Sept-Oct 2013
• Update from SMUD Demonstration
• Preview of October 15–17 Advisory Meeting in Montreal
• EPRI Time-Based Pricing Animation
• Excerpt of Ergon Energy “Deep Dive” Webcast
EPRI Smart Grid Demonstration Update
An EPRI Progress Report
Sep-Oct 2013
ABOUT THE NEWSLETTER
The EPRI Smart Grid Demonstration Initiative is a seven-year
collaborative research effort focused on design, implementation, and
assessment of field demonstrations to address prevalent challenges with integrating
distributed energy resources in grid and market operations to create a “Virtual Power
Plant.” This newsletter provides periodic updates on projects, relevant industry news,
and events.
PROJECT UPDATES
Smart Grid Demonstration Host-Site Updates
Case Study “Takeaways” in Smart Grid Five Year Update
The EPRI Smart Grid Demonstration Initiative Five Year Update,
featuring case study briefs, was released in August 2013. This
update highlights results of several host-site projects, as well as
lessons learned from “mini-demos” conducted by collaborating
utilities.
The document focuses on key findings or “takeaways” from each
endeavor. Quotes from each case study below provide a glimpse of
the content and results achieved:
Ameren Illinois Conservation Voltage Reduction
“Different CVR capabilities are attainable during summer and fall, and accounting for
large episodic changes in feeder loads is a critical aspect of performing the CVRf
analysis.”
American Electric Power (AEP) Multiple Technology Aggregate Response
“Addition of a new grid technology, such as volt-var optimization system or community
energy storage, will impact the control strategy (controls or settings) of the existing
and/or the new technology.”
EPRI Smart Grid Demonstration Newsletter, Oct 2013 1
FirstEnergy Integrated Control Platform Visualization
“The Integrated Control Platform Visualization provides an integrated view of electric
distribution system operating conditions to enhance operations, improve maintenance
methods, and resolve customer issues more quickly.”
Hydro-Québec Anti-islanding Protection of Distributed Generation using
Autoground
“Hydro-Québec found that autoground can be an attractive solution because of the cost
reduction relative to the transfer-trip approach.”
Hydro-Québec Testing and Certification of Equipment for a Volt-Var Control
Application
“Automation remains a challenging piece of the puzzle in smart grid applications.
Significant time and energy was consumed in properly integrating the controller with the
SCADA system.”
Public Service of New Mexico Use of Storage for Simultaneous Voltage
Smoothing and Peak Shifting, 2013 Update
“At scale—or combined with other storage resources within the system—energy storage
is able to use intermittent renewable generation and create a firm, dispatchable
resource.”
Salt River Project Field Area Network (FAN) Pilot
“A wireless broadband network can be integrated with multiple devices and applications
across a utility to serve as the unifying infrastructure of a field area network.”
Sacramento Municipal Utility District Residential Summer Solutions
“Participants who opted for a TOU/CPP rate dropped 70% more load during peak
events than did those on direct load control.”
Southern Company Effects of Capacitors on Substation Bus Voltage Regulated
with a LTC Power Transformer
“Historical SCADA data can be used to troubleshoot voltage and var imbalances. In
addition, AMI meter health monitors will help identify capacitor bank issues more
quickly.”
Read briefs on these projects in the publicly available EPRI Smart Grid Demonstration
Initiative Five-Year Update, product number 3002000778. Full case studies will also be
provided to members as individual documents. One case study from the Five Year
Update—Hydro-Québec’s test on use of autoground for anti-islanding—is already
available (see EPRI report 3002001375 which is free to the public).
Sep-Oct 2013 EPRI Smart Grid Demonstration Newsletter
page 2
SMUD Smart Grid Demonstration Update
The Sacramento Municipal Utility District
has added a considerable amount of
renewable energy to its resource base
over the last decade, increasing from 4%
renewable sources in 2003 to nearly
30% today. A recent addition to the mix
is biogas production at a “co-digestion”
facility located at the Sacramento
Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant in
Elk Grove, California.
Anaerobic digestion has long been a part
of the wastewater treatment process for Sacramento County, a step in which biogas is
produced and collected for later use for generating electricity. The new “leftovers to
lights” system co-digests fats, oils, grease (FOG) and other liquid food processing waste
(such as off-specification or expired soda pop) with sewage to boost generation of
biogas.
The simultaneous co-digestion of sewage sludge with grease waste and other types of
organic waste materials has been shown to increase biogas production significantly.
The FOG project, as SMUD calls it, could provide enough power to serve 1000 to 3000
homes, depending on the amount of waste delivered to the facility.
SMUD also cites other benefits of the FOG project, including ridding the wastewater
system of problem wastes such as grease, which is notorious for clogging pipes and
pumps. The project also helps local businesses, which now have a local disposal option
which eliminates the pollution and costs of trucking their wastes to a distant location.
Construction of this co-digestion facility was completed in 2012, and is currently in
commissioning phase. Cost of the project was approximately $3.5 million, with $1.5
million supplied by the U.S. Department of Energy. Matching funds are being supplied
by SMUD, the California Energy Commission and the Sacramento County Regional
County Sanitation District.
Highlights of June 2013 Smart Grid Demonstration Advisory Meeting
Commonwealth Edison hosted the June 19-20, 2013 Smart Grid Demonstration
Advisory meeting in Chicago, Illinois. The meeting was held in conjunction with the
Smart Distribution and Power Quality Conference, June 17-19.
The meeting started off with optional sessions at the Smart Grid Distribution and
Power Quality Conference, which featured several smart grid demonstration-related
projects and related topics. Hydro-Québec’s Chad Abbey presented results of tests
using autoground for anti-islanding for distribution systems (see EPRI report
3002001375, which is free to the public), Brian Schell of AEP described work on
determining the interactive effects of using multiple smart grid technologies (see case
study brief in the Smart Grid Demonstration Five Year Update, 3002000778), and Carol
Barducci reported on the status of a five-year project to upgrade and expand
Sep-Oct 2013 EPRI Smart Grid Demonstration Newsletter
page 3
Commonwealth Edison’s distribution automation (DA) system. Barducci reported that
the utility is replacing about 700 existing devices a year and expanding its distributed
automation system with about another 700 new devices annually. Commonwealth
Edison is working with a legacy Utilinet 900 MHz system and deploying a Spring
Networks radio frequency (RF) network.
“Big Data” lessons were also presented at the Smart Distribution and Power Quality
Conference. For example, Gerald Gray, PhD, who is the EPRI project manager for the
Ergon Energy Smart Grid Demonstration and specializes in enterprise architecture and
integration for the Information and Communications group, addressed “IT and OT
Convergence.” Gray noted that utilities typically have siloed information technology and
operations technology departments. This can create inefficiencies as smart sensors and
other equipment produce more and more data that is collected and processed by
utilities. Gray said that utilities take one of three paths: Re-org, Re-engage, or Re-align.
He recommended that whether a utility completely reorganizes staff, realigns employees
based on certain skill sets or endeavors—or simply increases communication—paying
attention to the concept of enterprise architecture can help make a difference.
Enterprise architecture is the detailed blueprint for the structure of an enterprise,
including all business processes, IT infrastructure and related technology. It describes
process integration and standardization and how internal and external systems relate.
During the Smart Grid Advisory Meeting several utility managers updated
demonstration project results. These are a selected few:
 Tim Croushore and Mark Josef presented details on FirstEnergy’s Integrated
Control Platform Visualization project. The system provides an integrated view
of data and information from various distribution assets to assist operations. Data
from four devices is displayed via the system: direct load control devices,
distribution line sensors, substation meters, and ice storage for permanent peak
load shifting. The following figure is a JCP&L Service Territory map with
substation hyperlinks as well as a geographic view showing device location.
Sep-Oct 2013 EPRI Smart Grid Demonstration Newsletter
page 4
For more information, see the FirstEnergy ICP Visualization case study brief in
the Smart Grid Demonstration Initiative Five Year Update, product ID
3002000778.
 Jeff Molander of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District reported on use of
smart grid data to help detect power theft. SMUD is integrating and analyzing
data to identify potential customer theft, and has developed algorithms to assess
information from a number of sources, including customer records, meter records,
service orders, meter values, and more. The system’s major functions are
generation of leads, investigation tracking, reporting, and maintenance of an
investigation database. The project cost was $1.3 million and is expected to
significantly reduce the utility’s loss of 1% of revenue from power theft.
 Ed Kamiab of Southern California Edison provided a project report on the nine
sub-projects that comprise the Irvine Smart Grid Demonstration Project (ISGD).
SCE is completing installation and testing as part of ISGD’s Energy Smart
Customer Solutions Measurement and Verification (M&V) activities. For example,
electrical work has been completed on demonstration homes that include
photovoltaic solar panels, energy storage units, appliances, and energy
monitoring devices. (Since the June meeting, the customer equipment has begin
transmitting data, which is being tested and validated.)
A DVD recording of the training session “Smart Inverters and Their Role in the Smart
Grid,” EPRI product ID 3002001873, can be ordered by members. This training session
includes details on photovoltaic system inverter deployment, inverter integration, and
smart grid demonstrations. The following video clip shows an excerpt of presentations on
each of these topics.
Members can find the presentations from the meeting in the Smart Grid Demonstration
cockpit on www.epri.com. Log into the Member Center→View All Program Cockpits→
D_SG Smart Grid Demonstration cockpit→ Meetings & Webcasts (left column) →Scroll
Sep-Oct 2013 EPRI Smart Grid Demonstration Newsletter
page 5
down to All Past Meetings & Webcasts→19-June-2013 Smart Grid Demonstration
Advisory Meeting.
Utility Smart Grid Website and EPRI Animation
The Hawaii Electric Company website and a new EPRI animation on time-based pricing
are featured in this issue.
Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO)
Learn about the status of smart grid development in Hawaii at the HECO Smart Grid
webpage. There is also a link to a webpage on the Maui Smart Grid Demonstration
Project, www.mauismartgrid.com. With Maui as the site of the March 18-20, 2014 Smart
Grid Advisory Meeting, advisors may want to check the webpage in advance of the
meeting for the Maui Smart Grid Newsletter on project status, and to view an overview
video.
EPRI Animation Aimed at Customers
An animation entitled “Time-Based Electricity Pricing for Customers” has been produced
by EPRI to help customers understand how time-based electricity pricing can help
reduce the need for building additional power generation. The 3:18 minute animation
follows. It can also be viewed on You Tube at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7_g76WUvc0&feature=youtu.be/.
KEY EPRI SMART GRID DATES
Smart Grid Demonstration Advisory Meeting – Montreal, October 15-17, 2013
Sep-Oct 2013 EPRI Smart Grid Demonstration Newsletter
page 6
Hydro-Québec is hosting the next EPRI Smart Grid
Demonstration Advisory Meeting, October 15-17, 2013 in
Montreal, Québec, Canada
Where: The advisory meeting will be held in the heart of
the city at the Hyatt Regency Montreal, 1255 JeanneMince, Montreal, Québec, Canada, H5B 1E5, tel. 514982-1234. Members can make online hotel reservations
by clicking here.
Passport: Remember that if you are traveling to Montreal from
outside of Canada a passport is required.
Advisor Invitation: Attendance at the advisory meeting is restricted
to representatives of Smart Grid Demonstration member utilities.
Agenda: Results and lessons learned will continue to be the focus of
the advisory meeting. Details of demonstration case studies will be
covered, as well as findings of 2013 strategic topic research on
“Integration of Distributed Energy Resources into Utility Architecture
and Systems”, “Operating the Grid with High Penetration of DER on the Distribution
System,” and “Measurement & Verification (M&V) for Conservation Voltage
Reduction/Volt-Var Optimization (CVR/VVO).”
As we approach 2014, the final year of the Smart Grid Demonstration, an important part
of the meeting program will be roundtable sessions during which advisors will help
determine the highest priority topics and strategies for technology transfer during the
coming months.
Cost-Benefit Analysis Training: This optional half-day training will be conducted the
morning of October 15. The session will go beyond an explanation of cost-benefit
analysis methodology and cover several application examples from the Smart Grid
Demonstration. This includes a look at the sources of benefits and how they may be
estimated from project impacts. Trainer Jeff Roark, EPRI Senior Project Manager, will
also review examples of cost-benefit analyses that can be developed for various
individual technologies.
Sep-Oct 2013 EPRI Smart Grid Demonstration Newsletter
page 7
Agenda for Smart Grid Advisory Meeting and Training, October 15-17, 2013
Tuesday, October 15
COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS
TRAINING (Optional)
8:00 –
10:00 am
Presented by Jeff Roark,
EPRI
Wednesday, October 16
Session 3
Thursday, October 17
HYDRO-QUÉBEC
PRESENTATIONS AND TOURS
Strategic Topic : Integration of
Distributed Energy Resources
into Utility Architecture and
Systems, John Simmins, EPRI
The facilities visited will include:



10:30 am
- 12:00 to
noon
12:00
noon –
1:00 pm
1:00 –
3:15 pm
COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS
TRAINING Continued
Session 4
TOURS Continued
Strategic Topic : Measurement
& Verification (M&V) for
CVR/VVO, Jeff Roark, EPRI
LUNCH
(Registration opens at
11:15am for those not
attending training session)
LUNCH
SMART GRID ADVISORY
MEETING, Session 1
Session 5
Welcome from Hydro-Québec
Smart Grid Demonstration
Overview and Updates, Matt
Wakefield & Gale Horst, EPRI
Telecommunications
Laboratory
Distribution Line Test Area
Battery Laboratory
WRAP-UP &SHUTTLE TO
AIRPORT (11:30 am)
Case Study Showcase,
presented by utility
representatives and EPRI staff:
In-depth presentations on
selected smart grid case studies
2013 Case Studies “Keys-’NNuggets,” Karen George,
EPRI
Strategic Topic : Operating
the Grid with High Penetration
of DER on Distribution
System, Jared Green, EPRI
3:45 –
5:15 pm
Session 2
Session 6
Highlights of Deliverables &
Technology Transfer, Gale
Horst, EPRI
Group Roundtable, All:
Group Roundtable:
Compiling Results through
2014, All
5:45 –
8:45 pm
EPRI-Sponsored Outing
and Dinner for Advisors



2014 Strategy
Holes and Uncharted
Territory
Priorities and Final Steps
in 2014
Dinner on your own
Sep-Oct 2013 EPRI Smart Grid Demonstration Newsletter
page 8
Schedule of Upcoming Smart Grid Demonstration Advisory Meetings
2013 October 15-17
Meeting hosted by Hydro-Québec in Montreal, Canada
2014 March 18-20, 2014
Meeting hosted by Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) on Maui
2014 June
To be determined
2014 October
Tentatively scheduled to be hosted by EPRI in Charlotte, North
Carolina
June and October 2014 dates and locations are not yet finalized. Contact Robin Pitts at
rpitts@epri.com with any questions regarding the advisory meetings.
Smart Grid Demonstration Host-Site “Deep Dive” Webcasts
Deep Dive meetings are typically held for Smart Grid Demonstration
members on a Thursday at 11am (Eastern) for 1 ½ to 3 hours.
2013 Deep Dive Schedule
 January 17, Consolidated Edison Completed
 February 21, Kansas City Power &
Light - Completed
 March 21, Ergon Energy Completed
 April 18, Hydro-Québec Completed
 May 16, Sacramento Municipal
Utility District (SMUD) –
Completed
 July 18, Southern Company Completed
 August 15, American Electric
Power (AEP) - Completed
 October 24, Southern California
Edison
 November 11, Duke Energy
 December 12, FirstEnergy
Members who missed any of the webcasts can access copies of presentation slides and
recordings by logging on to www.epri.com and selecting All Program Cockpits, then
“D_SG Smart Grid Demonstration.” Make sure to select the “Meetings & Webcasts” link
on the left side of the page and scroll to “Past Meetings & Webcasts” to find recordings.
Excerpts from Australia’s Ergon Energy deep dive webcast from earlier this year follow.
Sep-Oct 2013 EPRI Smart Grid Demonstration Newsletter
page 9
RESOURCES
Schedule an On-Site Forum on Demonstration Results
EPRI is offering an on-site technology transfer
forum to Smart Grid Demonstration host utilities.
The forum covers information produced by the
Initiative to date.
The program includes research results, lessons
learned, and data from tests, simulations, and
technology deployments. The forum features the
design, implementation and assessment of field
demonstrations that address challenges of
integrating distributed energy resources into a
modernized grid.
Photo courtesy of Steve Briggs
Conducted by EPRI technical staff and managers, this “road show” covers results by
topic area. Each participating utility can select several topics of focus so that
information can be presented that is of particular interest to utility personnel based on
their background, job role, or project involvement.
The first road show was presented at FirstEnergy in Dayton, Ohio with video streaming
of the Forum to employees in other locations (see photo).
If you have questions about the Smart Grid road show please contact Gale Horst at
ghorst@epri.com.
List of Smart Grid Demonstration Deliverables by Topic and Type
Sep-Oct 2013 EPRI Smart Grid Demonstration Newsletter
page 10
To increase the convenience of finding reports on topics of interest, EPRI has prepared
an online List of Smart Grid Demonstration Deliverables by Topic and Type. This guide
has direct links to reports, use cases, online videos and other material and is organized
by subject as well as type (free-to-public reports, DVDs, use cases, etc.) A copy of this
list is also posted on www.smartgrid.epri.com, under Newsletters.
Deliverables since the Last Newsletter
Product ID
Name
Published
3002001873
Smart Inverters and Their Role in the Smart
Grid - Training Session #9
August 2013
3002000778
EPRI Smart Grid Demonstration Initiative 5Year Update (public)
August 2013
3002000282
Quantifying the Impacts of Time-Based Rates,
Enabling Technology, and Other Treatments in
Consumer Behavior Studies: Protocols and
Guidelines
July 2013
3002001379
A Case Study on Testing and Certification of
Equipment for a Volt-VAR Control Application at
Hydro-Québec
June 2013
3002001375
Using Autoground: Hydro-Québec Smart Grid
Demonstration A Case Study on Anti-islanding
Protection of Distributed Generation (public)
May 2013
1025758
3002001096
Ergon Energy Smart Grid Host Site 2012
Progress Report: For the Period Ending
December 2012
Utility Grade Communications - Smart Grid
Training Session #8
May 2013
May 2013
Sep-Oct 2013 EPRI Smart Grid Demonstration Newsletter
page 11
A continuous thank you to the 24 member utilities of EPRI’s Smart Grid Demonstration Initiative
American Electric Power | Ameren | Central Hudson Gas & Electric | CenterPoint Energy | Consolidated
Edison | Duke Energy | Electricité de France | Entergy | Ergon | ESB Networks | Exelon (ComEd &
PECO) | HECO | Hydro-Québec | FirstEnergy | KCP&L | PNM Resources | Sacramento Municipal Utility
District | Southern California Edison | Southern Company | Southwest Power Pool | Salt River Project|
Tokyo Electric | Tennessee Valley Authority | Wisconsin Public Service Corporation
Together...Shaping the Future of Electricity®
EPRI | 942 CORRIDOR PARK BLVD. | KNOXVILLE, TN 37932 | WWW.EPRI.COM
© Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. 2001-2013 All rights reserved
Sep-Oct 2013 EPRI Smart Grid Demonstration Newsletter
page 12