Smart grid indicators proposed for observability in Europe

Proposals for smart grid indicators for observability have been put forward for discussion by the EU DSO Entity.

Developed as a requirement of the EU’s energy sector digitalisation action plan, the smart grid indicators are intended for DSOs and national regulatory authorities to monitor smart and digital investments in their electricity grids and, as they are common, measure progress towards the creation of the European electricity grid digital twin.

The proposals from the DSO Entity, which were developed on the basis of a literature review and input from stakeholder workshops, are focussed on the area of ‘Observability’.

Observability is stated in the discussion paper as of central importance on the path to a sustainable energy future and a prerequisite for DSOs to cope with their operational needs and to efficiently manage an increasingly complex power system.

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The higher complexity and extensive nature of distribution networks, compared to transmission grids, make achieving the appropriate level of observability particularly critical, especially for LV grids, the paper points out.

There also can be different needs for observability depending on the use cases, ranging from real time vs batch processing and at different grid areas and voltage levels.

DSO use cases

The paper considers three use cases, consumption load estimation, observability of secondary substations and observability for flexibility – these having been selected to prove the different needs and applications of observability from the perspective of the DSO.

On the basis of these, the indicators proposed are:

• Grid elements with real-time or close to real-time measurements – refers to the percentage of grid elements, e.g. transformers, overhead and underground lines, circuit breakers and disconnectors, with real-time or close to real-time measurements divided by the total number of grid elements.
• Secondary substations with remote measurements and control – refers to the percentage of secondary substations with remote measurements and control divided by the total amount of secondary substations.
• Rollout of smart meters – refers to the percentage number of smart meters deployed divided by the total number of connected customers.

These indicators are only examples of potential input indicators that can be adopted by DSOs to monitor the degree of observability, the paper notes.

It adds that the extent to which these indicators are implemented, namely, the grid elements considered and the measurements accounted, should be defined at the national or DSO level, since their need is dependent on the network topology and the devices in place.

For example, with a high deployment rate of AMI, the necessity for remote measurement and control at secondary substation level may not be so high as opposed to a situation with low AMI deployment rate.

The paper also notes that reaching a proper level of observability does not mean 100% deployment for all grids’ assets, i.e. substations, devices, sensors, etc.

Additionally, there are limits to observability, influenced by cost/benefit analysis, privacy concerns and cybersecurity risks, that might differ among member states.

The paper – which is intended for discussion and not the final position of the DSO Entity – concludes that every DSO should decide upon its observability strategy, defining the goal for which the information will be collected, identifying the required data to achieve that goal and ascertaining the technical solutions needed to obtain the necessary data.

Then, fulfilling all the identified technical needs ensures full observability of the defined as a goal.