Dynamic monitoring and decision systems (DYMONDS) framework for reliable and efficient congestion management in smart distribution grids

This paper concerns transforming today's operations and asset management in large-scale distribution grids into efficient and reliable grid management. Particular emphasis is on dynamic monitoring and decision systems (DYMONDS) embedded into system users, distribution network and operators of distribution, sub-transmission and transmission systems, all interacting to enable electricity services within the customers' preferences for acceptable type of service and electricity tariffs. Through these interactions it becomes possible to manage higher-voltage grid congestion by either: i) direct load control (demand side management-DSM) and/or ii) DYMONDS-enabled adaptive load management (ALM). It is described how these two approaches, which appear to be similar at first sight, differ in enabling customer choice with respect to both type of service and tariff determination. Finally, the paper proposes that there is potentially a major benefit from coordinating actions of distribution, subtransmission and transmission system operators. Namely, by carefully exchanging the right information it becomes possible to implement load-transfer (LT) to relieve congestion in transmission- or sub-transmission grids by reconfiguring lower-voltage feeders in distribution grids to control the aggregate load seen at the higher voltage levels. We finally compare the economic aspects of DSM, LT and DYMONDS. A simple 60kV sub-transmission grid connected to a large distribution network in Portugal is used to illustrate these different options and the related costs and benefits.