Reliability, Resilience and Defense technology for the griD
Project dates:
Smart Network management
Smart Network management
-
-
Sustainable and robust networking for smart electricity distribution
Project dates: 01. Feb 2014 - 31. Jan 2017
Objective
SUNSEED proposes an evolutionary approach to utilisation of already present communication networks from both energy and telecom operators. These can be suitably connected to form a converged communication infrastructure for future smart energy grids offering open services. Life cycle of such communication network solutions consists of six steps: overlap, interconnect, interoperate, manage, plan and open. Joint communication networking operations steps start with analysis of regional overlap of energy and telecommunications operator infrastructures. Geographical overlap of energy and communications infrastructures identifies vital DSO energy and support grid locations (e.g. distributed energy generators, transformer substations, cabling, ducts) that are covered by both energy and telecom communication networks. Coverage can be realised with known wireline (e.g. copper, fiber)or wireless and mobile (e.g. WiFi, 4G) technologies. Interconnection assures end-2-end secure communication on the physical layer between energy and telecom, whereas interoperation provides network visibility and reach of smart grid nodes from both operator (utility) sides. Monitoring, control and management gathers measurement data from wide area of sensors and smart meters and assures stable distributed energy grid operation by using novel intelligent real time analytical knowledge discovery methods. For full utilisation of future network planning, we will integrate various public databases. Applications build on open standards (W3C) with exposed application programming interfaces (API) to 3rd parties enable creation of new businesses related to energy and communication sectors (e.g. virtual power plant operators, energy services providers for optimizing home energy use) or enable public wireless access points (e.g. WiFi nodes at distributed energy generator locations). SUNSEED life cycle steps promise much lower investments and total cost of ownership for future smart energy grids with dense distributed energy generation and prosumer involvement.
-
Optimal System-Mix Of flexibility Solutions for European electricity
Project dates: 01. Jan 2018 - 30. Apr 2022
Objective
Six TSOs, eleven research partners, together with sixteen industry (manufacturers, solution providers) and market (producers, ESCo) players address, through a holistic approach, the identification and development of flexibilities required to enable the Energy Transition to high share of renewables. This approach captures synergies across needs and sources of flexibilities, such as multiple services from one source, or hybridizing sources, thus resulting in a cost-efficient power system. OSMOSE proposes four TSO-led demonstrations (RTE, REE, TERNA and ELES) aiming at increasing the techno-economic potential of a wide range of flexibility solutions and covering several applications, i.e.: synchronisation of large power systems by multiservice hybrid storage; multiple services provided by the coordinated control of different storage and FACTS devices; multiple services provided by grid devices, large demand-response and RES generation coordinated in a smart management system; cross-border sharing of flexibility sources through a near real-time cross-border energy market. The demonstrations are coordinated with and supported by simulation-based studies which aim (i) to forecast the economically optimal mix of flexibility solutions in long-term energy scenarios (2030 and 2050) and (ii) to build recommendations for improvements of the existing market mechanisms and regulatory frameworks, thus enabling the reliable and sustainable development of flexibility assets by market players in coordination with regulated players. Interoperability and improved TSO/DSO interactions are addressed so as to ease the scaling up and replication of the flexibility solutions. A database is built for the sharing of real-life techno-economic performances of electrochemical storage devices. Activities are planned to prepare a strategy for the exploitation and dissemination of the project’s results, with specific messages for each category of stakeholders of the electricity system.
-
Development of Novel ICT tools for integrated Balancing Market Enabling Aggregated Demand Response and Distributed Generation Capacity
Project dates: 01. Oct 2012 - 30. Nov 2015
Objective
The 3rd Energy Package clearly boosts the development of an Integrated European balancing mechanism. In this context, ACER has in 2011 started the development of the Framework Guidelines on Electricity Balancing.It is expected from the ACER statements that Demand Response will play significant role in the future integrated balancing market allowing Virtual Power Plants, comprising Demand Response and Distributed Generation resources to compete on equal ground.Based on the above, the overall objective of the eBADGE project is to propose an optimal pan-European Intelligent Balancing mechanism, piloted on the borders of Austria, Italy and Slovenia, that is also able to integrate Virtual Power Plant Systems that can assist in the management of the electricity Transmission and Distribution grids in an optimized, controlled and secure manner. Even if the trans-national mechanism proposed by eBADGE will be tested with reference to a trilateral case (Austria, Italy, Slovenia), the approach and the modelling methodology is meant to allow a gradual extension to other countries in Europe (such as Germany in a second phase).The ICT development of the eBADGE project will be in line with the ACER Guidelines delivering the following five results:\tSimulation and modelling tool for studying Integrated Balancing/Reserve Market allowing the participation of VPP at the distribution side;\tUniform high performance message bus between Balancing/Reserve entities;\tBusiness models between Energy, ICT and Residential Consumers sectors;\tVirtual Power Plant as a Reliable Balancing Asset;\tPilot eBADGE Cloud.Project objectives are:1.\tTo develop the components: simulation and modelling tool; message bus; VPP data analysis, optimisation and control strategies; home energy cloud; and business models between Energy, ICT and Residential Consumers sector;2.\tTo integrate the above components into a single system;3.\tTo validate these in lab and field trials;4.\tTo evaluate its impact.The Consortium will first design and implement the single components, which will be then individually tested and validated and finally, integrated. The validation of the individual components will be done using historical data and simulation (Simulation and modelling tool), expert knowledge in the Consortium (Message bus validation) using designed and developed scenarios and field trials (Home Energy Cloud and Pilot eBADGE cloud). The validation of the selected models for an Integrated Balancing/Reserve Market will also bring to a first rough assessment of the environmental and economic benefits.The consortium will promote a strong interaction and consultation with relevant stakeholders involved in Advisory Board. Achievements of the project eBADGE, if widely implemented, will also deliver synergies and efficient use of existing resources and infrastructure thus lowering daily costs for electricity users and increasing European welfare.
-
TEMPerature Optimisation for Low Temperature District Heating across Europe
Project dates: 01. Oct 2017 - 31. Mar 2022
Objective
The technical and economic viability of today’s district heating (DH) networks are undermined by transitions to highly efficient building stocks and ineffective business models which fail to benefit all stakeholders. TEMPO tackles this by 1) innovations to create low temperature (LT) networks for increased network efficiency and integration options for renewable and residual heat sources; and 2) new business models to boost network competitiveness and attractiveness for stakeholder investment. In TEMPO, six innovations related to networks, digitisation thereof and building optimisation undergo final development (TRL7-8). The innovations are combined into 3 solution packages suitable for 3 different application areas: new LT DH networks in urban areas, new LT DH networks in rural areas, and existing (HT) networks. The benefits of these solution packages to reduce network temperatures will be demonstrated in 3 selected representative demos. The Vattenfall demo is a new urban LT network whereby solution package 1 will be demonstrated to reduce temperatures and therefore to enable integration of a geothermal energy source and cooling. The Enerpipe demo is a new rural LT network whereby solution package 2 will be demonstrated to reduce temperatures and so can open up the possibility to integrate a renewable energy source at a later stage. The existing network of A2A currently operates at a very high supply temperature. By integrating solution package 3, with particular emphasis on end consumer engagement, reduction in network temperatures will be similarly demonstrated. A comparable monitoring approach will ensure optimal network performance (reliability and durability) assessment and to foster maximal replication options in other areas. Each solution package will be coupled to an innovative business model, which can leverage cost savings due to improved energy efficiency to offset the investment costs. Stakeholder engagement and consumer empowerment will be high pr
-
Security In trusted SCADA and smart-grids
Project dates: 01. Jan 2015 - 28. Feb 2018
Objective
In traditional industrial control systems and critical infrastructures, security was implicitly assumed by the reliance on proprietary technologies (security by obscurity), physical access protection and disconnection from the Internet. The massive move, in the last decade, towards open standards and IP connectivity, the growing integration of Internet of Things technologies, and the disruptiveness of targeted cyber-attacks, calls for novel, designed-in, cyber security means. Taking an holistic approach, SCISSOR designs a new generation SCADA security monitoring framework, comprising four layers: i) a monitoring layer supporting traffic probes providing programmable traffic analyses up to layer 7, new ultra low cost/energy pervasive sensing technologies, system and software integrity verification, and smart camera surveillance solutions for automatic detection and object classification; ii) a control and coordination layer adaptively orchestrating remote probes/sensors, providing a uniform representation of monitoring data gathered from heterogeneous sources, and enforcing cryptographic data protection, including certificate-less identity/attribute-based encryption schemes; iii) a decision and analysis layer in the form of an innovative SIEM fed by both highly heterogeneous monitoring events as well as the native control processes’ signals, and supporting advanced correlation and detection methodologies; iv) a human-machine layer devised to present in real time the system behavior to the human end user in a simple and usable manner. SCISSOR’s framework will leverage easy-to-deploy cloud-based development and integration, and will be designed with resilience and reliability in mind (no single point of failure). SCISSOR will be assessed via i) an off-field SCADA platform, to highlight its ability to detect and thwart targeted threats, and ii) an on-field, real world deployment within a running operational smart grid, to showcase usability, viability and deployability.
-
European Research Infrastructure supporting Smart Grid and Smart Energy Systems Research, Technology Development, Validation and Roll Out – Second Edition
Project dates: 01. Apr 2020 - 30. Sep 2024
Objective
A driving force for the realization of a sustainable energy supply is the integration of renewable energy resources. Due to their stochastic generation behaviour, energy utilities are confronted with a more complex operation of the underlying power grids. Additionally, due to technology developments, controllable loads, integration with other energy sources, changing regulatory rules, and the market liberalization, the system’s operation needs adaptation. Proper operational concepts and intelligent automation provide the basis to turn the existing power system into an intelligent entity, a smart grid. While reaping the benefits that come along with those intelligent behaviours, it is expected that system-level developments and testing will play a significantly larger role in realizing future solutions and technologies. Proper validation approaches, concepts, and tools are partly missing until now. In order to tackle the integration of renewables in a first phase the FP7 RI project DERri focused on the provision of access around distributed energy resources. In a second phase, the provided portfolio of services has been successfully enlarged in the H2020 RI project ERIGrid to the system-level covering mainly electric power system, information and communication issues. However, in order to fulfil the challenging goals of the European Union towards a clean, secure, and efficient energy transition to face climate and energy challenges, additional research services are required. In a third phase ERIGrid 2.0 addresses these challenging energy transition aims by widening and advancing the provided RI access. As a single-entry point for researchers active in smart grids, smart energy systems, and integration of renewables, it offers a broad spectrum of improved services, methods, and tools. This will further strengthen the technical leadership of Europe in the energy domain and foster research and innovation to extend its leading role.
-
Development of a new disruptive semiconductor technology to produce more efficient, smaller, lighter, and more robust power switches.
Project dates: 01. Jun 2016 - 30. Sep 2016
Objective
Anvil Semiconductors has developed a unique technology to enable the production of Silicon Carbide (SiC) power switches at a similar cost to conventional Silicon by growing thin layers of SiC by heteroepitaxy on Silicon wafers rather than using expensive bulk SiC substrates. This innovation enables wafer costs to be reduced by a factor of 20 and opens up the possibility of fabricating SiC devices at similar costs to those of Silicon. Power devices such as MOSFETS and Schottky Barrier Diodes (SBDs) utilising Anvil’s SiC technology instead of silicon enable systems to be more efficient, smaller, lighter, cheaper and more robust. Electronic systems for electric vehicles, industrial machines, photovoltaics, LED lighting, wind turbines, power factor correction, uninterruptible power supplies, and the Smart Grid, will all be more efficient, smaller, more robust and cheaper. Examples of customer benefits from the use of such devices include: 10% savings on fuel consumption in a hybrid car; critical efficiency savings (4%) and size reduction (25%) in solar inverters; 10% increase in efficiency power usage in data centres.
-
RELIABLE, RECONFIGURABLE DC DISTRIBUTION NETWORKS
Project dates: 02. Oct 2018 - 01. Oct 2020
Objective
This research will employ a new concept called virtual conductor that has been introduced by the Fellow through his PhD research. The overriding objective of the project is to investigate virtual conductors as the Direct Current (DC) equivalent of Soft Normally Open Points (SNOP), using them for improving the reliability of DC electricity distribution networks through DC network reconfiguration. Many consumer electronic devices need direct current (DC) input. All these DC devices require conversion of the supplied AC power into DC, and that conversion typically uses inefficient rectifiers. While the concept of using DC power distribution to interface distributed energy sources and loads to the power grid seems appealing at first, several issues must be addressed before this can be implemented fully. Intelligent control methods are investigated worldwide, to manage Distributed Energy Resource (DER) dispatch. Intelligent control can be extended to help improve operational security and reliability of electricity networks by utilising flexible resources. This research will focus on: 1. Quantifying the benefits of a reconfigurable DC network with virtual conductors. 2. Measuring the impact of introducing a reconfigurable DC network on electricity supply reliability, through the changes in specific reliability indices. 3. Extending existing intelligent control code available by the supervisor, to design an intelligent control system which regulates the virtual conductors and implements their reconfiguration capabilities.
-
PORTable Innovation Open Network for Efficiency and Emissions Reduction Solutions
Project dates: 01. Oct 2021 - 30. Sep 2026
Objective
PIONEERS brings together four ports with different characteristics, but shared commitments towards meeting the Green Deal goals and Blue Growth socio-economic aims, in order to address the challenge for European ports of reducing GHG emissions while remaining competitive. In order to achieve these ambitions, the Ports of Antwerp, Barcelona, Venlo and Constanta will implement green port innovation demonstrations across four main pillars: clean energy production and supply, sustainable port design, modal shift and flows optimization, and digital transformation. Actions include: renewable energy generation and deployment of electric, hydrogen and methanol vehicles; building and heating networks retrofit for energy efficiency and implementation of circular economy approaches in infrastructure works; together with deployment of digital platforms (utilising AI and 5G technologies) to promote modal shift of passengers and freight, ensure optimised vehicle, vessel and container movements and allocations, and facilitate vehicle automation. These demonstrations form integrated packages aligned with other linked activities of the ports and their neighbouring city communities. Forming an Open Innovation Network for exchange, the ports, technology and support partners will progress through project phases of innovation demonstration, scale-up and co-transferability. Rigorous innovation and transfer processes will address technology evaluation and business case development for exploitation, as well as creating the institutional, regulatory and financial frameworks for green ports to flourish from technical innovation pilots to widespread solutions. These processes will inform and be undertaken in parallel with masterplan development and refinement, providing a Master Plan and roadmap for energy transition at the PIONEERS ports, and handbook to guide green port planning and implementation for different typologies of ports across Europe.