DER and Network Integrity: Meter-Level Operating Envelopes
University of Auckland 3 Grafton Road, AucklandDistinguished Lecture The IEEE PES NZ North Chapter is organizing aDistinguished Lecture on DER and Network Integrity: Meter-Level Operating Envelopes. The event is part of the PES Day 2021 Celebrations. Speaker: Prof. Luis(Nando) Ochoa The University of Melbourne Australia This is a free event and open to all. The event will be delivered virtually. The online link will be sent to you close to the event. Click here to register Registration closes by 1700HRS, 29nd April 2021 Abstract: Australia has currently the largest residential photovoltaic (PV) penetration in the world, with more than 1 in 5 houses with the technology. Battery storage systems are also becoming attractive as they allow storing excess PV generation during the day to use it later at night. These distribution-connected technologies, also known as Distributed Energy Resources (DER), have not only become common in many countries around the world but, more and more, this is creating opportunities for DER owners to provide system-level services through aggregators. However, as the volume of DER providing services increase, the more necessary is to ensure the integrity of the distribution network; guaranteeing that voltages and power flows remain within limits. But the big barrier for distribution companies is that they cannot directly manage DER or aggregators. To overcome this barrier in an effective way, this webinar presents and discusses the concept of meter-level operating envelopes. In this concept, distribution companies calculate, in real-time or day-ahead, operating envelopes (time-varying export or import limits) at the connection point of the customers (where the meter is). This information is then given to aggregators for them to consider it as a hard constraint when deciding how to manage their DER portfolio. The concept and its effectiveness are illustrated using a realistic Australian distribution network. Finally, the webinar discusses the challenges associated with the calculation and implementation of such operating envelopes, including smart meter data, interactions among the three phases, fairness, and reactive power.