Grid Modernization and Smart Distribution Systems
October 8 @ 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
- Abstract: This presentation will provide an overview of grid modernization activities and smart distribution systems, and discuss objectives, modern equipment, technologies, leading industry practices, solutions and methodologies used by the electric power industry to modernize distribution grids. This presentation will bring together all these aspects in a cohesive and holistic description that would allow attendees to understand this rapidly evolving and increasingly complex area. This presentation will address the following aspects:
1. Objectives: industry trends, drivers, justification and need for distribution grid modernization, including efficiency improvement, climate change, emissions reductions, evolving customer patterns, and resiliency/reliability improvement.
2. Modern equipment, technologies, and solutions: microprocessor-based relays, reclosers and switches; Distributed Energy Resources (DER) including Distributed Generation (DG), Distributed Energy Storage (DES) and microgrids; electric transportation; advanced controllers and sensors (e.g., distribution PMUs); power electronics-based distribution equipment (distribution class STATCOMs, etc.); Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI); Advanced Distribution Management Systems (ADMS); Outage Management Systems (OMS); and DER management Systems (DERMS); telecommunications technologies (optic fibre, meshed radio, etc.), and grid edge devices and home automation systems.
3. Modern methodologies: modern planning, operations and engineering analysis for power distribution systems, including spatial load forecasting; predictive reliability analysis; DER integration; hosting capacity analysis; Non-Wires Alternatives (NWA); advanced distribution automation (Fault Location, Isolation and Service Restoration (FLISR), Volt-Var optimization (VVO), etc.); value of DER and value of the grid, real-time monitoring, protection, automation, control, and operations; and grid analytics.
4. Business, regulatory and policy trends: benefit-cost analyses and business case development for deployment of grid modernization solutions, technology roadmap and strategy development, etc.
5. Case studies: examples of grid modernization solutions for real-life power distribution systems.
- Speaker: Dr Julio Romero Agüero is the Senior Vice President of Strategy & Business Innovation at Quanta Technology. He has 29 years of experience, he provides leadership to Quanta Technology in the areas of technology strategy, innovation, grid modernization, distribution systems planning, reliability, resilience, and integration of distributed energy resources and emerging technologies. He has developed solutions and provided advisory services and regulatory support in these areas to electric utilities and regulatory boards in the USA, Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean and Asia. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE and a Distinguished Lecturer of IEEE PES. He has served IEEE PES as a volunteer in multiple roles, including as Vice President, Chapters and Membership in the IEEE PES Governing Board, Chair of the 2020 and 2021 Innovative Smart Grid Technologies Conference North America, Chair of the IEEE Distribution Subcommittee, Chair of the IEEE Working Group on Distributed Resources Integration, Editor of IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery, and Editor of IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid. He currently serves as Vice Chair of the IEEE PES Transmission and Distribution Committee. He has been an Adjunct Professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and the University of Houston.
