by John J. Joyce
Virtually every industry in the U.S. has been modernized except for the electric distribution grid. The grid"s architecture has changed little since it was first deployed in the late 1800s, with correspondingly few improvements in efficiency, reliability or economy over the past 50 years.
 Substation in Locust Valley, N.Y. The distribution grid"s architecture has changed little since the late 1800s. (EL&P photo/Nancy Spring) |
As the distribution system ages, electrical demand is growing at twice the rate of population growth. The environmental impact from power plants increases as does the the pressure to build new generating capacity to serve peak demand. Regulators and utilities want to incentivize consumers to both conserve and shift usage away from periods of peak demand, but lack the technology to do so. Additionally, detecting equipment failures and outages often involves waiting for customers to call in and report problems. Costly truck rolls to individual locations are required to determine the exact problem, as well as to perform routine meter readings and service changes.
Real-time monitoring and management of the distribution grid requires sensors and switches connected by a dedicated communications infrastructure. A broadband over power lines (BPL) network, overlaid on the medium-voltage and low-voltage segments of the power distribution system, converts the distribution grid into a modern high-speed digital data communications backbone.
The smart grid
The BPL network is built from just a few basic components: couplers that transfer the communications signal to and from power lines, and nodes that receive, manage and transmit the signal. The combination of a digital communication connection at any point on the distribution network with a variety of sensing and control devices has come to be known as a “smart grid.”
A variety of applications allows the smart grid to provide immediate operational and economic benefits for the grid operator, its users and society as a whole.
Operational cost. A BPL smart grid can help utilities minimize their non-repair, non-revenue labor costs. Services that are now performed by truck rolls to individual locations can be performed remotely, including such tasks as remote metering reading and remote re-connect and disconnect.
Grid management. Maintenance based on accurate, real-time knowledge of the grid is possible with a BPL smart grid. Operators of a smart grid can monitor and communicate with their equipment in real-time, not only at substations but at any point on the distribution network. This can often be accomplished without additional equipment by using BPL components that incorporate battery backup and voltage and current sensing capabilities. This visibility into the electrical grid, even during system outages, provides remote outage detection and restoration confirmation, enhanced real-time system status, and improved load profiling. Such timely and detailed knowledge of the condition of the distribution system can also enable more precise preventative maintenance, ultimately yielding increases in grid efficiency and reliability.
Capacity management. The BPL smart grid enables utilities and consumers, both individually and in concert, to intelligently limit the usage of power, thus minimizing peak demand and the need for additional generating and distribution infrastructure. The presence of a constant high-speed, two-way data path to each customer removes the limitations of traditional time-of-day peak load pricing and allows a wide range of advanced interactive use management techniques such as real-time pricing, intelligent demand side management and direct load control systems.
Enhanced security. In addition to ensuring operational performance, utilities must monitor and provide physical security for a large distributed infrastructure. In certain locations, such as underground distribution tunnels or electrically noisy environments, communications with repair crews becomes difficult or impossible. The BPL smart grid can provide solutions such as secure hardwired Voice-over-Internet-Protocol communications and real-time video monitoring of utility substations.
Public and industrial services. The same BPL network that fulfills a utility"s operating needs can be made available to government and industry to enable and enhances existing applications such as remote video security surveillance, industrial process monitoring and real-time traffic monitoring.
Just one or two of these smart grid applications can make a BPL network cost-effective and environmentally friendly. Utilities looking to bring their distribution systems into the 21st century now have a viable path.
Author
John J. Joyce is the president & CEO of Ambient Corporation. Ambient designs, develops and manufactures broadband over power line (BPL) technology and equipment for “smart grids” and the broadband Access and in-premise markets, while focusing on efficiency through environmentalism.