Delivering a Smart Network for Todays Smart Grids

Transcription

1 Smart Infrastructure for Smart Control - Whitepaper Delivering a Smart Network for Todays Smart Grids C. Harper Anderton

2 Contents The Current Power Grid... 1 The Smart Grid... 1 What the Smart Grid is Not... 2 Applications of Smart Grid Technology... 2 Integrated Two-way Communication... 3 Advanced Control Methods... 3 Measurement Technologies... 3 Improved Interfaces and Decision Support... 3 A Smart Network for a Smart Grid... 4 Core vs. Metro vs. Access... 5 Core Network... 5 Metro/Regional... 5 Access... 5 Moving toward the Smart Grid... 6 Smart Infrastructure for Smart Control - Whitepaper

3 The Current Power Grid According to the Department of Energy the North American electric grid is an infrastructure in search of a solution. Our nation s electric power infrastructure the grid that has served us so well for so long is rapidly hitting its limitations. The lights are still on (most of the time!), but systemically, the risks associated with relying on what is rapidly becoming an overtaxed infrastructure are growing in size, scale and complexity with every new device plugged in to a power socket. Nationwide, demand for electricity is expected to grow 30% by Our century-old power grid is the largest interconnected machine on Earth, so massively complex and inextricably linked to human involvement and endeavor that it has alternately (and appropriately) been called an ecosystem The Smart Grid How do we bring an infrastructure that has not radically changed since its design in the 1930 s into the 21 st Century? The answer is in a concept called the Smart Grid. Updating and developing the current grid to the Smart Grid has been compared in significance with building the interstate highway system or the development of the internet. Neither happened overnight and both faced many technological and financial challenges. Envisioned in the 1950s, the Eisenhower Highway System was not completed until the early 1980s. Similarly, the internet s lineage can be directly traced to the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET) of the U.S. Department of Defense in the 60s and 70s, long before its appearance as a society-changing technology in the 80s and 90s. In much the same way, full implementation of the Smart Grid will evolve over time, giving rise to what is in reality two timelines: The first the Smarter Grid uses technologies that can be deployed within the very near future or are already deployed today to deliver new applications whilst supporting the current legacy applications and infrastructure. The second the Smart Grid represents the longer-term vision of a grid that is remarkable in its intelligence and impressive in its scope. However it is universally considered that it will take 10 to 15 years for the Smart Grid to be fully realized. An automated, widely distributed energy delivery network, the Smart Grid will be characterized by a two-way flow of electricity and information and will be capable of monitoring everything from power plants to customer preferences to individual appliances. Smart Infrastructure for Smart Control - Whitepaper 1

4 It incorporates into the grid the benefits of distributed computing and communications to deliver realtime information and enable the near-instantaneous balance of supply and demand at the device level. The US Department of Energy lists five fundamental technologies that will drive the Smart Grid: Integrated communications, connecting components to open architecture for real-time information and control, allowing every part of the grid to both talk and listen Sensing and measurement technologies, to support faster and more accurate response such as remote monitoring, time-of-use pricing and demand-side management Advanced control methods, to monitor essential components, enabling rapid diagnosis and precise solutions appropriate to any event Improved interfaces and decision support, to amplify human decision-making, transforming grid operators and managers quite literally into visionaries when it come to seeing into their systems Advanced components, to apply the latest research in superconductivity, storage, power electronics and diagnostics The road to the new Smart Grid infrastructure is being built now. The Smarter Grid uses current existing technologies to deliver an ever expanding array of new functions more efficiently, enabling it to continue the level of service we ve come to expect and at the same time provide the foundation upon which the Smart Grid can be cost effectively built. What the Smart Grid is Not People are often confused by the terms Smart Grid and smart meters. Metering is just one of hundreds of possible applications that constitute the Smart Grid; a smart meter is a good example of an enabling technology that makes it possible to extract value from two-way communication in support of distributed technologies and consumer participation. As much as smart technologies can enhance meter reading, it s not the same thing as the Smart Grid. There is no silver bullet when it comes to enabling technologies for a Smarter Grid; instead it is a silver buckshot, a wide range of technologies that will make it work. Devices such as wind turbines, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, solar arrays and intelligent appliances are not part of the Smart Grid. The Smart Grid encompasses the technology that enables the integration, interfacing with and intelligent control of these innovations and others. Applications of Smart Grid Technology Consumer energy management within the Smart Grid will necessarily include some form of AMI, including but not limited to smart meters. On the customer side of the meter, this will enable electricity service providers to signal homeowners and businesses when power is expensive and/or in tight supply, either by special indicators or displayed through Web browsers. Another level of implementation would allow the utility to automatically reduce the customer s electricity consumption when power is expensive or scarce. This will be managed through communication between the smart meter and the customer s equipment or appliances. 2 Smart Infrastructure for Smart Control - Whitepaper

5 The Smart Grid will make it easier to realize benefits from distributed generation, such as rooftop solar panels, and to implement net metering, a ratemaking approach that allows operators of distributed generators to sell surplus power to utilities. The Smart Grid will also manage the connection of millions of plug-in electric vehicles into the power grid. On the transmission side, monitoring and reliability of the Smart Grid will include real-time monitoring of grid conditions; improved automated diagnosis of grid disturbances; automated responses to grid failures to isolate disturbed zones and prevent or limit cascading blackouts; the plug-and-play ability to connect new generating plants to the grid, reducing the need for time-consuming interconnection studies and physical upgrades; and enhanced ability to manage large amounts of wind and solar power. To succeed at this task, the Smart Grid s system requirements rely upon greater and more sophisticated levels of automation to provide wide-area monitoring, remote system control, and predictive tools to deal with impending disruptions before they happen. In addition, the system must be capable of enabling the autonomous operation of selected grid elements and ensuring that added equipment and control systems do not create additional opportunities for attack. Integrated Two-way Communication Two-way communication makes the Smart Grid a dynamic, interactive, real-time infrastructure. An open architecture creates a plug-and-play environment that securely networks grid components and operators, enabling them to talk, listen and interact. Advanced Control Methods Advanced control methods monitor power system components, enabling rapid diagnosis and timely, appropriate responses to any event. They also support market pricing, enhance asset management and efficient operations, and involve a broad application of computer-based algorithms. Measurement Technologies Sensing and measurement technologies enhance power system measurements and facilitate the transformation of data into information to evaluate the health of equipment, support advanced protective relaying, enable consumer choice and help relieve congestion. Improved Interfaces and Decision Support Improved interfaces and decision support will enable grid operators and managers to make more accurate and timely decisions at all levels of the grid, including the consumer level, while enabling more advanced operator training. Improved interfaces will better relay and display real-time data to facilitate: Smart Infrastructure for Smart Control - Whitepaper 3

6 A Smart Network for a Smart Grid As the current grid moves to the Smarter Grid and finally the Smart Grid, what does this mean for the telecommunications network infrastructure that has to support all the new applications and subsequent increase in data that the grid operators are deploying? A recent study conducted by Utilities Telecom Consulting Group on behalf of Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc. shows the bandwidth that is going to be required at the various remote locations is expected to increase by as much as 350% over the next 5 years Type of Facility Bandwidth Bandwidth Large Generating Station 1 DS3 1 OC3 ROC 1 DS3 1 OC3 Small Plant Combustion Turbine 4 DS1 8 DS1 Field Maint. Office/Warehouse 4 DS1 8 Ds1 230KV Sub Station, DC Tie 2 DS1 4 DS Kv Substation 1 DS1 2 DS1 Pole Top remote/switch 1 DS0 1 DS0 Not only is this increase in network traffic determining factor in how the network infrastructure will develop, but also the on-going requirements of the multiple applications that need to be supported Application Data rate/volume Latency allowance Reliability Security (at end point ) (one-way) SCADA Medium/Low Low High High Smart metering Low/Very low High Medium High Operations data Medium/low Low High High Video surveillance High/Medium Medium High High Inter-site rapid response High/Low Very low Very high Very High (for example, Teleprotection) Distribution automaton Low/low Low High High Distributed energy Medium/low Low High High management and control (DER, storage, PEV) Mobile workforce (Push Low/low Low High High to Talk) Corporate data Medium/low Medium Medium Medium Corporate voice Low/very low Low High Medium 4 Smart Infrastructure for Smart Control - Whitepaper

7 Core vs. Metro vs. Access So what is the future direction of the network infrastructure to support the Smarter Grid and then the Smart Grid? The network can be divided into three segments : Core, Metro/Regional and Access. Core Network The core network is increasingly multi-service IP/MPLS running over carrier-grade optical OC-192 that provides SONET and/or 10Gb Ethernet transport. Fiber (as either privately owned or a mix of private fiber and commercial Ethernet services) is the preferred medium, as even higher aggregate bandwidth rates can be achieved by upgrading existing fiber with wave division multiplexing technologies. Metro/Regional The multi-service capabilities of IP/MPLS are starting to be extended into the Metro/Regional network to facilitate the aggregation and management of the many different access network protocols, with OC- 48/1 Gb Ethernet infrastructure providing the key interfacing to the high speed core network, using a Multi-Service Provisioning Platform Access The substation access network is where a significant number of migration issues lie Within the substation there are a unique set of migration issues in that they are full of legacy asynchronous devices. Vast numbers of meters, flow-monitors, PLCs, EFMs, RTUs, etc.--are deployed and operating in the substations. These legacy devices offer proven reliability, employing such protocols as EIA-232/V.24, EIA-422/V.11, EIA-449/V.36, and EIA-530 to transmit low-overhead, low-speed (e.g kbps) data streams with TDM multiplexers employed today to combine asynchronous outputs Smart Infrastructure for Smart Control - Whitepaper 5

8 for transmission across a synchronous-serial V.35, X.21, T1, or E1 composite to ensure the low latency and guaranteed delivery required by the legacy applications. Outside the substation also has its own set of issues that have to be addressed as the bandwidth required to support the evolving Smart Grid applications is forecast to double by Developing a coherent Transport infrastructure that addresses both the bandwidth increase and the physical constraints will be of critical importance in the network design process. With the majority of Smart Grid traffic being latency-sensitive in nature, it is that any communications transport infrastructure systems to be deployed in a fast, efficient manner and be interoperable with existing sites and systems. The existing TDM based networks will not be replaced overnight and will continue to be used for some time to come, mainly due to the need to support existing reliability and QoS service level agreements plus the costs of moving to IP technology. New upgrades will need to evolve to the all-ip Smart Grid networks of the future in a cost effective and graceful manner. During that transition the ability of any new communications transport to support legacy TDM interfaces and infrastructure as well as enhanced QoS requirements that allows the prioritization of traffic under emergency situations becomes more important in a multi-application, multi-user environment. In addition, the infrastructures will need to support the converged MPLS architectures at the Core/Metro, and possibly at the access level, depending on how far towards the edge of the network MPLS is deployed, as improved interoperability with other applications becomes a top priority. Moving toward the Smart Grid Everyone believes that by migrating towards IP, communications networks can more successfully achieve their Smart Grid goals because of the standards-based nature of IP, and the wide availability of equipment choices and network expertise to ensure successful deployment. However as we have discussed above getting to an all IP network will present significant challenges to the network operators Today s utility network needs: High Redundancy at both transport and interface layers Flexible throughput for TDM and IP traffic Cost effective migration to IP Scalable TDM and IP interface A hybrid infrastructure solution provides the ideal answer for networks needing a gradual migration path to all-ip while retaining a large amount of TDM traffic support, which will not be decommissioned any time soon. Hybrid systems enable networks to seamlessly introduce IP transport at their own pace, without disruption of TDM-based services, for low cost and low risk network evolution. Hybrid systems have 6 Smart Infrastructure for Smart Control - Whitepaper

9 flexible bandwidth allocation and can be configured as all-tdm or all-ip as the networks evolve, or most importantly anywhere in between. Requirement TDM Network IP Network Hybrid Network TDM low latency Yes No Yes High level of TDM traffic Yes No Yes High Level of IP traffic No Yes Yes MPLS/Carrier Ethernet No Yes Yes Legacy TDM Interfaces Yes No Yes High level of Yes Yes Yes redundancy Secure network Yes Maybe Yes In addition to supporting the native transport of both TDM and IP traffic, Hybrid platforms offer capability of supporting multi-transport technology options in a single platform. A Hybrid Access Network that supports these legacy protocols will deliver the best of both worlds by: Preserving legacy infrastructure while providing migration to the Smart Grid infrastructure. Future-proofing asynchronous devices with Ethernet/IP connectivity. Connecting asynchronous devices to the next-generation IP network. Preserving stable systems while avoiding costly replacement. Connecting the Substation The access network (connecting the substations to the network) is where the major challenges are being encountered. A typical utility has hundreds of substations to connect, with a wide variety of factors affecting the requirements of the physical infrastructure that will carry the hybrid traffic, with dollar per byte a key factor in selecting the physical connection. Smart Infrastructure for Smart Control - Whitepaper 7

10 The table below compares the primary options for physical connectivity: Feature Fiber Broadband Power Line Carrier (B-PLC) Microwave Cellular Conventional Power Line Carrier (PLC) SCADA Yes Yes Yes Yes No Backhaul Communications No Yes Yes No No Broadband Yes Yes Yes No No Data Rate Gbps Mbps Mbps Kbps Kbps Line Current Differential Yes Yes Yes No No Protection Requires Construction Yes No Yes No No Time to Deploy Long Short Medium Short Medium Service Disruption High Low High Low Medium Security High High Medium Low High Dollar per Byte High Low Medium Low Medium A fiber connection is considered the Gold Standard, providing the highest capacity allowing for any future expansion, however, laying fiber is the most expensive cost per mile and not possible to all locations. In those locations where fiber cannot be laid or the cost per byte is prohibitive the choice of the alternatives becomes the key decision. Cellular connectivity offers a viable solution to locations that have a very small data traffic profile, such as SCADA only. Microwave is a good solution where there is line of sight between locations and a broadband connection is required. Finally Broadband Power Line Carrier provides a unique capability of delivering a multi-megabit per second connection over distances up to 10 miles, utilizing the existing power lines. B-PLC offers one of the lowest costs per byte, and one of the shortest implementation times. 8 Smart Infrastructure for Smart Control - Whitepaper

11 Implementing the Smart Grid on a Smart Network infrastructure involves many critical decisions and FAE Telecom Inc. with its extensive experience and expertise in designing, deploying and supporting enterprise networks can provide critical insight into the strategic and tactical decisions facing transmission distribution and system operators (TDSOs) accelerating the deployment of smart grids. FAE Telecom Inc. is here to help you define, design and deliver your Next Generation Smart Network. Smart Infrastructure for Smart Control - Whitepaper 9

12 10 Smart Infrastructure for Smart Control - Whitepaper PO Box 2842 Acton, MA info@faetelecom.com 855.GO-FAETEL