How utilities can yield significant operational benefits
BY JEFF WALZ, Siemens Smart Grid
As North American electric utilities continue to transform their existing electric delivery assets into a smarter grid, strong emphasis is placed on systems, products, and services that provide value in automating and managing the electric distribution network. Within this context, utilities are focusing on four main themes in distribution: reliability, efficiency, safety, and interoperability.
These themes relate directly to the operational objectives...
Simultaneous charging of just 60,000 next-generation electric vehicles could one day threaten the Texas grid, an analysis has shown. Based on a 100-kilowatt EV battery with a 5-minute charge time, which could potentially be the standard for EVs in three or four years, demand from 60,000 cars...
In the spring of 2008, two Duke Energy executives asked me to investigate the necessary requirements to deploy a distribution management system (DMS). At the time, my knowledge of DMS was limited, so I had to conduct a very thorough investigation. When I undertook this project, I did not realize...
The Digitisation of utility operations has been evolving at an accelerating pace over the last decade. Many utilities saw this trend developing, and one by one they began their own digital transformation, each on their own path. While each utility is at its own stage of this journey, every utility...
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A Smart substation digitizes protection and control, enabling utilities to detect faults faster, manage DER volatility, and reduce outage risk. The payoff depends on architecture, cybersecurity, and edge analytics, not just new relays. The shift toward smart substations is inseparable from broader...
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Duke Energy Florida has announced plans to build four new utility-scale solar energy facilities across the state, aimed at adding 300 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy to the grid. This expansion is part of the company’s broader strategy to increase its solar generation capacity and...
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