Distributed Hierarchical Sensing and Analytics for Grid-Edge Behind the Meter Visibility and Grid Resilience

One of the barriers to utilizing the full potential of residential grid-integrated renewable energy sources is the limited Behind the Meter (BTM) visibility. A new paradigm in distributed hierarchical sensing and analytics is proposed for unprecedented visibility by the utility at both the grid-edge and cloud. The feasibility of proposed low-cost sensor technology (e.g., optical fiber and passive wireless sensing of electrical assets) and inverter "virtual" sensors will be validated by implementing a Power-Hardware-In-the-Loop (PHIL) testbed combined with a low-cost wireless communication platform and advanced analytics to gain better BTM visibility into rural cooperative electrical distribution systems.