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Landis+Gyr and Toshiba launched MicroEMS solution

04-Apr-2014 10:35:00

electricity_pylons_landisgyrIn October 2013, Landis+Gyr and Toshiba introduced the second generation Micro Energy Management System (μEMS), a smart grid solution enabling T&D utilities to optimize the operations of assets on both medium voltage (MV) and low voltage(LV) networks.

Distribution substations on the MV portion of the network were not built to manage bi-directional and volatile electricity flows, which results as more intermittent distributed renewable energy source (RES), such as photovoltaic (PV) panels, and electric vehicles (EVs) are deployed. Upgrading the network by traditional means of investment in cable and copper wire infrastructure is an expensive way to address the problem.

The μEMS, combined with the S650 Smart Grid Terminal, cost-effectively optimizes substation assets, ensuring reliable control and supervision by integration with existing SCADA/DMS systems traditionally used to manage transmission and distribution networks. Scalable application functionality of the μEMS include the following: forecasting supply and demand, real time supply and demand control, scheduling generation and storage, the smoothing fluctuation of RES generation, balancing the impact of unpredictable loads such as EVs, voltage regulation in MV and LV networks, frequency control in microgrids, and demand response.

The μEMS solution is comprised of two core components. The server is the central application for real time controlling and visualization of the network system, while around the network distributed controllers monitor and control field devices automatically, according to remotely configurable logic.

For collecting the real time measurements, the μEMS solution requires front end devices. The Landis+Gyr S650 Smart Grid Terminal is seamlessly integrated into the μEMS solution, communicating with μEMS controllers. The Smart Grid Terminal, with its sensors, measures the physical signals (voltage, current and power) in real time as well as provides RTU-like functionality for control regulated distribution transformers or other actuators in the grid.

The system has been successfully demonstrated in a trial with the Italian utility ACEA SpA at a substation in Rome for a mobile charging station for EVs, with a 10 kW PV array and a 45 kWh advanced battery energy storage system. The goal of the demonstration was to stabilize power grid fluctuations, by controlling and balancing PV generation and energy storage using μEMS while also providing an efficient and stable power supply for the EV charging station.

In another trial on the remote Japanese island of Miyako, μEMS plays a very important role in the whole control system of power grid to improve remarkably the stability and quality of electricity power supply under the condition of much renewable integration.

For Utilities wanting to engage and explore the possibilities of Toshiba Smart Grid offering a starter kit (µEMS Smart Grid Kit) including the new S650 Smart Grid Terminal and Toshiba’s μEMS has been made available. The µEMS Smart Grid Kit (µEMS SGK) consisting of the server application and three controllers, featuring Distribution Substation Monitoring, Demand Forecasting, Voltage Regulation and Renewable Energy Source control. µEMS SGK is designed to be scalable to a full enterprise rollout. The company has also been working with utilities, simulating problems that are starting to arise within transformer substations and how these can be addressed by μEMS.

With its IEC60870 interface the µEMS can be SCADA-integrated as well into other applications, such as for instance a virtual power plant where distributed resources can be aggregated and managed in capacity pool.

“Distribution generation and also storage technologies on the grid are the first step in the transition to a more dynamic network. With the introduction of the second generation of μEMS and the cyberGRID, we have developed a comprehensive real-time network capacity management solution for the smart grid for utilities to deploy, even as they begin to face different challenges on their networks,” explains Igor Dremelj, VP Smart Grids Solution Center, Landis+Gyr.

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