September, Aula Magna, 8:45-9:30

Speaker: Lilia Consiglio (e-distribuzione, Italy)

Abstract: e-distribuzione, the largest Italian DSO, started experiencing automatic techniques for MV fault detection since early 2000s. The automatic selection of faulty sections is in operation all over the MV network, and allowed to significantly reduce the duration of outages (i.e. SAIDI). Nowadays the goal is to reduce the number of outages per customer, too (i.e. SAIFI).

The solution we are now testing at large scale, called “Smart Fault Selection”, has been ideated, developed and fine-tuned during the last 5 years thank to several Smart Grid pilot projects. The Smart Fault Selection (SFS) automation exploits the experiences done with the previous generation of algorithms and apparatus. SFS is based on always on and broadband communication and new field devices implementing IEC61850 protocol (including GOOSE); SFS allows not only to detect a fault and automatically isolate the faulty section (improving what implemented in the previous generation of automation techniques already in place), but also to do this with no outages affecting customer. SFS in now implemented over several MV networks, thus collecting real field results and allowing to further improve the end to end solution, from field devices and communication infrastructure to central systems.

Biographical notes:

Lilia joined ENEL Group in 1992 and she is now responsible in Italy for the technical systems used for distribution network operation and maintenance, such as Outage Management System, Interactive Response System, SCADA,  telecommunication infrastructures enabling remote control and automation systems.

She previously took over the responsibility for the Smart Grid Solution Development Center in e-distribuzione SpA, operating in the field of innovative technologies for distribution networks, electrical vehicles recharging infrastructures, Energy Management Systems and energy efficiency.

Lilia is working in the field of Remote Control and Distribution Automation Systems since 1996, being involved in the development of central systems (including SCADA and Distribution Management System), relay protections and remote terminal units for the remote control of the HV/MV and MV/LV substations. She contributed to the definition and evolution of the end-to-end solution for the automatic fault detection and restoration along MV network, presently adopted in ENEL.

Lilia holds a Master’s degree in Electronic Engineering from “La Sapienza” University of Rome.

 

Grid Modernization: Challenges, Opportunities, and Solutions

Friday 29 September, Aula Magna, 8:50-9:30

Speaker: Jianhui Wang (Argonne National Laboratory/Southern Methodist University, USA)

Abstract: Our aging grid infrastructure faces increasing challenges from multiple sources including greater demand variability, stricter environmental regulations and growing cyber security concerns.  Advanced smart grid technologies provide possible solutions to tackle these challenges. Meanwhile how to best utilize these new devices and technologies such as PMUs and electric vehicles remains a challenge by itself. In this talk, I will address various topics which span a multitude of areas including demand response, stochastic optimization for renewable integration, microgrids and cyber security. I will present the technical issues in implementing these technologies and corresponding potential solutions.

Biographical notes: Prof. Jianhui Wang is on the faculty of the Lyle School of Engineering at Southern Methodist University and the Section Manager for Advanced Power Grid Modeling at Argonne National Laboratory.  He is the Secretary of the IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES) Power System Operations, Planning & Economics Committee. He has authored/co-authored more than 250 journal and conference publications. His work has been cited for more than 8000 times by his peers. He is an editor of Journal of Energy Engineering and Applied Energy. He has also held visiting positions in Europe, Australia and Hong Kong including a VELUX Visiting Professorship at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). Dr. Wang is the Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid and an IEEE PES Distinguished Lecturer. He is the recipient of the IEEE PES Power System Operation Committee Prize Paper Award in 2015.

 

Reliability and resilience in low-carbon, low-inertia power systems: challenges, opportunities, and role of smart grid technologies

Friday 29 September, Aula Magna, 9:30-10:10

Speaker: Pierluigi Mancarella (University of Melbourne, Australia / The University of Manchester, UK)

Abstract: Our understanding of the classical reliability concepts of security and adequacy is increasingly being challenged by: (a) growing shares of variable renewable energy sources that require new system operation approaches, particularly to deal with decreasing levels of inertia and larger balancing and reserve requirements; and (b) the more frequent occurrence of extreme events (for instance driven by climate change) with potentially catastrophic impacts. There then may be situations when these two challenges occur simultaneously, such as in the September 2016 South Australia “Black System” event.

The primary aim of this Lecture is to discuss new analysis frameworks and modelling tools to securely deal with low-inertia system operation and make future low-carbon power systems more resilient to high-impact, low-probability events. The key question that will then be asked is whether the system should be made “bigger” (e.g., making the system more redundant or robust, through investment into new transmission and generation asset, component hardening, etc.) or “smarter”. Consideration for the latter will include analyzing the role of new operational strategies (e.g., frequency response-constrained optimal power flow, controlled islanding, etc.) as well as of smart grid technologies (e.g., Fast Frequency Response from various sources, electrolyzers, etc.).

The South Australia “Black System” event of September 2016 will be taken as a case study to illustrate some of the general concepts presented, with particular focus on new security requirements (particularly for frequency response and voltage stability) that could also help in dealing with extreme events in low-inertia power systems.

Biographical notes: Pierluigi Mancarella is Chair Professor of Electrical Power Systems at the University of Melbourne, Australia, and part-time Professor of Smart Energy Systems at the University of Manchester, UK. Pierluigi obtained the MSc and PhD degrees in Electrical Energy Systems from the Politecnico di Torino, Italy, was a Research Associate at Imperial College London, UK, and held visiting research positions at Sintef/NTNU in Norway and NREL in Colorado, as well as visiting professorships at Ecole Centrale de Lille in France and the Universidad de Chile.

Pierluigi has been involved in/led, in the last 10 years, some 50 research projects and consultancy and professional activities in the UK, Europe, Australia, and internationally, in the area of techno-economics of distributed energy systems, risk and resilience assessment of future networks, integrated multi-energy systems modelling, and energy infrastructure investment under uncertainty. He has recently led the Melbourne Energy Institute’s work on “Power system security assessment of the future National Electricity Market”, commissioned by the Independent Review into the Future Security of the National Electricity Market (the “Finkel” Review).

Pierluigi is author/editor of four books, several book chapters, and over 250 research papers and reports. He is an Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid, of the IEEE Systems Journal, and of the International Journal of Electrical Power and Energy Systems, as well as Guest Editor of the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A. Pierluigi is an IEEE Power and Energy Society Distinguished Lecturer, and the past Chair of the Energy Working Group of the IEEE European Public Policy Initiative.

 

Industry contribution and readiness to cope with the current challenges in electrical grids: Technologies and Systems

Friday 29 September, Aula Magna, 10:10-10:50

Speaker: Paolo Perani (ANIE Energia, Italy)

Abstract: The integration of renewable energy into the grid in order to achieve the goals set by the European Union and the liberalization of the market lead the evolution of the electrical system to a new model in which the distribution grid becomes more and more important. At the same time, the evolution of information technology has made available data communication technologies to manage electrical grid, characterized by bi-directional energy flows, with flexible controls and real-time monitoring.

This new concept of the electrical system, now commonly known as Smart Grid, poses multiple challenges. The reference architecture for these grids must include both the physical and functional architecture of the various interoperable technological solutions and the market architecture within which they can operate. In general, applications for the Smart Grid can be effectively developed by ensuring a complete interaction between all components and actors in the electrical system.

Italy is already in an advanced position in this sector due to the high level of automation of the transmission and distribution system, the large amount of installed electronics counters and the high density of renewable generators in the grid. Nowadays also electrochemical storage systems are installed in order to improve the management of the grid. During the presentation, these technical solutions developed to make the grid more interoperable, more efficient and smarter will be presented.

Biographical notes:

Paolo Perani works in ABB since more than 20 years, after a Doctor Degree in Electrical Engineering from Politecnico di Milano. In ABB, he has been dealing with low and medium voltage apparatus and switchgear, transformers, as well as high voltage devices and robots. He spent one year in Africa working on medium voltage application in heavy industry and mining applications, while during the years spent on Middle East markets he acquired a distinctive knowledge on Utilities Market as well as the relevant certifications aspects.
He is one of the eight members of the Nuclear Experts Team of ABB. In Marine and Offshore applications, he coordinated the development of new products to satisfy specific applications.
He leads the University Team of ABB Italy. He developed the Smart Lab, a laboratory aimed at showing and demonstrate the possibilities offered by new technologies in the field of water and electrical distribution networks, energy efficiency, rural electrification, micro grids and home automation. The Smart Lab is now included in the list of Italian Excellences of ITA (Italian Trade Agency), is part of the official list of European Laboratories and it has been visited by more than 7300 people in the last 2 years. In 2015, Paolo received the “Excellence at work” award by Confindustria Bergamo. Today he has several roles:
• Strategic Business Development Manager for Electrification Products (ABB)
• Vice President of ANIE Energia
• Member of the Core Team of Electrical Energy Association (AEE, a Society of AEIT)
• Member of the Executive Committee of T&D Europe
• Italian representative of the WG Smart Grids, WG Harbors and WG Environmental Footprint of T&D Europe
• Italian representative to deal with Orgalime for the ANIE Federation
• Member of the Executive Committee of CEI (Italian Electrical Committee)
• Member of the CEN-CENELEC ad-hoc group on the Clean Energy Package