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Optimizing power grids to increase efficiency, reliability and security while lowering the cost of producing power is a complex problem that poses different challenges.
There are current solutions that, thanks to technological innovation, effectiveness and feasibility, can be adopted today to increase efficiency and reduce losses in power grids. Energy efficiency not only makes it possible to reduce the impact that the production and transmission of energy has on the environment, but also reduce energy cost for users.
Identify losses in power grid systems
Step-up transformers, transmission lines, substations, primary voltage distribution lines, line or step-down transformers, and secondary lines that connect to residences and businesses are some of the significant parts of the power grid system.
Each of the stages, as shown in Figure 1, is susceptible to losses. Therefore, there is room for increased efficiency.
Optimizing each part of the distribution system to cut down on electricity losses is possible. The losses connected to the conductor lines themselves, frequently referred to as “line losses,” are just one kind of energy loss that occurs throughout the transmission and distribution of electricity.
Upgrade aging infrastructure
Due to old infrastructure, many power networks worldwide have high energy loss rates. Transformers, transmission and distribution lines, and other components of the power grid system can all be upgraded to improve efficiency and lower losses. Modernizing and replacing outdated power transmission and distribution systems with more advanced ones that can boost efficiency, reliability and resilience is typically how electrical engineers upgrade aging grid infrastructure.
For this purpose, the Building a Better Grid Initiative of the Department of Energy (DOE), which launched on Jan. 12, 2022, encourages investments to enhance the flexibility and resilience of the distribution system, as well as promote the nationwide development of new and upgraded high-capacity electric transmission lines. The initiative supports constructing long-distance, high-voltage transmission facilities and distribution systems that are essential to achieving President Biden’s goals of 100% clean electricity by 2035, and a zero-emissions economy by 2050.
Implement smart grid technology
The power grid can be better monitored and controlled thanks to smart grid technology, which can help increase efficiency and decrease energy losses. Advanced sensors, automatic switching mechanisms and real-time monitoring systems are included in this approach.
A smart grid is an innovative method of building energy-efficient networks that varies from conventional ones thanks to the cloud, artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies. A smart grid offers preventive and predictive maintenance, which are essential components of the grid’s operation. Overall, the AI-powered smart grid shows increased resilience and improved security for the grid, which allows for more accurate forecasts.
The adoption of clean, renewable energy sources in power systems around the world might be facilitated and accelerated with the help of AI, which also has the potential to reduce energy waste and costs. Power system planning, management and control can all be enhanced by AI. As a result, the development of AI technology is strongly related to our ability to produce the cheap and clean energy needed for growth.
Electrical networks with two-way communication between utilities and customers are known as smart grids, which improve the system’s ability to react to sudden changes in energy demand or emergencies. Data gathering, archiving and analysis are made possible by this information layer, which was made possible by the widespread installation of smart meters and sensors.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (also known as the “Recovery Act”), signed into law by President Obama, included measures to modernize the U.S.’s energy and communication infrastructure and enhance energy independence. The related investments have supported the installation of over 1,000 phasor measurement units (PMUs) across the U.S., supported with high-speed communications networks and advanced analytics for further data processing.
Also known as synchronized phasors (synchrophasors), PMUs are crucial components of current smart grids. They measure and align data in real time from various distant spots on the grid. Better grid management is possible by creating a current, accurate and integrated view of the complete power system.
These smart-grid components have aided in raising the efficiency, security and dependability of electrical transmission and distribution networks when combined with robust data analytics. AI methods like machine learning are best suited for their analysis and usage due to the enormous amount and varied structures of such data. Many uses for this data analysis include defect detection, preventive maintenance, power quality monitoring, and forecasting of renewable energy sources.
System frequency is one of the “vital indicators” of the electric grid. In cooperation with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the University of Tennessee in Knoxville set up a system of GPS-synchronized sensors to detect the voltage angle and frequency of the electrical grid over a large area. Each North American interconnection’s frequency is displayed on the map in real time.
The central Knoxville processing unit receives this data flow from the remote sensors, time-synchronizes it, and then incorporates it into the map, as shown in Figure 2 below. When examining energy blackouts, specialists across North America use this data.
Increase usage of renewables
Renewable energy sources like solar and wind power offer lower transmission and distribution losses compared to traditional fossil fuels. By using more renewable energy in the system, energy losses can be reduced, and efficiency can be increased.
Energy storage systems
Any physical or chemical system that saves electrical energy for later use is called an energy storage system (ESS). Batteries are among the most widely used energy storage technologies, but they are not the best economical choice for large-scale projects. Gravity, compressed air and other technologies can be used to store energy in addition to batteries to develop utility-scale energy storage solutions. ESSes can be used to store electricity off-grid (for usage during blackouts and power outages), or they can be used to strengthen the regional power grid’s resilience to keep it operating during periods of peak demand.
Because current energy grids aren’t designed to store power, but rather to maintain a balance between supply and demand, energy storage is crucial. Systems storing energy do so for a set amount before releasing usable electric power. The method, however, can differ significantly from one energy storage project to another.
Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are often used in battery-based ESSes to power electric vehicles (EVs) or entire homes. Li-ion batteries are also handy for everyday electronics because of their high energy density, but they can only be stored for a limited time and require frequent charging. Lead-acid, sodium-sulfur and metal-air batteries are additional technologies that might be useful in the shift to green energy.
Flywheel energy storage
The frequency of the electrical grid can also be successfully controlled using kinetic energy storage systems, also known as flywheel energy storage (FES), which are commonly based on large flywheels. Flywheels are spun quickly by electricity in kinetic ESSes, allowing them to store energy and release it to the power grid later. This type of technology is better suited for frequency regulation than long-term electricity storage because it can produce capacities in the tens of megawatts.
Concentrated solar power
Another method, based on the storage of thermal energy, uses variations in temperature to capture and store electrical energy. The most common example is concentrated solar power (CSP), in which solar energy is focused on a heat-transfer fluid that can be used to power a generator. Financed by the DOE, one of the most extensive CSP facilities in the world is in the Mojave Desert in California.
Innovative solar receiver and frame designs, as shown in Figure 3, are used to improve the parabolic trough technology, which has been used for almost 25 years at facilities there. Mojave is expected to produce 329,000 metric tons less carbon dioxide yearly and 617,000 megawatt-hours of clean energy.
Compressed air energy storage
By forcing compressed air into a chamber at high pressure and using it to spin a turbine on the way out, compressed air can also be used to store electricity. Compressed air energy storage (CAES) systems are used in a minimal number of places around the world because they need underground reservoirs.
Pumped storage hydropower
Furthermore, energy can be stored using water. At present, 93% of all large-scale storage systems in the U.S. are powered by pumped storage hydropower (PSH) technology, which can play a significant role in developing global energy storage systems. PSH systems pump water into an upper reservoir and transforms it into electricity on the way down, unlike conventional hydropower plants that don’t retain energy.
Introduce automated demand response programs
With incentives for customers to use less energy when there is high demand, demand response programs enable utilities to control peak electricity demand. Utility companies can avoid investing in costly peaker plants and increase grid efficiency by minimizing peak demand—programs for demand response lower loads when a system is under the most pressure.
Because the amperage on conductors is at its peak during these times, line losses are at their highest. Since line losses are exponential, a slight reduction in load during peak hours will result in an exponential decrease in line losses.
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