Ensuring reliable communication in Smart Grids

Smart metering sheds light on consumer behaviour, helping energy players to develop strategies on how to engage consumers to become active prosumers. With the increasing volume of flexibilities from distributed renewable energy resources, the CyberNoc software solution plays an important role in the optimization of distribution grid operation, as demonstrated in project InteGrid.

‍Smart metering is a crucial feature in modern power networks. With smart metering, flexibility providers keep track of energy utilization through data collection. A growing number of players in the energy field are seeking this service, as smart metering serves the analysis of usage rates - which is valuable information that can then be monetized on energy markets.

Thanks to InteGrid, a project supported by the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme, Distribution System Operators (DSOs) can now assume a new role as enablers of cutting-edge energy services, increasing the reliability, efficiency and hosting capacity of distribution grids.These new services include the grid market hub: an IT-platform where several technical/non-technical tools can be provided, such as energy services to be offered to end users, and generation or flexibility services offered to network operators. The grid market hub as a central point of information can tackle challenges concerning secure and reliable information by providing smart metering data to qualified receivers in a short time. In addition, the grid market hub also allows businesses to offer forecasting load services and provide these to other partners, or to the TSO. CyberNoc software solution serves as an interface between the flexibility provider and the DSO to easily exchange power.

The Traffic Light System

Another highly valuable tool developed and demonstrated in InteGrid is the traffic light system for DSOs to manage the integration of flexibilities for ancillary service markets. DSOs will introduce temporal limitations on market activities in stressed grid sections, dynamically adapting to the current and forecasted load on the network elements. With the help of the innovations from this project, exploitation of flexibilities from distribution networks can be improved, which will lead to increased liquidity of ancillary service markets. Project demonstrators were successfully installed, and real data was gathered from the field, all of which confirm the usefulness of this project’s innovation. This is interesting from a replicability perspective as thousands of waste water treatment plants across Europe can provide flexibilities. Their integration into VPPs thus represent a cost-friendly source of flexibility.

“Increased feed-in from renewable energy sources necessitates an interconnected planning of the grid with smart technologies. CyberGrid’s IT-platform serves as an interface to seamlessly exchange active power between the flexibility provider and the DSO”, Christoph Gutschi, CyberGrid’s Senior Project Manager clarifies.

Services like forecasting, traffic light systems, or technical VPPs for DSOs developed towards market-readiness in the framework of the InteGrid project are designed to reduce investment costs in infrastructure by applying smart technologies, which proves to be of great interest to grid operators in Europe. In an effort to present the benefits of the InteGrid projecand particularly its grid market hub, CyberGrid conducted interviews with project partners and DSOs throughout Europe, obtaining insights for EU-wide purposes.

“It is becoming increasingly interesting for DSOs to be data hosts. I do believe that in the near future, when smart metering will have become rolled out completely, online data will become more readily available. This effort will bridge the gap between citizens and technology/solution providers”, Peter Nemcek, Co-Founder and CTO at CyberGrid explains.