Identification of requirements for distribution management systems in the smart grid context

The integration of significant volumes of distributed and renewable energy resources directly connected to the distribution network raises new requirement to maintain and operate the power system in secure state. Thus the Distribution Management System (DMS) needs to be updated and integrated with new functionality to provide effective support for the operators. The DMS is a control center solution that provides the needed functionality for the management of medium and low voltage distribution networks. This paper aims to provide an overview of the main functions present in today's DMS platforms and to identify the new requirements to better serve in a smart grid context.