The Smart Grid—State-of-the-art and future trends

This presentation introduces Smart Grid and associated technical, environmental and socio-economic, and other non-tangible benefits to society, and articulates the need for the concept and the fact that it is a dynamic interactive, real-time infrastructure that responds to the challenges of designing and building the power system of the future, rather than being simply a marketing term. To illustrate the diversity of terminology, we compare an Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) definition with that suggested by a study group of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Next, a paper sponsored by the Canadian Electricity Association (CEA) that cites three example definitions to highlight the diversity of views of Smart Grid is briefly reviewed. Early misconceptions and characterizations of Smart Grid are discussed as a prelude to addressing challenging issues that motivate developing and implementing related innovative technologies, products and services. We then discuss the potential promise of the Smart Grid, which is embedded in its often-cited attributes of efficiency, accommodating, quality focus, enabling and self-healing to name some. The presentation then addresses some of the often-cited impediments to accepting Smart Grid which are based on concerns and issues confronting its forward progress, adoption and acceptance. Distribution Automation (DA) and embedded intelligence are discussed emphasizing self-healing, optimizing operation and facilitating recreation and recovery from abnormal events. Functional and integration requirements of Distributed Energy Resources (DER,) are detailed. Smart Consumption Infrastructure elements of Distribution Management Systems (DMS,) Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI,) Smart Homes (SH), and Smart Appliances (SA,) are discussed. We discuss smart grid activities in China, India, and the development of a Smart Grid roadmap for the US State of Kentucky. The approaches of each of these cases reflect the diversity of policy initiatives in these jurisdictions. State of the art reviews of distribution network active management and future development trends in technologies and methods, where centralized and decentralized management frameworks and applying agent-based coordination are discussed. A review of smart home technologies and the goals of an energy management system (SHEMS) are also discussed.