Increasing Smart Meter-Based Observability on Low-Voltage Grids
A Systems Thinking Approach to Increasing Low-Voltage Grid Observability Balancing Grid Operations and Privacy Concerns
P.C.J. Busscher (TU Delft - Technology, Policy and Management)
R.I.J. Dobbe – Mentor (TU Delft - Technology, Policy and Management)
Z. Lukszo – Mentor (TU Delft - Technology, Policy and Management)
E. De Winkel – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Technology, Policy and Management)
Werner van Westering – Mentor (Alliander)
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Abstract
The electrification of housing and industry increases electricity demand. Furthermore, integrating Distributed Energy Resources (DER) leads to more electricity being fed back into the low-voltage (LV) grid. Both developments increase the needed capacity for electricity distribution over the LV grid. However, since the current LV grid system was not initially designed for such high demand and bidirectional electricity flow, the existing LV grid infrastructure can no longer cope with the needed electricity capacity, causing LV grid congestion. Grid congestion on the low-voltage (LV) grid can lead to stagnation in new housing construction and hinder the development of businesses and industries, thereby impacting economic development.
To manage grid congestion, DSOs must monitor the LV grid state to perform appropriate interventions. However, due to electrification and the integration of DERs, monitoring and predicting the LV grid state using the established methods are no longer sufficient to manage grid congestion properly. To perform more effective congestion management, DSOs’ capabilities for monitoring and predicting the LV grid’s state must be enhanced first. Therefore, DSOs need more observability on the LV grid. Observability is defined as measurement data measured by measuring equipment or smart meters providing feedback on the LV grid state.
Smart meters installed in homes and commercial buildings can provide the measurement data needed to increase the observability that DSOs require to improve their monitoring capabilities. Although DSOs in the Netherlands own the smart meter infrastructure, established institutions, like AVG, make it difficult for DSOs to access smart meter data since it is perceived as personal data. Efforts have been made to reduce this complexity by introducing a code of conduct, the Gedragscode Slim Netbeheer (GSN), to enable DSOs to use smart meter data. However, the need for increased observability remains. This means that the GSN does not facilitate the required observability on the LV grid, and therefore, it does not meet the values and interests of the DSOs...