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The U.S. electric utility industry has been in existence for well over one hundred years. Its employees have extensive experience and understanding of their distribution systems, but do not have access to complete, live grid information on which to base decisions. Regulatory requirements, customer expectations, and the need to control costs all have greater influence over the management and operation of electric distribution infrastructure than at any time in the industry's history. Real-time and archived historical information provided by grid sensors enables utilities to improve customer service and system performance while reducing costs, and serves as the foundation of a modern, comprehensive asset management and operations strategy.
Old Technology, Modern Demands Electric utilities require continuous, real-time knowledge of system conditions in order to provide the best service to their customers, respond to interruptions and overloads, and manage their distribution infrastructure effectively and efficiently while controlling costs.
“Throughout the 20th century, the U.S. electric power delivery infrastructure served our nation well, providing adequate, affordable energy to homes, businesses and factories. This once state-of-the-art system brought a level of prosperity to the United States unmatched by any other nation in the world. But a 21st-century U.S. economy cannot be built on a 20th-century electric grid.”
A Vision for the Modern Grid, National Energy Technology Laboratory, March 2007
• Business and residential customers of electric utilities demand highly reliable service. They expect fewer interruptions and shorter outage durations, and they do not tolerate momentary interruptions. • Regulators have established performance standards for system reliability to ensure that utilities are meeting customers' expectations. • Public utility commissions require accurate monitoring and reporting of reliability statistics. • Compliance with reliability standards is enforced via detailed reporting, mandated infrastructure spending, and, in some cases, direct financial penalties. In March 2007, National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), part of the Department of Energy's National Laboratory System, issued a series of reports prepared by the Modern Grid Initiative (MGI) Team. These documents describe the need for a modernized electric delivery system, and define the structure, characteristics, key elements, and benefits of a modern grid. The MGI Team identified five key technologies as essential elements of the modern grid: • Integrated Communications • Sensing and Measurement • Advanced Components • Advanced Control Methods • Improved Interfaces and Decision Support. This paper will discuss sensing and measurement as a foundation supporting the other key technologies.
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