If the Smart Grid is the noun on everyone's lips today, DA is the verb that empowers the Smart Grid to become really smart. In its broader context, DA provides for quick restoration of power to the customers, through localized automation of feeders, sub-grid systems or DMS.
EPRI'S DEFINITION OF A SMART GRID……..
A power system that is made up of numerous automated T&D systems, all operating in a coordinated, efficient and reliable manner.
A power system that handles emergency conditions with ‘self-healing' actions and is responsive to energy-market and utility needs.
A power system that serves millions of customers and has an intelligent communications infrastructure enabling the timely, secure and adaptable information flow needed to provide power to the evolving digital economy.
This paper will explore how the contribution of a well designed DA system in existing networks or designing networks with DA and the Smart Grid in mind, can directly benefit the utility and its customers. The benefits are both economical and improve the regulatory compliance by reducing SAIDI, CAICI and CAM values.
It is specifically the self-healing part of the Smart Grid that distribution automation contributes to tremendously; it contributes to every part of the definition towards achieving the desired results.
By locating faults, isolating it and restoring power to the remaining customers on the grid automatically (FDIR), in the fastest possible time, significant gains can be made in these numbers. Optimizing the voltage and power factor of the grid feeders at the user interfaces, meters and transformers, by controlling capacitor banks and voltage regulators in the feeder (IVVC), without increasing I2R losses or setting the voltage at too high levels at the transformer, the IVVC contributes to the optimal use of the existing infrastructure thereby allowing the utility to extend the life of the network, defer capital expansion and reduce wasteful operating losses. In the process, the utility can also reduce loss of sales opportunities and increase customer satisfaction, which, in turn, may lead to higher consumption of electricity.
