pwr_february-2025 - 15

GRID RELIABILITY
isfy inconsistent load with intermittent
generation supported by storage components
requires the creating of a digital
twin of the grid. " Of course, cybersecurity
must also be considered whenever
digital technology is added to a system
(see sidebar).
Telegrafi said the digital twin " models
the components individually and the systemic
constraints binding operation via
mathematical formulas. These mathematical
formulas allow for optimization of
the dynamic from the current dynamic to
the future clean energy equilibrium that
industry establishes. The digital twin can
be manipulated freely to add or remove
components into the digital emulation of
the grid's dynamics, enabling 'what if'
scenarios for application toward strategically
planning investment and policy. "
Telegrafi said Optit S.r.l., an optimization
and solutions group, has been working
on these projects in the U.S.
Powin's Bennett also noted the importance
of digital twins to " enable
continuous monitoring, simulation, and
optimization of power plant or grid equipment,
providing a real-time view of asset
health. " Bennett said having " virtual
replicas of physical assets " is just one of
" several components of an effective, automated
maintenance program to ensure
the reliability of power plants and grid. "
He cited condition-based maintenance,
or CBM, which enables " transitioning
from predefined maintenance schedules
to dynamic, condition-based programs
that rely on real-time monitoring and
performance data. SCADA [supervisory
control and data acquisition] systems
and IoT devices provide the necessary
data for this approach. "
Bennett said predictive maintenance
also is important. " Using AI and machine
learning algorithms to analyze historical
and real-time data from sensors, enabling
the prediction of failures before
they occur ... [where] data sources can
include environmental conditions, operating
history, and current performance
metrics, " he said. There is also automation,
where " automating data correlation
in the cloud allows predictive insights
to be seamlessly integrated into control
systems or maintenance scheduling
tools. This reduces response time
and ensures resources are allocated efficiently
to address the highest-priority
issues. " Inspections of power plant assets,
and the power grid, using robotic
systems and drones " can automate inspections
of hard-to-reach areas, reducing
the risk to personnel and minimizing
February 2025 | POWER
5. Twelve lithium-ion batteries, installed in a dedicated room, provide 500 kWh of usable power
for resiliency backup and demand charge management for the Hauptman Woodward Medical
Research Institute, located on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. Courtesy: Viridi
downtime, " said Bennett.
FTI Consulting's Morris said, " To
enable proactive replacement/refurbishment
of older equipment requires
understanding several elements. First,
there is a need to understand the condition
of the asset and what the probability
of failure of that asset is. Second,
there is a need to understand the
consequence of failure in terms of its
impact. Third, the probability and consequence
of failure need to be combined
to understand the amount of risk. Once
risk is known, it can then be assessed
against the cost of replacement/refurbishment
to determine the appropriate
time for an intervention. " For example,
a well-informed user can plan to replace
equipment when the risk value exceeds
the cost of replacement.
Morris continued, " In order to understand
the condition of the asset, there
is a need to invest in condition monitoring
hardware, which varies based on the
application. These are typically wired or
wireless devices, which can be placed
on equipment to collect different types
of data. In addition to the hardware,
there is a need for asset performance
management software, which takes the
data from the monitoring devices and
performs analysis to identify the risk of
failure. It does this by creating a digital
twin of the asset and analyzing the data
being provided by sensors and monitors
to simulate the impact on the asset's
condition. This software typically can
also determine the consequence of failure
and calculate the risk value. "
Viridi's Williams said the use of BESS
can address several grid-related issues.
" By charging batteries when energy is
abundant and lower cost-in many parts
of the U.S., this occurs during peak solar
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production-and discharging when energy
is at a higher price or when the grid
is operating at a higher carbon intensity,
distributed, behind-the-meter storage
has the capacity to provide significant
benefits to the host site, " said Williams.
" These benefits include active management
of on-site generation and cost reduction
through peak shaving, while also
supporting the grid by releasing energy
when needed-all for the benefit of the
battery owner. However, fulfilling these
roles requires that the BESS be absolutely
safe, and they must have advanced
communications and controls capacity
so they can be monitored and managed
from anywhere and leverage real-time
opportunities to provide forecasted return
on investment. "
" A good example of the diverse benefits
from distributed storage is the 600kWh
Viridi BESS installation [Figure 5] in
occupied space at the Hauptman Woodward
Medical Research Institute (HWI) in
Buffalo, New York, " said Williams. " HWI
had an undersized interconnection to
support installation of a new cryogenic
electron microscope. This need was satisfied
by installation of the Viridi BESS,
which charges in moments of lower
power draw and discharges when the
building is peaking to provide adequate
power for this equipment whenever it
is needed. However, when not used for
this purpose, HWI uses the BESS in an
automated fashion to peak shave, setting
a kW 'ceiling' on operations that results
in cost savings and reducing local
grid strain. In this way, the BESS fulfills
the promise of energy storage, which
benefits both the host and the overall
electric ecosystem. " ■
-Darrell Proctor is a senior
editor for POWER.
15

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