Future control architecture and emerging observability needs

Abstract

The paper presents the first findings from workpackage "Increased Observability" in EU FP7 project ELECTRA. Accommodation of intermittent generation into the network and its reliable operation require a gradual evolution of the network structure and in particular improvement of its monitoring or observing. The present practices of observing distribution networks are quite limited and vary from country to country. New network architectures are expected to evolve in the close future, including web-of-cells (concept defined in ELECTRA), which will result in new control schemes, significantly different from the existing. Several new observability needs have to be met in order to secure operation of the future networks.