Wow, time really moves when you’re having fun. Another year has passed and myself and some of the gang from the magazine have attended the 2016 DistribuTECH conference. This year it was held in Orlando, Florida, which, for me, meant flying from Toronto to the Sunshine State. The travelling is a story in itself, or should I say a comedy of errors. I seem to recall just about every commercial flight I’ve taken in the past five or six years has been a challenge.

When I booked this latest return flight with the airline, I thought I was getting a good deal – price-wise, that is. I had booked the econo economy class. When I checked the type of airplane I’d be on, a cold sweat rolled down my back. Just about every flight that I’ve been on that was using Airbus as the equipment there was something wrong or missing from the cabin. Screens didn’t work, or audio crackled if it worked at all, seats didn’t recline, one loo was out of order – that kind of thing.

The alarm bell should have gone off when I think I noticed the air door we were entering through was covered in green zinc chromate primer. I’m sure I saw some bondo in the seams.

As I sat down, or should I say wedged myself into my seat, one thing was painfully clear. Anyone over six feet in height should not fly this service. I am six foot three so you can image the beating my knees and legs took. I also realized that nothing in the creature comfort arena could go wrong with this Airbus because apart from the seats and windows, there was nothing, nada, rien de chose in it of use to a passenger.

It reminded me of my first car. The dash was plain metal, the steering wheel was light-weight plastic which bent every time I pried my legs underneath, the seats felt like they were filled with cotton socks, and the doors opened outward from the middle pillar so in a pinch you had air brakes. The airplane wasn’t much different except that it had quite a few more seats. The seat backs were void of a TV. There was no headphone jack because there wasn’t onboard entertainment of any kind. If you had a portable device like a tablet or laptop computer, you could use that to entertain yourself. They did, however offer to rent you an iPad which picked up an on-board Wi-Fi signal. No outlets for battery charging were available. The seats and seat-pitch must have barely snuck in under acceptable standards

This was also the Kindertransport. Over one-quarter of the passengers were children of all ages – all heading to Disney World with family and not all of them very happy. If it wasn’t for the women behind me grousing about their nannies and schools, the flight would have been a total washout. After a couple of agonizing hours the pilot finally announced that we were on long final into Orlando. At this point, visions of the flight attendants opening the rear doors and rolling rope ladders out ran through my head. I figured it would be fitting that our cabin had to disembark five minutes before the airplane landed.

Such is the life of an editor – this one anyway.

Destination reached and no one lost an eye.

Every year there is an overarching theme that threads through DistribuTECH. Two years ago it was Big Data and last year everyone was talking up the Internet of Things (IoT) and the cloud. This year there were a few topics, the most prevalent being microgrids, distributed energy resources and distributed energy resource management systems. Advanced distribution automation (ADA) and asset health were also widely covered and discussed. With all said and done, this was another fantastic show and conference.

Microgrids
A microgrid is a localized and controlled grouping of electricity sources and loads that normally operate connected to and synchronous with the traditional centralized grid (macrogrid), but can disconnect and function autonomously as physical and/or economic conditions dictate.

A formal definition from the Conseil international des grands réseaux électriques or (CIGRÉ) states:

Microgrids are electricity distribution systems containing loads and distributed energy resources, (such as distributed generators, storage devices, or controllable loads) that can be operated in a controlled, coordinated way either while connected to the main power network or while islanded.

The grid connects homes, businesses and other buildings to central power sources, which allow us to use appliances, heating/cooling systems and electronics. But this interconnectedness means that when part of the grid needs to be repaired, everyone is affected.

This is where a microgrid can help. A microgrid generally operates while connected to the grid, but importantly, it can break off and operate on its own using local energy generation in times of crisis like storms or power outages, or for other reasons. It can be powered by distributed generators, batteries, and/or renewable resources like solar panels. Depending on how it’s fueled and how its requirements are managed, a microgrid might run indefinitely.

The system connects to the grid at a point of common coupling that maintains voltage at the same level as the main grid unless there is some sort of problem on the grid or other reason to disconnect. A switch can separate the microgrid from the main grid automatically or manually, and it then functions as an island. A microgrid not only provides backup for the grid in case of emergencies, but can also be used to cut costs, or connect to a local resource that is too small or unreliable for traditional grid use. Very importantly, the technology allows communities to be more energy independent and, in some cases, more environmentally friendly.

A microgrid comes in a variety of designs and sizes. They can power a single facility or a larger installation. In some cases, for example, a microgrid is part of a larger goal to create an entire district that produces the same amount of energy it consumes.

Distributed Energy Resources
Distributed energy resources (DER) are smaller power sources that can be aggregated to provide power necessary to meet regular demand. As the electricity grid continues to modernize, DER such as storage and advanced renewable technologies can help facilitate the transition to a smarter grid.

Deploying DER in a widespread, efficient and cost-effective manner requires complex integration with the existing electricity grid. Research can identify and resolve the challenges of integration, facilitating a smoother transition for the electricity industry and their customers into the next age of electricity infrastructure.

Energy storage technologies can be utilized as an effective resource to add stability, control and reliability to the electric grid. Historically, use of storage technologies has been limited by a lack of cost-effective options when compared to cheaper sources of power, like fossil fuels. However, the recent availability of lower-cost, longer-lived storage technologies as well as evolving economies for traditional transportation and grid technologies has once again made storage an attractive option.

Since wind and solar energy resources are intermittent by nature, energy storage technologies can provide necessary power during low generation periods to help keep the system stable. EPRI’s research analyzes how storage technologies’ costs can be decreased through manufacturing-scale experiences and lead to increased storage deployment and newer technologies that maximize opportunities for the industry and society.¹

Integrating distributed renewable generation resources such as solar and wind into the electric grid poses a number of challenges for the electricity industry. Utilities face various generator sizes, connection points and electronic interfaces that add complexity to keeping the system stable. This includes cases of relatively high penetration of power from these resources on existing distribution systems.

These challenges can be addressed by assessing feeder impacts, inverter interface devices, analytics, studies, monitoring, special applications, and developing strategies related to future business impacts. A primary objective is to expand utility hands-on knowledge to monetize the cost and value of distributed renewable generation without reducing distribution safety, reliability, or asset utilization effectiveness.²

Demand response is a term that describes how distributed electricity can be managed during critical times through the use of signals. Current technology is assessing, testing, and demonstrating the application of technologies in integrated energy management control systems, linking smart thermostats, lighting controls, and other load-control technology with smart end-use devices to enable more sophisticated and effective demand response approaches in homes and buildings. Our research also offers our members an opportunity to work collaboratively with other utilities, government agencies, and manufacturers to define the requirements of end-use devices that are designed to be ‘out of the box-ready,’ creating the potential for dramatic operational and cost benefits.³

The superposition of wind power and existing load yields the crucial variable ‘net load,’ which is defined as the load minus the wind. Research findings and actual operator experience agree that the variability of net load exceeds that of the system when wind was not present, thus confirming the need for greater system flexibility under conditions of high wind penetration. Further, the mostly diurnal pattern of onshore wind means wind resources tend to peak when load is at its minimum. Existing commitment constraints imposed by thermoelectric baseload units means that even without transmission bottlenecks, wind power sometimes would be spilled to prevent minimum load problems. Thus, wind requires system flexibility in the form of ramping capability and lower minimum load; more flexible systems should see a lower balancing cost for wind. Many systems already have a large degree of flexibility which can be utilized to integrate wind.

Distribute Energy Resource Management Systems
Spurred by diminishing deployment costs, transforming regulatory environments, and changing consumer behavior, the past decade has seen the beginning of a fundamental shift toward the decentralization of generation. The proliferation of distributed generation is creating an undeniably profound and real effect on the utility industry, not only threatening to disrupt the present business models, but furthermore jeopardizing grid stability.

A Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS) is a software-based solution that increases an operator’s real-time visibility into its underlying distributed asset capabilities. Through such a system, distribution utilities will have the heightened level of control and flexibility necessary to more effectively manage the technical challenges posed by an increasingly distributed grid. While the global DERMS market is fairly nascent, regions with higher distributed and renewable generation penetration tend to have a higher degree of adoption. The DERMS market can be segmented into three distinct groups: demand response-driven, supply-driven, and a more comprehensive Mixed Asset system solution, each highly customizable on a project-by-project basis.⁴

That’s all the room I have for now but I will visit ADA and Asset Health in another editorial. By the way, my return flight in econo economy BS class was no better. Glad to be back on solid ground.
 

¹ www.epri.com/Our-Work/Pages/Distributed-Electricity-Resources.aspx
² Ibid
³ Ibid
⁴ www.greentechmedia.com/distributed-energy-resource-management-systems