Estabanell and the smart LV grid: making it real

Our mission, in Estabanell Distribució is to find new ways to improve and upgrade the electrical infrastructure applying the principles of innovation and sustainability. With this objective, we are a member of the RESOLVD project consortium and we are excited to validate the correct operation and performance of the novel technology in a real environment.

In collaboration with the rest of the consortium, we have started to define the best test strategy to effectively prove and measure the potential of this innovative tool in the distribution grid of the future. We identified the KPIs, that will let us keep track of the results, such as the CO2 reduction, the improvement of grid observability and of power quality.

In September, the integration of the technology in the pilot area, will start. This is located in a village in the north of Catalonia, supplied by Estabanell Distribució. The site is composed of two low voltage lines deriving from two secondary substations. The area is characterized by the presence of distributed generation, in the form of PV-panels.

We will start by installing the hardware devices under the supervision of UPC: The Power Electronics Device (PED), together with its hybrid battery storage system, the Power Quality Meters (PQM) and the Phase Measurement Units (PMU), the switchgears, and all the communication equipment including automation devices based in IEC-60870-5-104.

In parallel, we will proceed to the deployment and functional integration of the software platform developed by INTRACOM.

Once fine-tuned, the system will undergo the test phase, that will last for one year. In this period we will verify the correct operation of the technologies in stand-alone mode, validate the data exchange, asses the resistance to cyberattacks and examine the performance of the overall system, with respect to the general objectives of the project, such as the reduction of CO2 emissions, the self-healing capacity and the power quality improvement.

The team of Estabanell, visiting the pilot site of RESOLVD to plan the installation of the new technology