Open and Extendable Remote Control Networks for Distribution Grid Operation

In order to make greater use of renewable energies in the electricity supply, the centrally controlled grid infrastructure is being transformed into a decentrally controlled system, the smart grid. In the smart grid, an energy- and cost-efficient balance can be created between electricity producers, electricity consumers and electricity storage systems.

For the smart grid to function, a flexible ICT infrastructure is required that adapts to constantly changing requirements such as grid and system rules, so-called grid codes, new applications such as the use of electromobility, and the growing number of grid participants. As the electricity grid is also a critical infrastructure, the smart grid must take appropriate precautions to be able to compensate for partial failures as quickly as possible. Configuration should be able to be carried out efficiently using highly flexible, centralized software in order to ensure that the ICT infrastructure is open to the future, expandable and secure, while also being economically viable. Various network virtualization technologies, such as software-defined networking (SDN), are suitable for this purpose.

The VirtueGrid research project is now investigating the extent to which these virtualization technologies can best support current and future ICT infrastructure requirements. To this end, VirtueGrid is initially defining various scenarios from which requirements for the ICT infrastructure arise.

An important requirement here is to integrate the increasing number of grid users, as many more households will be feeding electricity into the grid from photovoltaic systems and using electric vehicles in the future. The electricity grid is facing a sharp increase in the number of data points to be commissioned. Scalability, the ability of the electricity grid to grow, is therefore a key aspect that can be supported with virtualization.

Another point is the compensation of possible partial failures of the energy and/or ICT grid in order to maintain efficient grid operation. Ideally, the smart grid should recognize itself when failures occur and initiate appropriate countermeasures. These can be, for example, the definition of alternative routes that bring electricity or data flows to their respective destinations.

In VirtueGrid, researchers at Salzburg University of Applied Sciences and the project partners are developing possible solution concepts for these scenarios using suitable network virtualization techniques and evaluating them with simulations, laboratory and field tests.