Southern Company to implement mixed GETs on Georgia’s grid

Southern Company is partnering with Georgia Institute of Technology and Smart Wires to implement advanced power flow control and dynamic line rating technologies on its grid.

The project, which is being funded by the US Department of Energy, is a first with what is planned to be a large scale deployment of a combination of the two grid enhancing technologies (GETs).

Its aim is to accelerate the connection of renewable energy sources and new demand more quickly in Georgia.

Scheduled for 2025, the project led by the Georgia Tech Center for Distributed Energy is set to use Smart Wires’ SmartValve advanced power flow control solution in a mobile deployment combined with its SUMO dynamic line rating software.

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“The launch of this innovative project represents an important step toward more efficient and reliable integration of cleaner energy sources,” said Tim Lieuwen, interim executive vice president for Research at Georgia Tech.

“This collaboration allows us to identify, develop and test new ways to manage the power grid in Georgia by co-deploying [the two] technologies.”

A key focus of the project is to develop control algorithms that improve and fine-tune how the efficiency of these solutions in combination can be maximised to optimise use of the grid.

The SUMO solution is designed to identify when lines have spare capacity based on real-time weather conditions, while SmartValves redirects power flows to quickly utilise this spare capacity.

Similarly in reverse, with SUMO identifying when the dynamic ratings of lines are less than the static rating, the SmartValves can redirect the power flows away from these.

The mobile deployment of SmartValves is aimed to deliver installation and in-service within one week and also to be easily moved between sites as system needs evolve over time.

The project will involve a one-year performance period to provide Southern Company with operational experience with the technologies.

Advanced power flow control for Avista Utilities and Idaho Power

In addition to the Southern Company project, Smart Wires also is participating in another US DOE supported project to deploy the SmartValves technology in a collaboration between Avista Utilities and Idaho Power.

The aim is to increase the interregional transfer capability between the Pacific Northwest and Mountain regions through innovative construction approaches and power electronics to optimise use of the transmission system.

Under the project the Lolo-Oxbow 230kV transmission line will be reconstructed with wildfire-resilient designs and materials, with the SmartValves deployed to balance flows across nearby transmission lines and ensure the full utilisation of the rebuilt line.

With this approach construction work is limited to a single 230kV line rather than to rebuilding or reconductoring multiple lines.

Approximately 635MW of increased interregional transfer capacity is anticipated, with benefits to hundreds of thousands of customers across Washington, Idaho and Oregon.