Grid Process Automation: A Step towards Grid Modernization

It's no secret that grids are aging fast – too fast for the new technologies, demands, regulations and expectations that they face now and in the future. Severe weather events happen with increasing frequency every year, each with the potential to cause disruptions. From a distributed energy resources (DERs)standpoint, McKinsey reports that “the T&D grid faces increasing pressure to integrate new technologies—such as electric vehicles (EVs), distributed solar generation, and energy storage—in a rapid, safe, and low-cost way.” And utilities saw around 1,100 weekly cyberattacks in 2022, a 32% increase from 2021.

Grids need to modernize at a tremendous rate, or risk hitting an inflection point at which they can no longer accommodate evolving energy needs. And a critical component of accelerating grid modernization involves introducing automation.

Because many key grid processes have outpaced their traditional manual processes and must now be automated with software. This is why we often say the sustainable energy grid of the future will require a convergence of IT and OT – because software and automation will play a huge role in guiding the operational processes that make grids work.

That’s one of the reasons why GE Vernova’s Digital business introduced GridOS®. GridOS is the first grid software portfolio designed for grid orchestration. It brings energy data, network modeling, and AI-driven analytics together across the grid to power applications that help utilities orchestrate an integrated, flexible, and secure sustainable energy grid. With GridOS portfolio of solutions in-house, utilities can accelerate their grid modernization efforts with GridOS process automation.

Here are three critical grid processes that GridOS’ can automate – an essential step on the path to grid modernization:

DERs play a major role in supplying the modern grid. However, their growing integration introduces intermittent disruptions to real-time grid operations. This increasing unpredictability poses a challenge for grid operators, making it hard to respond effectively to immediate grid conditions or foresee future grid states. The need to transition from real-time grid operation to a more proactive and anticipatory approach has never been greater.

Today’s grid operators need a forward-looking perspective, empowering them to proactively identify potential grid violations and constraints in the hours and days ahead. This proactive approach enables them to plan ahead and implement remedial actions to ensure grid stability and reliability.

To facilitate this proactive approach, the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) forecasting capabilities is essential. GridOS Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS) forecasting leverages these technologies to help operators anticipate potential variations in power flow and their grid impacts well in advance, facilitating timely interventions. However, identifying potential violations is just the first step. Grid operators also require a method for acting on these forecasts. Yet, coordinating actions among a vast number of DERs is virtually an impossible task for a human operator in a control room, especially considering that these actions must be coordinated across potentially thousands of DERs. Automation is the key to utilities effectively identifying and dispatching the right actions to DERs at scale.

Automated DER scheduling is a key capability of GridOS DERMS. After it receives precise forecasts from its integrated Forecasting module, GridOS DERMS can leverage this data for look-ahead DER scheduling, complete with DER optimization. Grid operators can configure DER optimization use cases tailored to their specific grid perimeter, including defined time horizons, techno-economic optimization objectives, and a range of grid and DER levers. They can also choose their preferred level of automation, such as fully automated, semi-automated, or “advisory mode” (allowing the operator to validate solutions before scheduling or dispatching them).

Incorporating automated DER scheduling via GridOS DERMS empowers utilities to accommodate increasing DER penetration while keeping the lights on for their customers. 

Managing voltage is far from a simple task. It is also quite tedious when done manually, especially for grids with high DER penetration. DERs can negatively impact voltage management at the transmission level. Australia is a prime example of this – its grids have a significant amount of DERs, causing numerous voltage fluctuations per day. Depending on the exact level of a grid’s DER penetration, several remedial actions per hour may be necessary to improve the voltage profile (one of our customers requires as many as 350 actions per day). It’s neither efficient nor practical to task a worker in a control room with manually dispatching all these remedial actions. Every year, more and more grids around the world creep towards Australia’s DER penetration levels – and the associated voltage complexities. The time to automate voltage management is now.

GridOS’s Advanced Energy Management System (AEMS) automates the voltage management process by using an advanced optimization technique. Upon detecting a voltage fluctuation, AEMS quickly calculates how to best bring all voltages as close to nominal value as possible. Once it makes the calculations, AEMS sends automated commands to the relevant equipment, dictating next steps to restore proper voltage. Possible remedial actions might include switching capacitators and/or changing transformer taps, generator AVR set points & MVAR output, re-dispatching generators, etc. Introducing automation to the voltage management process means significant improvements in efficiency and precision. It also frees up control room operators to work on higher value tasks.

Faults are an unfortunate, yet unavoidable, reality for distribution grid operators. When they occur and knock out power, identifying the fault isolation must happen fast so restoration efforts can begin. The growth of DERs makes this process even more complex. Utilities require an automated closed-loop process for fault isolation and service restoration.

For maximum speed, efficiency and precision, fault isolation and service restoration (FISR) can be automated with the right solution, like GridOS Advanced Distribution Management System (ADMS). Within ADMS, FISR kicks in the moment it detects a fault. It firstly narrows down the fault’s likely location to the smallest possible area. From there FISR restores upstream power, then identifies the best load transfer options for restoring downstream customers, all while maintaining the safety of the network and crews. It also takes DERs into account in the service restoration process, which is essential for determining the right load to pick up. Utilities that leverage this automated approach to FISR will notice significant improvements in SAIDI and SAIFI. In fact, GE Vernova customers experience 18% less network outages and realize 40% faster restoration times to keep the lights on for their customers*.  

Process automation is only one of the ways GridOS can accelerate the grid modernization journey. For a full picture of what GridOS can offer, from its top-notch partner ecosystem to its Zero Trust grid security model, check out our GridOS ebook.