EDP to work on InovGrid project

EDP Distribution (EDPD), as many other utilities, is facing new challenges regarding the liberalization of the European and Iberian electricity markets and regarding the need to introduce more intelligence to manage and control distribution networks with large scale integration of micro-generation and responsive loads.

With this in mind the InovGrid project addresses the technical architecture that is being developed for the implementation of a fully active distribution network. It is based on a multi-level hierarchical architecture, capable of dealing both separately and in an integrated way with commercial and technical information, where the infrastructure includes several components from Central and SCADA system to Energy Boxes (EB).

Besides being a large technical challenge, this project is an excellent opportunity to progress towards the smart grid paradigm, giving support to all new smart metering and commercial processes recently defined by Iberian energy regulators and allowing, at the same time, increases in operation flexibility and efficiency, grid reinforcement cost reduction, improvement of quality of service, and others, while keeping costs down.

The solution will apply to more than 6 million customers, bringing benefits for all stakeholders and also contribute to changes in energy consumption behaviors in order to successfully address the energy efficiency European requirements, as stated in the European Service Directive and subsequent local countries initiatives.

Luis vale de Cunha is the technical coordinator of the recently started InovGrid Project, an innovative initiative that aims to implement an "intelligent grid" during the next few years, trough a new systems, communications and technological infrastructure that will integrate commercial and metering processes, network automation and management, and also control of distributed energy resources and micro-generation.

Source: Smart Electric News