October 18, 2024
Article

Projects Drive Grid-Enhancing Analytics for Smarter Operations

Three PNNL-supported projects are focusing on data analytics and sensor technology for grid modernization

Transformers with data overlay

Advanced data analytics and sensor technologies will advance grid resiliency and reliabilty. 

(Graphic illustration by Cortland Johnson | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) serves as a crucial hub for national energy innovation, as demonstrated by its involvement with three projects supported by the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Electricity (OE). Guam Power Authority (GPA), University of California, Riverside (UC Riverside), and Vermont Electric Power Company (VELCO) are working to modernize the nation’s electrical grid using data analytics. 

Cloud-based monitoring tool provides real-time grid insights

Research on the U.S. Territory of Guam is making a big impact in the world of energy. With some of the most expensive electricity rates in the U.S., primarily due to its reliance on imported fossil fuels, the Micronesian Island has set ambitious goals to curb high energy costs for residents. Guam aims to generate 50 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, such as solar and wind, by 2035 and 100 percent by 2045. 

But as momentum for renewable energy increases, so do the challenges of maintaining a stable power grid. 

“As GPA integrates more inverter-based generation, battery energy storage systems and distributed energy resources to meet Guam’s clean energy goals, efficient methods and tools will be needed to understand grid behavior and health to make smart operational decisions,” said Fleur De Peralta, senior advisor at PNNL. 

To manage these new technologies efficiently, GPA has partnered with PNNL, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and PXiSE Energy Solutions to develop the Grid Monitoring and Analysis System (GMAS). This cloud-based tool will detect and locate grid oscillations (fluctuations in power) and other adverse events in systems with high levels of renewable energy integration. It will respond to these events in near real-time, helping to mitigate inadvertent power outages due to grid instability. 

PNNL will lead the development of a universal standard bus using PNNL-developed GridOPTICS Software System bus to communicate phasor measurement unit data from distributed energy resources to interface with real-time event detection and impedance applications that will be integrated into GMAS. A six-month, full-scale demonstration on Guam’s power grid will pave the way for industry adoption of this grid control software.

“The GMAS will open the door to rapid innovation and advancement in distribution control technologies. This open standard and access will enable electric utilities to adopt a much higher percentage of renewables at a faster pace,” De Peralta said. 

Leveraging data analytics to strengthen grid reliability

Back on the continental United States, UC Riverside is using data analytics and additional grid monitoring to improve electricity management and assure a reliable, resilient, and affordable energy supply as demand continues to rise. 

Historically, power distribution systems were passive, meaning electricity is delivered from the transmission system to homes and businesses with little monitoring. 

“Now, distribution systems are more active with distributed energy resources like solar farms, batteries, electric vehicle charging stations, and rooftop solar panels; they require a more involved approach for monitoring and managing energy,” said Jim Follum, who is an electrical engineer at PNNL. 

Current tools for monitoring grid dynamics, however, require setup that is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and require constant updates as power grids evolve. The work at UC Riverside aims to streamline data analytics.

A key part of this effort involves dramatically increasing the frequency of measurements within the distribution system, complementing the existing 15-minute grid measurements by introducing high-speed data collection at 120 times per second. The additional layer of granular monitoring will provide greater insight into grid performance, Follum added. 

PNNL will support the project with expertise in oscillation analysis, which studies and monitors fluctuations in power systems. Oscillations can indicate stability issues or inefficiencies within the grid. Existing techniques for oscillation detection were designed for bulk power systems and need to be adopted for use in distribution systems that can change much more from day to day.

“PNNL will use techniques developed over the past decade that are rooted in rigorous statistical analysis to enhance oscillation detection,” Follum said. “By bringing together power system engineers and signal processing experts, PNNL can achieve precise and reliable event detection, leveraging the strengths from both fields to deliver greater capabilities.”

This enhanced data management and real-time monitoring will lead to greater operational efficiency, reliability, and the ability to respond to changes or issues with the supply of electricity to assure grid stability.

Enhancing grid flexibility to meet renewable energy demands

In Vermont, distributed generation is expanding rapidly to meet ambitious state climate goals. The state has reached nearly 45 percent penetration of solar connected to the electric distribution system. Over the next decade, up to $1.4 billion in infrastructure upgrades may be needed to support ongoing decarbonization growth in solar, electric vehicles, and load electrification. 

VELCO and Vermont Electric Cooperative are working to enable dynamic operating envelopes, a flexible set of operational limits for a power system that adapts in real time based on current conditions. Unlike traditional operating envelopes, which are static and based on predefined limits, dynamic operating envelopes adjust to reflect changes in the system's performance, load, generation, and other factors.

“Most engineering studies today look at individual worst-case scenarios and then set highly conservative operating limits based on those scenarios,” said Alex Anderson, a power systems research engineer in the Energy Systems Engineering group at PNNL. “If the grid reaches those limits during real-time operations, control room operators are then required to take emergency action, such as calling for controlled outages.”

This project is key to improving system reliability and avoiding increased capital costs associated with infrastructure upgrades by enabling operations outside the fixed limits set by traditional hosting capacity analysis. Use of more flexible operating limits can significantly increase the total amount of renewables that can be installed on the grid and provide control room operators with more tools to avoid emergencies.

PNNL is leading the way in developing a path-to-production for using dynamic operating envelopes in control rooms. PNNL is providing the overall architecture and system integration, notably adding new data streams from grid-edge sensors in a standards-based, multi-cloud platform on GridAPPS-D TM. Additionally, PNNL will conduct a detailed human factors study to make sure grid operators are confident using the new operating limits.

“Establishing human-machine trust between control room operators and dynamic operating envelopes will be key to reliable operation of a decarbonized power grid,” Anderson said. “This aspect will be key to enabling other utilities to replicate the outcomes of the project.”