Active operation of electrical distribution networks with high share of decentralised power generation

Status

completed

Summary

Motivation and Objective

The required intensified utilization of renewable energy resources leads to an increasing decentralized structured electricity generation and new requirements for supply networks. In future it will be necessary to identify innovative solutions, which enable the use of extended network reserves to integrate renewable energy resources in electricity distribution networks. This is planned by using intelligent control concepts and the integration of all relevant players in distribution network operation. The problem and the objective of the DG DemoNetz-Concept project is the following: How can an active network operation look like and is it economically feasible?

The concrete objective of the project is to identify typical and representative network areas for the realization of a demonstration network and to analyze the possibilities for implementing different control concepts in these networks as well as to project the technical, organizational and economical realization.

Results

The DG DemoNetz-Concept team developed four innovative voltage control concepts which enable to keep the voltage within the required limits and to secure electricity supply while integrating an increasing share of distributed generation in existing network infrastructure. Based on numerical network simulations of three selected medium voltage distribution networks, the investigations demonstrated the technical as well as the economical feasibility of innovative voltage control concepts for the integration of distributed generation. A quantitative investigation of the installable capacity of distributed generation was carried out. All demonstrated concepts imply major changes for network and generation unit operators based on present network operation strategies and requirements.

Outlook

Due to the promising project results the ambition to implement these in the selected networks by integration of the generation units is given. On the path to a practical demonstration of the voltage control concepts some primary operational questions need to be clarified in detail: Operational requirements for the concepts like e.g. switch of sectioning point, supply over a neighbouring substation, network faults and simplified methods for planning an active distribution network. Those questions will be answered within the follow up project BAVIS and the voltage control concepts will be enhanced.

Project management

Dipl.-Ing. Helfried Brunner, Dipl.-Ing. Andreas Lugmaier
Österreichisches Forschungs- und Prüfzentrum Arsenal

Project collaborator

Dipl.-Ing. Benoit Bletterie, Dipl.-Ing. Hubert Fechner, Dipl.-Ing. Roland Bründlinger
Österreichisches Forschungs- und Prüfzentrum Arsenal

Project or cooperation partner

• Dipl.-Ing. Dr Andreas Abart, Dipl.-Ing. Gerhard Föger
  Energie AG Oberösterreich Netz GmbH
• Dipl.-Ing. Rudolf Pointner
  Salzburg Netz GmbH
• Dipl. HTL.Ing Reinhard Nenning
  VKW Netz AG

Austrian Institute of Technology, Energy Department
Österreichisches Forschungs- und Prüfzentrum Arsenal Ges.m.b.H.
DI Helfried Brunner; MSc
Giefinggasse 2, 1210, Wien
Tel.: +43 (0) 50550 6382
Fax: +43 (0) 50550 6390
E-Mail: helfried.brunner@ait.ac.at
Web: www.ait.ac.at