We talked a few weeks ago about New Year’s resolutions. Well, how are your resolutions going? Falling behind already? It’s not surprising – many, if not most, people falter on their New Year’s resolutions.
Rather than give up on your resolutions for 2012, it may be time to revisit them. Perhaps it’s time to think in terms of small, achievable steps that can move you toward your larger goal. Big improvements can take place over time through consistent, incremental work.
The same holds true for New Year’s resolutions for the grid. Major improvements in grid performance can be realized gradually, over time. So what actions can you take in 2012 to start working toward larger goals for the grid? Here are a few ideas for steps you can take to start realizing your New Year’s resolutions for the grid:
Resolution: Reduce the impact of aging grid infrastructure.
Action: Start a targeted maintenance program.
Aging electric infrastructure is a big concern. Targeted programs can help you begin improving the condition of grid equipment one step at a time. Cleaning programs for air-insulated switchgear, for instance, can remove contaminants and protect against premature wear—particularly for switchgear installed in challenging environments such as coastal or industrial areas. Refurbishment programs targeted at specific assets can also extend equipment life for a modest price.
Resolution: Reduce costs through improved efficiency.
Action: Install a volt/var optimization system on a troubled feeder.
Volt/var optimization technology is gaining in popularity, and for good reason. It reduces the amount of electricity lost during distribution and thus can reduce total energy purchases. With conservation voltage reduction, utilities can also effectively lower demand and reduce peak loads, which offers further cost savings. Even if you’re not ready to deploy volt/var optimization technology system-wide, you can deploy it in select areas to begin realizing efficiency improvements today. Volt/var optimization systems can gradually scale up to broader deployments.
Resolution: Improve your SAIDI numbers.
Action: Revisit your product specifications.
Utilities can take any number of actions to improve the reliability of the grid. Distribution automation can have a huge impact, for instance. So can tree trimming programs. But one factor that does not tend to receive as much attention is the quality of the products installed on your system. Quality products ensure the grid operates as expected when there is a system disturbance. You want to ensure that your power fuses operate at the right time following a short circuit, for instance, to minimize system damage and reduce the scope and impact of any potential outage. Indeed, misoperation of grid equipment can itself result in an outage. Not all products are created equally, of course. You’ll want to review specifications for products on your grid to ensure they’ll result in the purchase of quality products designed to operate correctly for the long haul.
For another set of actions to improve SAIDI numbers and reduce operating costs, check out Carey Cook’s recent blog entry about how to prevent nuisance fuse blowings – great, simple approaches that can make a real dent in unnecessary fuse operations.
Resolution: Modernize distribution overcurrent protection for improved reliability.
Action: Complement existing protective equipment with advanced protection devices.
Technology for distribution protective devices has continued to advance. But wholesale replacement of older equipment may not be warranted or within budget. Some of the latest protective devices can be successfully applied to work in conjunction with existing equipment, however. S&C’s IntelliRupter®, for instance, offers unique features that allow it to be coordinated with existing reclosers on the feeder, providing increased segmentation and enhanced reliability. Such an approach can allow you to gradually modernize protective devices (and thus improve reliability) while sticking to a budget that is practical.
What other approaches are you trying to start realizing resolutions for the grid? Please use the comment form to share your ideas.
One other solution to help resolve issues with our electric grid is encouraging public input from everyday people who observe issues at a quicker pace than routine inspectors: faulty and aging wooden poles, sagging lines, obstructions with trees and buildings, rusting transformers, and debris in substations and along distribution networks.
The newly launched InfraInput.org welcomes real-time input from everyday users of infrastructure including the electric grid. This crowdsourcing platform, available as a web and mobile app, allows anyone to proactively prevent non-emergency issues to worsen as they document issues for the attention of public managers and policymakers.
The National Academy of Engineers considered the U.S. electric grid the greatest engineering achievement of the 20th century for ubiquitously powering homes and businesses. It only makes common sense that the general public, the chief stakeholder and energy user, become better stewards of this massive yet aging and overused engineering wonder.