During the month of April, the main activity on the project has been to review the draft version of the final report. We have so far received several versions of the draft. We have also had a meeting with Analysys Mason to discuss their report and we have since asked them to include more practical communications platforms in the report.
During the month of April, the main activity on the project has been to review the draft version of the final report. We have so far received several version…
Project background
Telecommunications Infrastructure will play a pivotal role in enabling DNOs’ transition to a smarter electricity network and ultimately a UK-wide low carbon economy. The smart grid will allow greater visibility, control and protection of network assets with enhanced centralised control functions as well as autonomous de-centralised functions. Active and pro-active network management will be essential to optimise the installed assets, whilst meeting the challenges associated with additional distributed generation, storage and consumers changing energy
demands.
UK DNO’s are well positioned and highly competent at maintaining and augmenting the conventional telecommunications approaches for Remote Monitoring and Control as well as high speed protection of systems and assets. However, with an increased drive towards a Low Carbon economy the operational model for electricity network in the UK is being turned on its head. From a previous operating model (large generator to customer), the proliferation of medium to small scale distributed generation has necessitated a different approach to how the networks are monitored, controlled and protected. Presently, the telecommunications approaches to supporting these new initiatives are adaptations of current systems and bespoke solutions.
This current incremental approach to smart grid telecoms integration can be complicated, costly and undefined in terms of scalability. This project sought to analyse current and proposed smart grid telecommunications solutions and deployments to assess suitability for integration within the UK DNO’s, taking a holistic view rather than the current incremental approach.
Through a competitive tender process, WPD appointed Analysys Mason to undertake this review over a period of 12 months, commencing April 2016.
Scope and Objectives
The purpose of this project was to complete an analysis of proposed and deployed smart grid telecoms solutions as well as identifying and quantifying the specific architectures, services and data-flows within a future smart grid communications network.
Based on this analysis, the aim was then to identify how DNOs in the UK can deploy and optimise available communications solutions to maintain an effective, efficient and sustainable power distribution system. This must be achieved against the backdrop of significant regulatory and operational change, which will result in distribution systems being required to support increasing levels of smart grid applications and extensive power network intelligence. The project report looked to highlight a range of secondary issues in order to identify the likely scope and scale of the future smart grid communications system.
The project undertook an analysis of global smart grid deployments particularly the telecommunications infrastructure required to support smart grids. The report focused on identifying and quantifying the following:
Smart Grid Site types
Smart Grid Layers
Smart Grid Architecture
Smart Grid Services
Smart Grid Data flows
Smart Grid Security (Physical and Cyber)
Applicable Telecommunications and IT solutions
By better understanding the smart grid as a whole, informed decisions can be made regarding future deployment of smart grid solutions and how that will interact with or replace legacy communications systems within the UK Distribution Networks.
Below we detail each of the objectives:
Identifying and quantifying site types to be considered for smart grid adaption
Identify and quantify smart grid layers within the DNO
Identify and quantify applicable smart grid architectures quantifying the specific architectures, services and data-flows within a future smart grid communications network
Identify and quantify the current and emerging smart grid services
Identify, quantify and characterise the smart grid data flows
Identify and quantify DNO smart grid security – Physical and cyber security
Determine the range of Telecommunications & IT systems
Development of a suite of functional and technical specifications
Development of a suite of smart grid telecoms templates
Success criteria
This has been a very successful project providing a template that can be used across the industry for current and future smart grid applications. Details of the success and measurement criteria are tabled below.
Success Criteria
Status
Site types to be considered for smart grid adaption identified and quantified.
Complete
Smart grid layers within the DNO identified and quantified.
Complete
Applicable smart grid architectures identified and quantified.
Complete
Current and emerging smart grid services identified and quantified.
Complete
Smart grid data flows identified, quantified and characterised.
Complete
Physical and cyber security issues identified and quantified.
Complete
The range of Telecommunications & IT systems identified.
Complete
Smart grid telecoms templates developed.
Complete
The project was developed based on desk research and assessment of various telecoms options available. Project review meetings took place on a rotational basis between WPD and Analysys Mason. The project was delivered in three phases:
Phase 1: Mainly data gathering - data collection, identifying UK and international projects, and interviews with key stakeholders;
Phase 2: Data and market analysis - initiating various work streams, and
Phase 3: Smart grid telecoms design and planning - design of telecommunication templates for smart grids and development of reports.
In order to ensure appropriate utilisation of resources and time some of the activities of phases were run in parallel.
From the results of the assessment the following conclusions were established:
To deliver the complex landscape of smart grid technologies and services, much of which will be central to the implementation of an effective DSO operation, UK DNOs will be required to implement a robust, reliable and highly resilient communications infrastructure which can deliver services across the entirety of a DNO geographic area.
A number of comprehensive national and regional smart meter deployments have been completed in Spain, Italy, USA and others. Many of these have involved the design, construction and operation of dedicated telecommunications networks. To date, however, there are no large scale examples of smart grid networks and related telecommunications deployments.
DNOs will have to make a strategic decision to address network ownership i.e. “build or buy”. In a low-volume, non-critical scenario, buying in capacity may be more economical than building a network. However, if the traffic is considered highly critical to network services such as reliability and security, then building a network may be necessary to guarantee the DNOs core service responsibilities.
Similarly, due to the limited availability of radio spectrum for the DNO, strategic choices will need to be made. Mission critical smart grid applications would specifically need licenced communication spectrum against non-mission critical smart grid applications which can utilise unlicensed spectrum for communications.
To ensure a highly secure network, co-ordination of information and responses about cyber security within the UK power utility sector is urgently required. At present, there is little incident information sharing between power utilities within Europe or the UK.
The outputs of the analysis from this project will be used to inform the decision making of those responsible for smart grid strategy and policy within WPD as well as act as a reference to guide and inform those from beyond the DNO environs as to the criticality of smart grid communications. Due consideration should be given to the current smart grid infrastructure deployment and its ability to support accelerated demand for electric vehicle infrastructure. As such meeting the requirements of a smart grid system will likely mean large investments into a complex and far-reaching telecoms network. A strategic technical, operational and economic assessment of the existing telecoms assets and capabilities and future smart grid telecoms system requirements is recommended to plan appropriate business and investment plans.
Deployment of telecoms solutions across MV and LV networks to connect new generations of distributed energy sources, support multi-directional power flows and enable ubiquitous commercial interactions is required. For these solutions, several communications technologies are available for consideration. However, a hybrid of wired technologies integrated with other wireless technologies appears to be a favoured solution amongst many major European utilities. It is therefore recommended that testing of the technical and economic capabilities of technology choices be undertaken within the UK’s MV and LV operational environment.
In addition, a collaborative approach will benefit UK DNOs when engaging Ofcom on the need for additional licensed and un-licensed radio spectrum.
From the project, a set of functional engineering templates will be identified for use by network planners. Similarly, a set of technical telecoms templates will be developed which will be used to source telecommunications services by our SURF Telecoms team. The engineering and telecoms templates which have been developed will be written into WPD policy before being deployed. Depending on criticality, technology tests will be carried against the technical telecoms templates before the end of current RIIO- ED1 period.
A review of the specific cyber security threats to present and future smart grid networks, as well as co-ordination of information and responses concerning cyber security amongst power utilities in the UK is a recommended step.
The analysis found that considerable investment and effort is being committed by the UK power utility sector to the better understanding, specification and implementation of smart grid functionality and the resulting transition to a DSO operational model. Relatively little however is understood regarding the considerable investment required to provide the underlying essential telecommunications solutions.
The analysis therefore recommended that the UK DNOs should implement technical and economic assessments of the available smart grid telecommunications network and service options in order to prepare strategic operational / investment plans.
This activity should include the following:
Economic and technical model of smart grid telecommunications requirements
Assessment of existing DNO telecommunications / data assets and capabilities in relation to future smart grid system requirements
Comparative quantitative assessment of telecommunications options / scenarios incorporating:
- Specific geographic and topology impacts
- Projections of applications demand / densities
- Phased network build scenarios
- Evaluation of DNO build and operate against third party operator options
Assessment of options for co-ordinated multi utility / vector telecommunications build and investment
Design and scoping of relevant systems trials in order to validate model assumptions and outputs
These activities would provide the basis for effective internal business preparations and in turn will allow for informed discussion with regulators and government regarding how smart grids can be effectively and efficiently deployed.
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