The power world is changing – stepping into a new era with the creation of a modern grid. This transition of our grid is a cross-disciplinary effort to revive our declining power efficiency and reliability. Renewables now help bridge the gap created by the huge influx in load. But it’s essential to continue to expand generation sources to address increasing demand.

For decades, our power grid has been flowing in one direction. It’s been generated from a single source and consumed by hundreds of customers. That’s no longer the case. We now have hundreds (if not thousands) of different sites feeding back into the power grid. This new integration of distributed generation (DG), such as PV (solar photovoltaic) and wind energy into our network requires grid modernization to allow stable power flow and ensure grid performance. From substation equipment to transmission and distribution structures, we need to deploy smart equipment to be able to provide proper power flow and reverse flow capabilities.

To ensure the safety and reliability of a network with a two-way flow of power, there is a compelling need for monitoring of the power grid from start to finish. Granular visibility from generation source all the way to the service cables at customers’ homes is necessary. This can be achieved by ensuring that advanced automation schemes, such as fault location, isolation and service restoration (FLISR) are being deployed by the utilities to improve reliability of our distribution system.

On the other hand, transmission lines are presented with their own set of challenges. The development of renewable resources often occurs far from load centers, which can necessitate increased transmission transfer limits. However, the variable nature of wind and solar resources, coupled with variable demand, exposes the transmission system to a wide range of operating conditions. New technologies provide improved utilization of limited rights-of-way and operation flexibility.

Our transmission lines spread across states with various voltage levels, from 33kV of sub transmission voltage to 765 transmission level voltage. To monitor and control these various sizes and challenges presented throughout the power flow would be impossible without an entirely new line of sensors and communication devices in parts of the grid. Before, it was much easier to monitor only through the central power plants and the highest voltage transmission.

Some equipment being adopted by utilities companies to monitor and manage effectively include:

• Advance metering infrastructure (AMI) is an integrated system of smart meters, communications networks and data management systems that enable real-time data about power consumption and two-way communication between utilities and customers. It allows consumers to make educated decisions about their power usage based on cost at the time of use.
• Smart meters are digital meters that measure electricity consumption and transmit the data wirelessly to the utility. They provide data in real-time and have two-way communication with the utility.
• Meter data management systems (MDMS) collect, store and manage data from smart

There are many aspects of grid modernization to be considered as we embark on this journey together. Grid modernization offers substantial environmental and economic benefits. Increased reliability, better energy management and financial incentives can be gained for residential, commercial, and industrial customer.  Today, targeted grid modernization investments can protect our customers, preserve our planet, and power our future. Securing a better, advanced, and healthier world for all.

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