Roadmap for Smart Grids: Four Steps to an intelligent electrical distribution grid

The German "Energiewende" leads to a rapid and intense change in the overall energy system. Electrical distribution system operators (DSOs) face the challenge to integrate a massive amount of renewable energy generators into their grid. Formerly, distribution grids have been designed to provide a secure system operation even in extreme situations. Today smart grids may contribute to lower overall costs by coupling generation, consumption, markets and grids. By means of this overall system approach grid extension can be reduced to an efficient degree. In this paper the EWE NETZ roadmap to build a smart grid is presented. It focuses on DSOs' options in order to implement an area-wide intelligent grid. The four major steps are: 1. Acquire expert knowledge and first operational experience by means of prototype facilities and field studies; 2. Strategic analysis and strategic commitment to area-wide smart grids; 3. Create a concept how to transform the existing network into a smart grid; 4. Implementation of developed concepts. As EWE NETZ has reached phase four since 2014, practical experience is described for all four phases in this paper.