pwr_february-2024 - 16

DATA UTLIZATION
tric generation is a recipe for potential
disaster; the wind doesn't always blow,
the sun doesn't always shine, ice storms
can freeze up windmills and cover solar
panels. Like any wise investor, diversification
is key. "
Lynch said thermal power plants
should not be retired, but rather kept
available for when demand for power
exceeds supply. " Do not decommission
a coal or a natural gas power generation
facility, " Lynch said. " Keep it in reserve
for when it is needed. While you can't
simply flip a switch and turn on a coal
plant, proper planning could forecast
when it may be needed and it could be
ready in such events. Of course, having
a digital twin of the grid and with realtime
understanding of what the demand
is along with what generation is available
will lead to an effective balance of generation
sources, which would lead to an
overall reduction in carbon-based electric
power generation. "
Lynch told POWER utilizing data can
help power generators and grid operators
overcome some of the limitations of
infrastructure put in place decades ago.
That includes, as noted earlier, the use of
a " digital twin of the grid to direct power
plant operators to efficiently generate
electricity as customer demand fluctuates. "
Lynch noted that " the U.S. electric
grid is a patchwork of transmission and
distribution lines built in many different
entities " over the past century.
" All of it was built to different standards, "
said Lynch. " Much of our grid
was built more than 50 years ago, and
at that time, they did not plan on moving
as much power as we are today. " Lynch
said, " Transmission lines are usually thermally
limited. That is, they are designed
for a simultaneous combination of ambient
temperature, wind, sun angle [solar
radiation], and electrical loading [amps].
The combinations of these factors determine
the operating temperatures of the
conductors. A high ambient temperature
with a high electrical loading and a high
solar radiation with very little wind will
result in a very high operating temperature
of the conductors. "
Lynch continued: " The higher
the
operating temperatures of the conductors,
the more the conductors will sag
[putting them closer to the ground, vegetation,
and other obstacles]. Lines that
were designed in the 1970s and before
were mostly only designed for a 120F
operating temperature. It is normal today
to run transmission lines at 212F, 250F,
and in some cases, even hotter. Prior to
16
4. Energy analysts agree the power grid needs upgrades to add more reliability and resiliency
to the power supply. Data is helping the electric power sector generate more complete and accurate
models to support better long-term planning to balance electricity supply and demand.
Courtesy: Greenlots
the 1970s, the National Electrical Safety
Code [NESC] prescribed certain clearances
to be met at the 120F design
temperature. In the 1970s, the NESC
reduced these minimum clearances but
they were specified to be met at the
actual maximum operating temperature
of the conductors. This allowed more
power to be transmitted over the existing
transmission lines. "
Lynch told POWER, " Our grid [in the
U.S. and worldwide] is currently operating
at full capacities for the given constraints
set forward by codes and laws.
Rerouting this new source of renewable
power back to where the demand [came]
for the decommissioned power plants is
not easy. Just like moving the fuse panel
in your house from one end to the other,
this requires a great amount of work.
" We are having to do what I have said
many times over the past few decades,
we have to basically 'rewire America,' "
he said. " In many cases, it will require
new transmission lines. Many are proposed,
but of course, they cannot be
permitted fast enough. We will need to
rerate many existing transmission lines.
A digital twin of the entire grid will allow
these decisions to be made quickly, effectively,
and efficiently. "
Stability and Reliability
Managing power supply and demand is
more challenging as more diverse generation
resources are added to the grid (Figure
4). That challenge becomes greater
as power producers and grid operators
www.powermag.com
explore ways to improve the reliability
and resiliency of generation assets, along
with power lines and substations.
" Data is essential for maintaining a
carefully calculated balance between
supply and demand to ensure a stable
and reliable grid supply. It's the enabler
for better management of the grid, especially
when adapting to variable energy
sources, " said McConnell. " Data
fuels the analysis required to determine
how much generation is predicted to be
needed to meet a forecasted load. Regardless
of location, data-driven insight
is critical for preventing power outages
and enhancing the overall efficiency and
quality of the transmission and distribution
aspects of the grid. "
Beauchamp told POWER, " Data is
foundational to generate a complete,
accurate grid model that enables effective
long-term planning strategies for
balancing energy demand and supply.
These models can provide accurate insight
into non-wires alternatives to reduce
grid congestion, leverage DERs,
manage peak demand to offset capital
investments, and sustainably meet new
energy demands. "
Beauchamp continued: " These critical
capabilities hinge on the ability to
gather intelligence at the edge of utility
networks for localized processing, automation,
and control-before unifying
collected data using software that can
support the modeling of new devices,
power sources, microgrids, power electronics,
and storage. "
POWER | February 2024

http://www.powermag.com

pwr_february-2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of pwr_february-2024