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Online Newsletter Volume 4, Issue 1 Winter 2013

Quanta Technology's online e-newsletter has a new look! But rest assured, it contains the same reliable

expert views and information with a new forward-thinking design to match a future-thinking company.

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Three External Trends Will Affect Our Industry's Future by H. Lee Willis and Damir Novosel

Continued on page 7

Introduction

Over the last two decades, the electric power industry

has abounded with change. Deregulation, Smart

Technology, renewable energy, demand for improved

reliability, serious efforts to address aging infrastruc-

tures, and new technologies and methods have made

the industry an exciting place to be. The task of modern-

izing the existing power grid is a delicate balancing act

of maintaining existing infrastructure while juggling

efforts to incorporate rapidly evolving technology in the

current economic climate of decision-making and

planning under pressures of budget and time. This

balancing act is further complicated by higher consumer

expectations for reliable power delivery, security

concerns, meeting regulatory requirements and compli-

ance benchmarks, and achieving interoperability

between a myriad of new systems.

In this issue of Quanta Technology's newsletter, we

have a number of articles that focus on changes and

future technologies in several key areas of our industry.

But here, we thought we would take a look at the bigger

picture, beyond these current trends to where power industry is likely to be twenty years from now, and why. Ultimately, the changes in the world around our industry will shape its future as much, or more, as all those internal changes. Some big trends addressed in this article seem bound to greatly affect the power industry's

future.

The U.S. becomes energy independent

Last November, the International Energy Agency

released its Annual World Energy Outlook, a projection

of global energy use and policy. It predicted that the

United States would become a net exporter of energy

(fossil fuels) by 2020, and essentially be energy

independent by 20351. Although the U.S. government

was initially reluctant to concede most of the report's

findings, within two months DOE's own Energy

Information Agency was confirming, at least qualitative-

ly, many of the IEA's projections: the United States will

be a net exporter of energy by 2020, and energy

independent by 2040 if not earlier2.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Three External Trends Will Affect Our Industry’s Future

Letter from the President Page 2

Distribution Systems – Automation & Optimization Page 3

Power System Restoration After Blackouts Page 10

Balancing Technology & System Reliability – Methodology for

Managing Stranded Assets Page 12

A Year with an Electric Car Page 15

International Spotlight Page 18

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Quanta Technology | 4020 Westchase Blvd., Suite 300 | Raleigh, NC 27607 | +1 (919) 334-3000 | www.quanta-technology.com

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Quanta Technology’s e-News

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

As we begin 2013, Quanta Technology is much bigger and stronger than it was a year ago, as has been the

case in all of our past years. In only seven years, we've grown to an organization with over 125 members in

six offices located so we can serve our customers around the world. Given how hard we have worked at

building our business – and at times it has been hard to imagine how more dedication, hours and creativity

could have been possible – we recognize that a lot of our growth was fueled by the loyalty of our clients and

our ability to accommodate to their needs. Over the past decade, the power industry has awakened from a

prolonged stagnation of technology, processes and doctrine that occupied most of the last half of the 20th

century - a period during which, every year, the industry basically did what it had done the year before, and

where, not surprisingly, it always got pretty much the same results it had achieved every year before. That

certainly is not the case today.

New technologies and equipment, the demand for more and different reliability, growing societal needs for storm harden-

ing, and the advent of viable renewable energy and storage are just a few of the trends transforming our industry at a

rate, and in a way, that would have been unimaginable to power system professionals in the 1980s and 1990s. That

change created a huge demand for practical expertise and experience – for people who understand how the various

aspects of both power systems and the utility business fit and work together, and who have the experience and

knowledge to understand how to adapt and take advantage of the new, while retaining the benefit and value of what is

already there. Truth be told, we have worked hard, but a large measure of our success is because we created Quanta

Technology at a time when our overall concept, the "practical, expertise-based consulting organization," was badly

needed.

In this issue, we take a look at some of the trends that will continue to change our industry with several of our more senior

and distinguished engineers and managers discussing where their area of expertise will be taking the industry in the next

ten years, and why. This begins with a very broad, long-term look at the power industry on a national scale. We focus on

trends outside the industry that are affecting it: the growing energy independence of the United States, the recognition

over the past few years that what might be termed "societal infrastructure reliability" is crucial, and requires that utilities

storm harden their systems far beyond current levels. And finally, the advent of truly smart systems, and the smart

customers and smart utilities they will create.

Additionally, this edition will review some of newer technologies and approaches for distribution systems, power system

restoration and system reliability. Finally, Lee Willis talks about the results of a personal experiment in an area expected

to make a big impact on our industry, buying an electric vehicle and using it for a year, while taking detailed notes and

logging every bit of his experience.

When taken together, all these trends and changes mean the power industry ten and twenty years from now will be far

different than it is today. We firmly believe that it will be a better industry, doing a better job of providing a much greater

value to customers and stakeholders, and with an even more important role in our society than ever before. All of us will

have to constantly learn and change with the industry. We think it will be glorious fun and important work, and can’t wait

for it to happen.

Sincerely,

Damir Novosel and the Quanta Technology Team

Quanta Technology’s e-News Page ? Quanta Technology’s e-News

Nicholas Abi-Samra

Nick Abi-Samra has been actively involved in IEEE for more than 35 years. As Vice President of Asset Manage-ment at Quanta Technology, he and his team help utilities better manage and modern-ize their assets at lower total lifecycle cost. He was both General Chair and overall Technical Program Coordi-nator for the 2012 IEEE Pow-er & Energy Society General

Meeting.

By Nicholas Abi-Samra

Present day Distribution Automation (DA) goes beyond reducing manual

procedures. DA makes distribution systems more controllable and flexible

based on accurate data for decision-making applications. This is accom-

plished through a set of intelligent sensors, processors and fast communi-

cations to remotely monitor and coordinate distribution assets.

DA is considered a foundation to build upon in developing the Smart

Grid as it transforms the distribution network towards more automa-

tion.

Distribution Automation History and Initial Concepts

Over 30-40% of the total investments in the electrical sector go to

distribution systems, yet, they have not received the technological

impact in the same manner as the generation and transmission

systems. Up until recently, most of the distribution networks have

worked with minimum monitoring systems, mainly with local and

manual control of capacitors, sectionalizing switches and voltage

regulators and, without adequate computation support for the

system’s operators. This is now changing, with the trend increasingly

moving to automate distribution systems to improve their reliability,

efficiency and service quality.

Over the years, Distribution Automation took many shapes, from

local automation with no communication requirements to more

advanced, two-way communication, as shown in Table 1. The

concept of automation in distribution systems has been around for

many decades, but had a ripple in in the 1970's, albeit at a sporadic

pace, for the improvement of distribution system operating perfor-

mance. Early automation applications included capacitor switching,

voltage regulation and limited feeder reconfiguration. From the

1990's distribution networks started to come under pressure to

improve the quality and reliability of the delivered power. Efforts to

make the power distribution systems 'smarter' started to get hold

and traditional distribution automation (DA) was born.

During those years, the use of reclosers and automatic switches to

reduce outage times became more widespread. In addition, due to

deregulation, distribution systems also came under cost pressure for

optimization of operation and maintenance practices. In the 2000's,

the above pressures increased along with new ones such as the

ever increasing occurrences of distributed generation in many forms

in MV and LV networks. These requirements are pushing further the

need for monitoring, automation, control and protection of distribu-

tion systems.

Continued on next page

Part 1


DA applications have been related with the deployment of SCADA

(Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) technology in the distri-

bution circuits and substations.

Distribution Automation (DA) or Advanced Distribution

Automation (ADA)?

Some like to divide the terminology used for DA and ADA, in the

sense that the former is concerned with automated control of basic

distribution circuit switching functions while the latter, ADA, is

concerned with complete automation of all the controllable equip-

ment and functions in the distribution system. In this document, the

term DA is chosen to automation applied to the distribution system,

with regard to the above distinction.

The number of DA projects at the different utilities is increasing, with

different approaches. Many of these projects encompass a large

area of a distribution system. It is unlikely that any one approach of

DA will be the sole preferred technique for utilities. There are too

many differences between various utilities -- and even within an

individual utility -- to justify a universal solution.

Benefits of Distribution Automation

The benefits of DA can be grouped into three bins ― operational,

customer-related and financial:

I. THEN AND NOW: THE DISTRIBUTION POWER SYSTEM,

TWO DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS

The increasing penetration of residential and municipal solar

generation, and the distributed generation in general, impose

challenges on the existing distribution infrastructure and the system

operator. New flow patterns may require changes to the protection

and control strategies, enhanced distribution automation and

microgrid capabilities, capabilities, voltage and VAR management,

and over all enforcement of distribution grid infrastructure. The

changes are best depicted in the Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 1. Then… Simplified Power Systems

Distribution Circuit Congestion

Most distribution systems in the United States were designed dec-

ades ago based on the loading analysis performed at the time. These

were based on historical load profiles, statistical analysis with some

assumed diversity factors.

Many distribution circuits have been operating close to their operating

limits, and additional load may push them above their emergency

operating limits. Several electric vehicles (EV) plugged into the same

circuit could cause a localized overload on the distribution circuit and

transformers while these are subjected to variations in demand due

to normal customer activities. The unbalanced conditions created by

such loads are on top of imbalance due to the large number of une-

qual single-phase and double-phase loads. The above could result in

degradation of customer power quality, congestion on certain feed-

ers, voltage concerns on longer feeders and increased line losses.

The major changes in load types, levels and load patterns may now

require upgrades to the transformers and other equipment or shifting

loads between transformers.

Distribution Automation Continued



II. FEEDER AUTOMATION

Feeder automation is an important part of distribution automation and

has received considerable attention over the last few years. Many

approaches have been proposed and implemented in power utilities

worldwide. Progress in large scale distribution automation has been

slow due to the massive investments needed, but funding by the fed-

eral government for utilities implementing smart grids has accelerated

deployment of these technologies.

Feeder automation is implemented either based on a centralized

approach or a distributed one. A centralized approach is capable of

providing complete FA functions but requires large scale implementa-

tion. A distributed approach is simpler, more flexible, can be imple-

mented in a small scale but can only provide limited FA functionali-

ties.

III. FEEDER RECONFIGURATION

Distribution systems are normally configured radially for effective

coordination of their protective devices. Two types of switches are

generally found in the system for both protection and configuration

management:

1. Sectionalizing switches (normally closed switches)

2. Tie switches/breakers (normally opened switches)

By changing the status of the sectionalizing and tie switches, the

configuration of distribution system is varied and loads are trans-

ferred among the feeders while the radial configuration format of

electrical supply is preserved and all load points are not interrupted.

Feeder reconfiguration entails the modification of the topology of an

electrical system by closing or opening tie and sectionalizing switch-

es, in order to obtain a better performance of the system. It has been

used to improve voltage regulation balance and feeder loading, as

well as reducing system losses. Examples of objectives of feeder

reconfiguration include: real power loss reduction, equipment (e.g.,

transformer and feeder) load balancing, phase balancing, system

restoration, bus voltage profile improvement, increasing reliability and

power quality improvement.

Real Power Loss Reduction

Under normal operating conditions, the network is reconfigured to

reduce the system’s losses. One method which can be used to

achieve this is through an explicit formula for determining the varia-

tions in system losses, three-phase line flows and voltages in terms

of system and network data, with respect to variations in control de-

vices, network components and connections.

Transformer losses can be minimized if the substation transformers

are loaded in proportion to their capacity. The reconfiguration of the

system for reliability and loss reduction can be accomplished in an

automated mode using the same sectionalizers which are used for

fault isolation and service restoration.

From a practical point of view, reconfiguration once every few hours

would be sufficient for loss reduction. The additional benefit of more

frequent reconfiguration is very minimal.

Equipment Feeder Load Balancing

Feeder reconfiguration may be used to avoid over loading of critical

transformers (and/or feeders) resulting from load variations. In order

to keep the system reliable, a part of the load from the overloaded

feeder must be transferred to an adjacent transformer feeder that is

relatively lightly loaded. Similarly main transformer overloading prob-

lem can be addressed by identifying the appropriate feeder causing

the overload and transferring a part of load from that feeder load to

an adjacent transformer which is lightly loaded. This redistribution of

load among feeders and transformers makes the system more bal-

anced and the risk of overloading is reduced thereby increasing the

reliability of a system.

The network can be reconfigured to balance load in feeders and/or

to avoid the overloading of critical transformers and feeders resulting

from load variations. This redistribution of load among feeders and

transformers makes the system more balanced and the risk

of overloading is reduced thereby increasing the reliability of a sys-

tem. One method this could be accomplished is through monitoring

certain electrical parameters (current, voltage etc.) in the system and

initiating breaker trips based on hitting threshold values.



Figure 2. Now… Expected Changes in the Flow of Electric Power


Reconfiguration in Case of a Fault

By the use of remote interconnect switching; utilities can restore

power to as many consumers as possible during the time of multiple

faults. Under conditions of permanent failure, the network is recon-

figured to restore the service, minimizing the zones without power.

Reconfiguration for Reliability

Predictive reliability models and schemes can be used to compute

reliability indices for the distribution system in order to apply algo-

rithms to reconfigure the system to achieve optimum reliability. Thus

feeder reconfiguration presents electric utilities with an opportunity to

boost reliability without the addition of new components.

Equipment Loading and Voltage Drop Criteria

System reconfigurations should not violate equipment loading and

voltage drop criteria; hence, a power flow for each system configura-

tion needs to be performed to identify voltage and capacity

violations.

Optimization Techniques

Heuristic techniques have been proposed to reach a near optimal

solution for feeder reconfiguration in a short period. Other

approaches have been in which the optimal configuration was

achieved by opening the branches with lowest current in the optimal

load flow solutions for the configuration with all switches closed.

Fuzzy logic and the combinatorial optimization-based methods have

also been used.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

Reconfiguration with Weighted Objectives

Reconfiguration of the system may be defined in terms of maximum

reliability or minimum losses, or a combination of these two. The

task of finding the optimal balance between them is approached as a

multi-criteria/multi-objective optimization problem. On one hand, we

have the customers' reliability demands for power delivery and on

the other hand we have the losses and their economic impact on the

system. In the optimization total customer interruption cost is used

as the measure of system reliability performance from the customer

perspective. The losses costs are closely related to the analyzed

network, its components, structure and available resources.

It is possible to extend the multi-objective approach by studying

every feeder as an individual objective instead of the total system.

Furthermore, with more objectives, the solution space quickly

becomes difficult to grasp with the increasing number of load points.

It is interesting to note that the two objectives do not entirely point

the solution in two different directions.

Reconfiguration with Unbalanced Conditions

The actual distribution feeders are primarily unbalanced in nature due

to various reasons, for example, unbalanced consumer loads, pres-

ence of single, double, and three-phase line sections, and existence of

asymmetrical line sections. The inclusion of system unbalances

increases the dimension of the feeder configuration problem because

all three phases have to be considered instead of a single phase

balanced representation. Consequently, the analysis of distribution

systems necessarily required a power flow algorithm with complete

three-phase model. Potential unbalanced conditions created by such

loads could cause problems on main feeders and other laterals.

Feeder Reconfiguration with Distributed Generation

Recent development in DG technologies such as wind, solar, fuel

cells, hydrogen, and biomass has drawn attention for utilities to

accommodate DG units in their systems. The introduction of DG units

brings a number of technical issues to the system since the distribu-

tion network with DG units is no longer passive.

IV. VOLTAGE AND REACTIVE POWER (VAR) CONTROL AND

OPTIMIZATION

As energy demands increase, and power-hungry new technologies

such as electric vehicles proliferate, utilities will need to find ways to

meet peak-load requirements. Volt-VAR optimization, which reduces

losses from transmission and distribution, can free up much needed

capacity to help meet future demand. For that, the industry has

progressed from fixed capacitor banks to one way controlled devices,

and now capacitor banks managed by two-way communications and

fully intelligent controls that operate based on existing conditions and

handle reactive-power loads throughout the distribution system.

Conventional Voltage Control

Conventional voltage control is intended to maintain acceptable volt-

age profile along a distribution feeder in accordance with locally avail-

able measurements. Though this often leads to sensible control ac-

tions taken at the local level, this could be suboptimal when it comes

to voltage and reactive power (VAR) control on a larger scale. In addi-

tion, utilities continually face system losses from reactive load, or

“VAR,” created by large customer load devices such as washing ma-

chines, air conditioning units, etc. To address these losses, utilities

have implemented methods to regulate and reduce the amount of

VAR on their systems through "Volt/VAR control" (a general term used

to describe different approaches to regulating voltage and VAR on

distribution feeders). By optimizing voltage and reactive power, great

efficiencies can be realized on the distribution system. The primary

goal of Volt/VAR control is to minimize the amount of VARs generated

by centralized generation and shipped via transmission or distribution

systems and, in turn, helping utilities achieve greater system efficiency

and increased system capacity.


Continued on page 17

Reconfiguration of the system may be defined in

terms of maximum reliability or minimum losses, or

a combination of these two. The task of finding the

optimal balance between them is approached as a

multi-criteria, multi-objective optimization problem.


These and other reports put forth a variety of slightly different scenarios, but all reach roughly the same qualitative conclusion as the IEA

(Figure 1).

The projected turnaround is due to a change in both the energy demand and supply sectors in North America, coupled with the inevitable

effects of rising global prices for energy. Greater efficiency in domestic energy use, both in transportation (car and light truck fuel economy)

and energy usage, including electric power, will reduce U.S. energy demand growth. Improved extraction and refining technologies will

"unlock" previously unavailable petroleum and energy reserves. Fracking is certainly part of that, but many other new technologies will create

a wide range of other fuels and better balance in the holistic use of other energy resources (e.g., renewable, nuclear). Shale gas is a game

changer world-wide. Availability and price-point for natural gas define roles of other resources, also resulting in a new planning paradigm of

natural gas and electric power interdependency.

There has always been plenty of energy available in the U.S., but it was generally too expensive in the face of foreign competition. Deep

petroleum reserves and gas deposits, shale gas and tar sands, and other marginal energy reserves become profitable, and thus part of the

supply, when energy price rises. The net result is that profitable U.S. energy production will exceed domestic consumption by 2020, and by

2035 will have established enough of an energy supplier base that the U.S. will not depend on foreign sources to any significant extent.

This is an amazing turnaround for a country that suffered for decades from balance of payment challenges because it imported as much as

half of its petroleum feedstock needs. Electric power is just one part of the energy sector. But the cost of electricity is very much a function of

the overall cost of energy, and its use and management are greatly affected by government policies for and societal values about energy use

and production. As the saying goes ― a rising tide raises all boats.

Prices for electricity will rise, but net usage will expand more

Ultimately one can heat a home, roll pipe, stamp coffee-maker frames and even light streets with something other than electricity. Conversely,

there is very little that electricity can’t do well, even where it is not widely employed now, if the cost of the alternative sources is high enough to

justify the technology required. That includes, most notably, powering personal transportation and heating homes, two long-time stalwart appli-

cations for fossil fuel. Energy sources are fungible to some extent, and their use and sources sufficiently interconnected that electric prices will

be greatly influenced by energy prices overall, and to some extent, vice versa. In many cases, policy makers will paint all energy sources with

the same broad brush when it comes to national economic and security interests. Electricity will, to a certain degree, be carried along with the

mainstream of overall energy policy, as part of governmental policy that views energy as an economic, employment and national security tool.

The same IEA report that forecast U.S. energy independence also projected a $247/barrel cost for petroleum (also by 2035). Other sources

disagree – OPEC maintains that oil will cost only a bit more than half that at $133/barrel. At Quanta Technology, we tend to believe the actual

figure will be somewhere around halfway between these two amounts, but that detail hardly matters to the long-term trend. Inevitably, prices

Figure 1: Qualitatively most analysis

and projections of U.S. energy futures

show the conclusion diagrammed

here. Total energy consumption will

grow only modestly, due to improve-

ments in technology and efficiency.

U.S. exports will rise dramatically and

in increasing amounts as global pric-

es rise and more of North America's

proven reserves are profitably recov-

ered. Imports will gradually drop. In

2020, net export of energy will exceed

total imports, but the U.S. cannot be

considered energy independent be-

cause exports (coal, natural gas)

cannot replace imported fuels

(petroleum). Over time, however, as

these trends continue, this becomes

such a minor issue that the U.S. is,

from any practical standpoint, energy

independent.

Our Industry's Future Continued from page 1



Our Industry’s Future Continued

will rise as demand increases with respect to supply, whether that takes a decade or two. North America, which has plenty of natural energy

resources (just not a lot of resources that are cheap to extract), will become more energy independent. And electricity prices will rise along

with that tide of all energy prices.

With energy cost around twice what it is now, energy efficiency in the form of LED lighting and ground water heat pumps, smart purchase of

energy based on real-time price, use of electric powered vehicles and public transportation, and copious use of renewable generation doesn't

just make sense, it makes real money. Electricity is one of only two major energy sources that is renewable (the other is ethanol). Wind, solar

and ocean power become more competitive as prices rise; they are domestic sources of energy that can provide a potential cost advantage

for electricity versus other energy sources. Their cost, including the cost of managing their intermittency of supply and any environmental

concerns, will not be sufficient to deter widespread use in a world where petroleum costs $170 to $200 per barrel. Thus, we expect electric

usage, as a function of overall energy usage, to expand, even as conservation and efficiency are much more widely used in all energy sectors

due to cost, and even though electric prices will rise.

― Price for Electricity Rises making renewable generation, smart use and energy efficiency more competitive.

― Electric Usage Increases as a portion of overall energy usage, including significant increase in electrical vehicles.

― Electric Power is Recognized and Regulated somewhat more from a national security and economy standpoint than in the past.

Integrated infrastructures

"Superstorm" Sandy was a watershed event in terms of our society's recognition or the role and importance of infrastructures and the need to

improve and "harden" them with respect to natural catastrophes. Currently, it seems that electric power is a whipping boy for its role, or lack of

it, in the recovery after Sandy. Finger-pointing and blame-games will no doubt continue to make life complicated for a few in the industry for

some time to come. But the two big lessons are, if not all positive, at least both constructive and good for the industry in the larger scheme of

things:

The value of electric service reliability – or the cost of not having it – skyrockets during a crisis. Electricity provides comfort and convenience

during the best of times, but in worst of times it is absolutely essential. Nothing seems to work without it. It pumps out floodwaters, keeps

traffic flowing, provides essential personal and public communications services, pumps gasoline for necessary personal and government

transportation, and powers that minimum of retail and institutional services needed so that pharmacies and clinics can dispense medicines

and health care, homeowners and businesses can just survive even in extreme discomfort.

Essential infrastructures are locked in interdependency with one another. In New York City and parts of Long Island, transportation shut down

because tunnels were flooded and streets full of water, and cell phone and other communications system withered to uselessness. Water and

sanitation systems essential to public health did not work. Minimum levels of personal and government/institutional services could not be

maintained. Like electricity, each of these "infrastructures" became, in its own way, vital during the crisis. Many of these other infrastructures

depended upon electricity, but electricity also depended on them. Without street access via tunnels and streets cleared of water, restoration

equipment could not get to needed repair sites, and utility personnel could not even get to work in some cases. It was impossible to keep

restoration and emergency services at their most efficient when minimal levels of sanitation, safe food and drinking water, and public safety

were in jeopardy. Utilities could not effectively interact with public safety needs unless effective communications were widely available. Back-

up and portable generation would not even work in many cases without first draining high-rise basements, and none worked for long without

an ability to pump fuel at dispensing stations still flooded and without power. The bigger lesson, and one surely not to be missed by govern-

ment, business, the media and the public, is that all of these infrastructures need to be hardened, and in a holistic way that acknowledges

their interdependency of one another.

Superstorm Sandy was not the first time these lessons were made clear to the U.S. Much the same effects were seen in the 2005 hurricane

season in Florida, and in post-Katrina New Orleans. Sandy merely drove home the fact that the lesson will recur until it is taken to heart. Thus,

we expect two outcomes of Hurricane Sandy and previous natural disasters:

1) Public (governmental) involvement in the planning of electric utility systems will increase. Electric utility reliability targets and planning will

be coordinated with, drive and be driven by the needs of other infrastructures and essential post-crisis services. Utility planning will be more

coordinated with local communities than it is now and a part of ongoing emergency and public security planning.

2) Utilities will be expected to harden their systems and other natural disasters in a way that meets these "holistic" societal needs. Hardening

is already such a pervasive term than this will hardly surprise anyone, but there are two consequences worth noting. First, hardening, particu-

larly the type that will be driven by (1) above, is not aimed at improving reliability as measured by traditional customer service metrics. It

addresses societal needs. Public and essential infrastructures, and minimum levels of societal service, are what will be demanded to be

addressed.


During post-Sandy in New York, post-Wilma in Florida and post-Katrina in New Orleans, homeowners and business operators were not so

unreasonable as to demand quick restoration of their service given the extent of widespread damage. What they and elected officials found

intolerable was that it was impossible to buy ice to stock refrigerators anywhere, to find a pharmacy that could dispense needed medicines, to

buy gasoline for essential transportation and backup generation, and that there was a breakdown of public service and sanitation systems.

Some portions of power delivery system will have to be hardened a great deal, perhaps almost "armor plated", while other parts will warrant no

attention at all.

A more complicated, but ultimately more important, future for the electric utility industry

When Quanta Technology takes all of this into consideration, particularly in the light of the almost certainty that electric power becomes more

widely used, we see a future in which power systems are more essential than ever and given more attention (and budget) than ever, but

expected to perform to a higher standard – one quite different from today. As our society grapples with how to evolve all its infrastructures, the

electric utility industry will no doubt get a lot of help – some of it not necessarily wanted or constructive – in determining what should be done

and how we should do it. Many ideas will be put forward with the best of intentions, such as the perennial after-storm call to underground all

overhead lines (underground lines are not necessarily immune to storm damage, and undergrounding still is not cost effective) or a suggestion

put forth in a New York Times editorial by David Crane and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to install rooftop PV panels on homes and businesses so

that they have their own power during a sustained outage (one only has to consider what a Category 5 hurricane would do to rooftop mounted

PV panels). Yet those two suggestions each contain an element of the ultimate solution: undergrounding does make economic and hardening

sense in some places if done right and combined with other hardening measures. Distributed renewable generation is effective for emergency

services, if designed to be robust itself and given consideration to its purpose.

Leaders in all segments of society will need to work together and not forget that, as in military systems, a hardened system is not a system

necessarily just designed to withstand external traumas more effectively. It is also designed to recover more quickly from damage, to have

more redundant capability that can be switched in place, and to be repairable and restorable more quickly. Thus, the big takeaways from

Quanta Technology's look at our industry's future are, first, that ultimately utility systems, utility management and the industry in general, can

expect to be more involved and intertwined with the operators of

other essential societal infrastructures. Second, over time electricity

will play an increasingly larger and more critical role in our econo-

my and in our community and national security. While electricity will

be only one of several key infrastructures, we're certain that twenty

years from now, it will have a bigger seat at the table.

"Smart Grid" future

Any discussion on the future of the energy industry must

acknowledge that technology will play a major role. "Smart Grid"

initiatives that have been receiving major industry investments

around the world in the last few years, and when combined with

renewable technologies and the problems and trends discussed

above, are clearly a key enabler for future power system capabili-

ties. One could define the following phases of smart grid deploy-

ment:

Phase 1: Developing a common understanding of what the smart

grid is, and what its applications and benefits are. It is realized that

it includes a holistic approach addressing operational, regulatory

and commercial drivers, all technical domains, and a broad cov-

erage of benefits (Figure 2).

Phase 2: Deployment of a large number of implementation projects supported by multi-billion dollar investments. This phase includes evalua-

tion of 'real' benefits and comparing expectations with realized benefits. Success of these deployment projects will set the direction for further

steps in developing the grid of the future.

Phase 3: Transitioning into "normal course of business". Results achieved and smart grid infrastructure deployed will uncover new applications

and benefits. Continued on page 14

Our Industry's Future Continued

Figure 1: Holistic view of Smart Grids


Power System Restoration after Blackouts By Anatoliy Meklin

Power system restoration begins from the black start units, which can

supply only a small fraction of the system load. Their role is in providing

conditions for starting larger units, which may need appreciable power for

their auxiliary load. Some larger units, suitable in the restoration process,

may continuously operate only if their generation is above a certain

minimum. Therefore, many transformers and feeders should be energized

from the black start units to create room for accepting the minimum power

from the fast ramping larger unit. Some customer load connection could be

also essential to prevent voltage violations in the process of bringing power

supply to the critical loads. The important part of the restoration process is

the supply of critical auxiliary loads of nuclear power plants, military facility

loads, hospitals, etc.

In accordance with NERC Standard EOP-005-2, each Transmission Opera-

tor should have an approved restoration plan that specifies restoration

sequences for generators, transformers and transmission lines in the

process of reestablishing integrity of the electric system and energizing

critical loads. The restoration procedure should be verified by actual testing,

if practical, or by simulations.

Quanta Technology has been involved in a variety of simulation studies,

verifying validity of the “cranking paths” in different parts of the USA. The

entire scope of the conducted studies covers the majority of NERC require-

ments, including:

Steady state analysis, insuring restoration plan feasibility, resource gen-

eration, reactive compensation, transmission system) sufficiency and

compliance with the required voltage and frequency operating limit.

System dynamic performance analysis, revealing that the abrupt load/

generation changes do not lead to persistent oscillations or instabilities

and do not cause significant fluctuations of frequency and voltages.

The cold motor startup capability of large individual or aggregated (in a

composite load model) motors is also verified by dynamic simulations.

Analysis of transient (few cycles) over-voltages and harmonics that may

result from energizing transmission lines and transformers and cause

equipment failure or damage.

Improvements in Study Process and Tools The latest Quanta Technology steady state and dynamic studies were

conducted with the computer programs that are routinely used by utilities

for planning and operating studies (GE PSLF, PSS/E). For the restoration

power flow calculations, these programs are used in conjunction with the

developed Restoration Data Builder. RDB produces load and generation

injections for each step of the predefined restoration plan similarly to how

they are produced in the Dispatcher Training Simulators (DTS) or Time

Sequence Power Flow Simulators (TSPF). The RDB output reflects:

Connection of new cold undiversified load blocks with Cold Load Factor

(CLF) up to 2 times of the original blocks and with changes of already

connected blocks, caused by the Cold Load Profile and the Daily

Demand Profile.

Changes of generation, calculated correspondingly to their control

principles and settings.

RDB allows conducting restoration analysis using regular system data and

takes advantage of some PSLF and PSS/E features, which are not availa-

ble in DTS (suitability of generated data for dynamic analysis, use of the

latest developments in load and generator modeling, use of EPCL or

Python languages for developing additional features, etc).

Significant enhancement of restoration analysis credibility has been

achieved due to the developed methodology and tools for load representa-

tion, allowing application of CLF to the end-user loads. Loads in the

ordinary planning and operating cases are usually connected to the trans-

mission buses, and represent end-user consumption that is combined with

losses and reactive compensation in the distribution system. The most

significant error of applying CLF to the transmission bus loads is related to

the underestimation of reactive power increase, because reactive compo-

nents in transmission loads are reduced due to the distribution reactive

compensation. Power factors of uncompensated aggregated end user loads

are usually between 0.85 and 0.9. Power factors of transmission bus load

could be close to unity. This means that for about 10 MW of transmission

load, application of CLF=2 may give Q=0 MVAr instead of Q=10 MVAr.

Replacement of transmission loads by generic distribution systems is

often used for the composite load representation in the transmission

system fault studies. It was found that this representation is oversim-

plified by applying total end user load at the remote end of the equiv-

alent feeder. This is not critical for studying faults in the transmission

system but is essential for the cold load pickup simulations. More

reasonable results were obtained after equal splitting load and reac-

tive compensation between both ends of the feeder.

The available dynamic models are designed for studying post-

disturbance behaviors of running motors. The special computational

procedure is used to make possible application of regular dynamic

motor models in simulations of energizing blocks of cold load. The

essence of this procedure is in 1) initializing the model with Pload and

Qload as it would be done for normal operating conditions; 2) load

supply interruption for awhile to let motors to decelerate to about

zero speed (cold) conditions; 3) reconnecting the load to observe

actual cold start performance of its components. Special attention is

given to the selection of the motor torque-speed characteristics suita-

ble to cold motor conditions (e.g. replacement of the constant torque

characteristics of the pressurized air conditioning compressors to the

speed-squared characteristics).

Some Lessons Learned and Possible Solutions

Many interesting phenomena in system performance have been

revealed in Quanta Technology Blackstart and Restoration studies.

Remote End-User Load Performance Large uncompensated end-user loads contain significant inductive compo-

nents and connection of their almost doubled MVA causes heavy loadings

and voltage declines in the remote parts of the distribution system. The

solutions could be in sectionalizing or disconnecting long feeders prior to

energizing the transformer.

System Over-compensation The real and reactive components of the energized loads decay in

the lengthy restoration process. This decay could be caused by the diversi-

fication of the thermostatically controlled equipment as well as the daily


Anatoliy Meklin, PhD

Anatoliy is a Principal Engineer in the Quanta Technology, Transmission Division. He is work-ing on several utility projects, related to the Western system stability and new generation interconnection. He also develops power system modeling approaches and methodologies, and is presently focused on composite load model-

ing for dynamic stability studies.

reactive compensation, which may remain unchanged, increases. The total

system capacitive load additionally increases during the process because of

the charging capacity of the energized transmission lines. The system be-

comes overcompensated and responds adversely if additional disturbance,

like a large load pickup, occurs. That makes the restoration plan feasible

only with some limitations such as energizing loads only by small incre-

ments, selection of optimal time for connection, etc. To meet these limita-

tions, the operator should be able to evaluate consequences of the oncom-

ing restoration step using convenient simulation tools.

Installation and use of shunt reactors for voltage control instead of the load

blocks might be considered in some situations. Reactors provide necessary

voltage reduction, compensating line charging capacity and providing stabi-

lizing effect if voltage changes. Reactive power consumed by reactors de-

clines/rises if voltage declines/rises.

Frequency Oscillations The dynamic results with poor damping of frequency oscillations were ob-

tained in many cold load pickup simulations in initial stages of the restoration

process. These results are caused by some deficiencies of the hydro black

start units or their models. The importance of demonstrating appropriate

performance of the black start units in small isolated systems should be

reflected in the corresponding standards.

Large Motor Starting The motor starting simulations are often focused on defining a largest single

motor, which can be started at the critical bus (e.g., an off-site bus of a nuclear

plant), assuming that the sequential start of other motors is also possible. The

sequential start simulations with accurate and detailed representation of the

motors and the supplying system have shown that the supplying system might

be strong enough for starting one or several large motors. However, starting

the remaining motors leads to very low voltages or motor stalling. Based on this

observation, simulations of the entire starting process should be conducted.

Uncertainties of the Restoration Process The restoration process contains many uncertainties such as actual sizes of

load blocks, load change trends, a time span of restoration, frequency of resto-

ration steps, status of distribution capacitors, etc. These factors, along with the

revealed vulnerabilities, make impossible a reliance on a precise restoration

guideline. The most critical actions should be verified by the simulation of the

oncoming restoration step with the conservative estimation of step characteris-

tics and the real time information about the already assembled part of the

system. These types of simulations may not affect the sequence of restoration

actions, but can indicate whether the operator should delay the next step or

implement it as soon as possible. The simulations will also help to define an

appropriate volume of load, energized at each step. These decisions could be

additionally substantiated if they are based on two or more consecutive simula-

tions, which show not only voltage and frequency proximity to their limits, but

also their time gradients.

Restoration Advisory System Implementation of the Restoration Advisory System might be considered for the

most sensitive cranking paths. Such a system should help operators immedi-

ately evaluate the current system state and the next step consequences, as

described in the previous section. The specific of the restoration process is in

faster changes of the quasi steady state operating conditions in comparison

with changes in normal conditions. The restoration changes are caused by: a)

frequent switchings of transmission lines, load blocks, synchronous conden-

sers, etc; b) fast load declines in the course of their diversification; c) frequent

unsteady conditions, following (a) and (b). That makes essential conducting

state estimate with the synchronized measurements from several points in the

cranking path. The real time system model will include the estimated backbone,

expanded by the initialized radial transmission and distribution components.

The initialization can be conducted based on the interface flows between the

backbone and the radial components.

Quanta Technology Welcomes

Ray Schmitt, Director of Finance, has over

30 years of progressive finance and account-

ing experience including business strategy,

project and cost accounting , business

controlling and business CFO.

John Blazekovich, Principal Advisor, Regula-

tory Services, has over 38 years of experience

in transmission strategy and compliance,

leading NERC and regional audit preparation

and serving as primary investigator for several

human performance events.

Ali Daneshpooy, PhD, PE, Director, Western

Region Transmission, has over 15 years of experi-

ence in electric power system and high power

electronics systems. His areas of expertise are

HVDC, FACTS, simulation/modeling, stability

studies, compliance, planning and operation.

Bart Angeli, Principal Advisor, Asset Operations,

has over 30 years of experience in distribution

design, substation maintenance and operations,

distribution standards and system planning. He

developed and implemented an asset management

model that includes distribution system impact.


Balancing Technology & System Reliability – Methodology for Managing Stranded Assets

By Vahid Madani (Pacific Gas & Electric) and Farnoosh Rahmatian (Quanta Technology)

Measurement of time synchronized phasors (e.g., synchrophasors) across the electric power system has long been overdue and the advent

of technology has made the vision come true.

Proliferation of energy mixes at transmission and distribution, rapid technological developments, reliability and regulatory challenges, and

managing existing infrastructure while responding to the future are key challenges our industry has been facing.

A successful journey along the path of infrastructure deployment and grid reliability has become more achievable with the synchronized

measurement technology. Synchronized phasor technology can support many beneficial functions, including situational awareness,

wide-area monitoring, advance warning systems, protection, and control applications. The technology can also be used for daily system

operation and asset performance monitoring. The present state estimation (SE) functions, supported by Supervisory Control and Data

Acquisition (SCADA) systems, provide some basic monitoring; however, inaccuracies in measurements and system models, absence of

redundancy in the measured parameters or breaker statuses in most cases, as well as lack of synchronization and time resolution in the

SCADA data result in limited functionality and precision for a typical Energy Management System (EMS) required in today’s operating

environment of tighter margins requiring more frequent and far more precise data. The addition of synchrophasor data, typically having two

orders of magnitude higher resolution, (i.e., 60 or 120 measurements per second as opposed to one measurement every 4 to 8 seconds),

can help detect higher speed phenomena and oscillations in the power system. Also, time synchronization to one micro-second allows for

accurate comparison of phase angles across the grid and identification of major disturbances and islanding. The synchrophasor technology

is identified as the key technology to help detect and prevent wide-spread blackouts across the power system.

To deploy a practical synchrophasor system, several factors have to be considered. A synchrophasor system consists of a number of

elements, including measurement devices known as Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs), data processing and alignment devices referred to

as Phasor Data Concentrators (PDCs), various telecommunication devices including routers and switches, telecommunication infrastructure

usually spanning over several hundreds of miles, and intelligent functions and software applications running on various computers and

processors throughout the synchrophasor system. A production grade synchrophasor system’s design and architecture need to satisfy a

number of key requirements including cyber security, low-latency, large data throughput (bandwidth), high availability and reliability, and

maintainability. Also, consistency amongst all measurements and interoperability among devices used are critical for the functions deployed

in a wide area system. Accordingly, ensuring accuracy of measurement devices and conformance to requirements is paramount for a well

functioning and sustainable system.

PG&E, with the support of a Smart Grid Investment Grant, is implementing a production grade synchrophasor system with a number of

advanced applications, both at control centers and at the substation level. The objective is to engineer a secure, reliable and sustainable

synchrophasor system that supports improved grid operation and business decisions. The following functions and features are supported by

the PG&E’s synchrophasor system:

Situational Awareness, Visualization and Alarming for Electric Transmission Operators

Enhanced Energy Management Systems and State Estimation for current EMS users

Post-Disturbance Event Analysis for Planners and Engineers

Operator and Engineering Training, Enhanced Dispatch Training Simulator (DTS)

Providing interfaces with EMS and with third parties

Cognitive task and performance analysis

Distributed and / or Linear State Estimation

To support the process of achieving a reliable and maintainable system, PG&E is following a 3-step high level process, including: 1) devel-

opment of system requirements and specifications, 2) engineering and implementing a real-time proof-of-concept (POC) performance

validation center, and 3) full deployment and end-to-end testing.

Developing a large scale proof of concept (POC) facility has been a critical step in establishing a successful production grade system while

minimizing the huge cost of stranded assets in this era of rapidly moving technology and the need for ever increasing interoperability

standards. The POC has facilitated the development of several key product features and industry standards. PG&E’s POC facility is used

for testing, validating, and improving various PMUs, PDCs, GPS clocks, networking devices and advanced application.


Balancing Technology & System Reliability Continued

This facility is a fully functional smaller scale synchrophasor system, including

20 PMUs, 2 substation grade PDCs, 2 control center PDCs (Super PDCs),

redundant EMS systems, 6 GPS clocks with IRIG-B and IEEE 1588v2 timing

information, a PMU emulator capable of emulating over 50 PMUs, a Real Time

Digital Simulation ( RTDS) system capable of modeling PG&E’s entire 500 kV

system and providing over 40 virtual PMUs, a number of network switches and

routers, a network impairment devices to emulate network communication

issues, and a number of multi-purpose test equipment and amplifiers. This facil-

ity has served to test interoperability between various devices (e.g., PMUs and

PDCs from various manufacturers) verifying how different manufacturers inter-

pret relevant standards and developing implementation agreements (e.g.,

implementation agreement for IEC 61850-90-5). Some tests at this facility have

been used for providing specific feedback into developing standards and

guides, e.g., IEEE PC37.242 Guide for PMU Testing and Installation, and IEEE

PC37.244 PDC Guide. Figures 1 and 2 (below) - PG&E's Proof-of-Concept Facility

The POC facility is used to perform network traffic monitoring and cyber security

testing as well as specific conformance testing for PMUs and PDCs, establishing

how these devices meet project and standards requirements. Product suppliers

have made several improvements to their products as a result of the findings at the

facility. Situational awareness and visualization products are verified and enhanced

at this facility, while system operators, dispatchers, and operation engineers provide

feedback to customization of these visualization tools. The POC facility is also used

as a training ground for various stakeholders at PG&E, including field technicians,

various engineering disciplines such as EMS and operation engineering staff, and

system dispatchers. Field installation and commissioning procedures are developed

using the experience at this facility. Additionally, various system level functions,

applications, and control center analytics are simulated and tested at the POC facility, including oscillation monitoring, event detection,

enhanced fault location, state estimator model validation, enhanced state estimation and real-time voltage instability indication.

New technologies in general, and Smart Grid solutions in particular, should be tested and refined prior to wide-spread deployment to ensure

good value to the consumers and positive return on investment. This is a necessity for the effective deployment of technology, establishment

of key management tools, and minimizing stranded assets. PG&E’s synchrophasor system proof of concept test facility is an exemplary

facility focused on synchrophasor system and device testing and refinement, as well as training and familiarization of various stakeholders.

Establishing this facility has been indispensable in paving the path for effective and accelerated deployment of synchrophasor systems at

PG&E and throughout the industry.

The PG&E project is now in its final stages of field deployment using the templates and standard set points developed at the POC facility,

and incorporating the lessons learned with support of the various solution providers.

References:

IEEE Power & Energy – September / October 2012 - Control Center Analytics for Enhanced Situational Awareness

IEEE Power & Energy – July / August 2012 - See It Fast to Keep Calm: Real-Time Voltage Control Under Stressed Conditions

Farnoosh Rahmatian

Farnoosh Rahmatian, PE, PhD, Sr. Director of Research and Development, has more than 18 years of experience working with

electric power utilities and vendors and has developed several techniques and devices for power system measurement, protec-

tion and monitoring. He has contributed to a number of IEEE, IEC, CIGRE, and CSA standards, guides, tutorials, and reports.

Currently, he is the vice chair of IEEE/PES Power System Instrumentation and Measurement (PSIM) Committee, the chair of the

IEEE working group on optical instrument transformers, a member of IEC working group on electronic instrument transformers,

the secretary of CIGRE working group A3.15 working on non-conventional instrument transformers, and active in Performance

and Standards Task Team (PSTT) of the North American Synchro Phasor Initiative (NASPI).


Actual phases of global initiatives vary from region to region and from country to country. However, a

significant number of those initiatives are presently in Phase 2 that is characterized with global deployment

and demonstration efforts in grid modernization and rapid revitalization through programs such as the U.S.

Department of Energy (DOE's) stimulus grants, to modernize the electric grid and enhance the security

and reliability of the energy infrastructure. Quanta Technology's expectation is that we will hear less about

"Smart Grid" going forward and more about how automation, renewable energy, energy efficiency and

other technologies are being deployed to meet growing society demands for electrical energy in the 21st

century. Globally, the electric power industry recognizes the importance of a revitalized 21st century grid

with considerations and measures to ensure adequate supply, transmission and distribution capacity, and

reliability.

In conclusion, Quanta Technology sees a bright future for the power industry ― a future in which it plays

an increasingly important role in our society as a whole, but has an increasingly complicated and involved

relationship with a host of other mutually-supporting infrastructures and aspects of government, industry

and society, in general. Effective operation of power systems in the present and in the future, and sustaina-

ble business success for the industry, will depend to a large extent on how well several emerging challeng-

es are met and how adaptive the industry is to the evolving energy landscape. Led by new technologies

that permit more efficiency, more energy independence and smarter generation, transmission and use of

electric energy, electric power will become not just a fixture of modern life as it has been for decades, but

more important than ever, a cornerstone of U.S. economic prosperity and national security.

1http://blog.heritage.org/2012/11/14/u-s-headed-for-energy-independence-if-the-administration-doesnt-stop-us/

2http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/12/05/usa-energy-independence-renewable/1749073/

H. Lee Willis

Lee Willis, PE, Senior Vice President and Executive Advisor, Quanta Tech-nology Expert, has more than 35 years of electric T&D systems plan-ning and engineering experience. He has directly performed or supervised over 400 system planning and asset management projects for utilities around the world. Lee pioneered many of the modern planning and asset management methods now considered industry best practice, including spatial simulation load fore-casting for T&D planning, load-reach voltage planning of feeder system layouts, and options-based asset management prioritization.

Our Industry's Future Continued from page 9

Recent Quanta Technology Presentations & Publications

"Aging Power Delivery Infrastructures", 2nd Edition 2012 by H. Lee Willis, PE and Randall R. Schriebner

"Smart Grids: Infrastructure, Technology, and Solutions" contributions by Julio Romero Aguero, PhD (October 2012)

"Understanding Sympathetic Inrush Currents and Their Effect on Protective Relays" by Juergen Holbach, PhD, Senior Director –

Western Protective Relay Conference (October 2012)

"Investigation of Solar PV Inverters Current Contributions during Faults on Distribution and Transmission Systems Interruption Capacity"

by Farid Katiraei, Juergen Holbach and Tim Chang – Western Protective Relay Conference (October 2012)

"A Reliable Power Line Carrier-Based Relay System" by Miriam Sanders – Western Protective Relay Conference (October 2012)

"Exciting Research on Smart Grid at Chalmers" Power Circle Magazine (Swedish) featuring Dr. Aty Edris, International Advisor

“Utility Communications” by David Boroughs, Executive Advisor – IEEE San Diego Section Meeting (January 31, 2013)

"Current Trends on applications of PMUs in Distribution Systems" by Julio Romero Aguero, Senior Member, IEEE, David Elizondo,

Member, IEEE, Muhidin (Dino) Lelic, Member, IEEE and Gerardo Sanchez-Ayala, Member, IEEE – 4th Annual Conference on Innova-

tive Smart Grid Technologies, Washington, DC (February 2013)

"Integration of PEVs and PV-DG in Power Distribution Systems using Distributed Energy Storage – Dynamic Analyses" by Julio Romero

Aguero, Senior Member, IEEE, Le Xu, Senior Member, IEEE, Farbod Jahanbakhsh, Member, IEEE and Shengnan Shao, Member,

IEEE – 4th Annual Conference on Innovative Smart Grid Technologies, Washington, DC (February 2013)

"Technology Options for a Smart Transmission Grid" by Dr. Aty Edris – Seminar on transmission technology accommodating smart

transmission requirements and needs (March 2013)

"RTDS Testing" by Ed Khan – Doble Engineering Spring Conference (April 2013)

"Understanding Sympathetic Inrush Currents and Their Effect on Protective Relays" by Juergen Holbach, PhD, Senior Director –

Georgia Tech Protective Relaying Conference (May 2013)

http://blog.heritage.org/2012/11/14/u-s-headed-for-energy-independence-if-the-administration-doesnt-stop-us/

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/12/05/usa-energy-independence-renewable/1749073/


A Year with an Electric Car By H. Lee Willis

On October 22, 2011, I bought a Chevy Volt. I did so because I thought

I would learn more about electric vehicles (EVs) by driving one than I

ever would by studying them in projects we do here at Quanta Technol-

ogy. As I explained to co-workers, "If we’re going to talk the talk, we

should walk the walk." I did hedge my bets, though. The Volt carries its

own gas-powered backup generator: no "range anxiety" for me. And it’s

nice to own a daily driver that can go long distances when needed. I’ve

driven as far as 500 miles in a single day on vacation trips. But in a

year of daily driving – to and from work and around town on errands

and such - I used no gasoline at all. Table 1 and Figure 1 give the num-

bers for the year. The rest of this article discusses what I learned from

owning and driving an EV.

Electricity is just a better way to power a car. Setting aside range

and charging time for a moment, electricity just does the job much bet-

ter. Electric motors respond instantly. At their best, gasoline engines

respond almost instantly. Drive an EV for just a week and it's difficult to

go back to gasoline. Even the best gasoline engine response seems

sloppy and slow. And the interminable delays caused while that antique

concept – the automatic transmission – kick downs or gear shifts are

suddenly so annoying. Furthermore, low-end torque is what you want

around town and EVs deliver that in spades. The Volt may have only

149 HP, but it has more torque than some V8s. Couple that with instant

response, and it rules in city and suburban driving. Want that space up

ahead in the left turn lane? The BMW driver who wants it too hasn’t a

chance – you're surging ahead before his engine’s throttle body even

opens.

And then there is the sound – or lack of it. On the first morning I drove

to work, rolling down a suburban arterial street at around 40 mph with

the headlights on because it was still dark. I flipped on the high-beams

and heard a distinct thump from somewhere up under the hood.

What!!!!? I flipped the high beams off. Thump. On again. Thump. I was

listening to the high-beam relay close and open, a noise that had been

there in every car I'd ever driven, but had never heard before. Wind and

tire noise, and sometimes a tiny whine at full-throttle, are the only nois-

es the car makes – so little that it has a "pedestrian horn" – a button on

the headlight control stalk that activates a friendly chirp – not something

so loud as to frighten a person in a parking lot, but enough to let them

know there is a car behind them. On the highway, even when the gaso-

line generator is running, I can’t tell. It's not connected to the drive train,

but a completely isolated unit. You get used to the quiet just like you

get used to the instant response and smoothness, to the point that

even a really quiet gasoline car seems noisy.

Fuel savings aren't as important as not having to buy fuel at all.

I save about a hundred dollars per month on fuel, so the car will repay its

roughly eight-thousand dollar premium (after tax subsidy) in about five

and a half years (eight years if I use a time value-of-money discount that

really should be applied). That's a noticeable savings, but it’s not going to

change my life. What did, and was by far my biggest surprise about EV

ownership, is the effect of never having to stop to buy gasoline in daily

driving. Everyone reading this will think, "It's only once or twice a week

and takes maybe ten minutes at most," but it makes a huge difference

psychologically. Personal transportation becomes much more, well, per-

sonal and independent. I refuel my car at home every day. I don’t depend

on gas stations or anything away from home transportation.

This brings up a very significant negative point about EVs. If their suc-

cess, in general, depends on a "charging infrastructure" so they can be

refueled away from the home, I think they’re doomed. In one year of

ownership, I recharged away from the home only one

time for just two minutes. There are about 50 charger

stations within a 30-minute drive from where I live. None

are particularly convenient. The nearest, part of a

nationwide ccmmercial charging system, is at a

MacDonald’s on my way to work. But bizarrely, the

charger is located in a handicapped parking space. I parked there long

enough to verify I could charge away from home, and have never done so

again.

Table 1: Energy Use in One Year of Operation – Chevy Volt


Figure 1: In one year of operation distance driven per day varied from 0 to 544

miles. Gasoline was purchased only three times and on only two days – both

500+ mile Interstate highway vacation trips. Greatest distance in a day on

electricity alone was 71 miles. Greatest distance driven on a single 9.25 kWh

charge was 45.4 miles.

But what about range anxiety? You get over it because it is irrational.

Except for long vacation trips, I don’t need 300 miles of fuel in my car

every day because I’m typically driving fewer than 30 miles. Studies indi-

cate 80% of Americans drive no more than 40 miles per day and two-

thirds or more could get by with fewer than 35. Even with the Volt’s

diminished battery storage (if it did not carry a gasoline generator, it could

carry a gasoline line generator, it could carry 60% to 100% mores batter-

ies), I have never had a range less than 32 miles and on most days could


Electric Car Continued if need be, could coax 45 miles out of a single charge. But because I always leave it plugged in when at home, I routinely drive up to 50+ miles on a

weekend days and have gone as far as 71 in one day on electric alone.

A hundred and twenty volts is enough. I budgeted and expected to buy a Level II (240 Volt) charger, but 120 volts has proven to be all I need.

Plugged into a standard 120 volt outlet, the car draws around 1,200 watts and recharges at four miles driving range per hour. Bring it home after 40

miles of EV driving and it's going to require nine to ten hours to recharge. It'll be ready by morning – that's all that matters most days. And I follow a

simple rule: when it is home, it’s plugged in and charging. No exceptions. No load control. No time of use rate discount. I’m already buying fuel at

around one-third the price of gasoline, so there is not enough savings to motivate me to change this rule. Duke Energy could offer me free power

off-peak and charge twice what I pay now for on-peak power, and I would still do it this way. I suspect more than a few other EV owners will feel the

same way I do.

Yes, there are downsides. The electric motor torque-power characteristics that do so well around town work against an EV at highway speeds. The

Volt can do 0 to 60 mph in 8.5 seconds, which sounds nice, but it does so by rocketing to 50 mph and then taking its own sweet time above that

speed. It can cruise at 70-75 mph quietly, comfortably and very efficiently (close to 50 mpg when running on gasoline), but it is anemic when battling

80 mph traffic on I-95. Of course, bigger motors can solve this problem; Teslas post remarkable acceleration figures. But again, they do so in an EV

way, with sterling low-speed acceleration and less power at speed than comparable gasoline cars. That’s just how EVs are.

Cold: The bane of an EV's existence. I was delighted to learn that running the AC does not noticeably diminish EV range. I never saw any noticea-

ble reduction in driving range, even on 105-degree days. Cold weather is another story

entirely. First, the batteries don't like to be cold, so they use some of their own energy to

heat themselves when it gets really cold. Turn on the car's interior heater (electric, of

course) and driving range plummets further. On a 25-degree morning with the heater in

"comfort mode", range has been be as low only 25 miles – about 40% less than typical

in summer, even with the AC on. GM's recommendation for greater cold-weather range

is to run the defroster just enough to keep the windshield clear and depend on the car's

more efficient automatic seat heaters for personal comfort. I've found this is not an en-

tirely satisfactory solution. According to the owner’s manual, below 20° F the car gives

up and activates its gasoline engine purely so it can "generate" plenty of hot radiator

fluid to keep batteries – and passengers – toasty. It never got quite cold enough for that

to happen here in North Carolina.

Altogether a surprisingly good, if boring, car. I've heard comments that the Volt

is an electric version of the much cheaper Chevy Cruz, but I've driven that car and

disagree. It reminds me very much of the Audi A4s I owned. The Volt is about the same size inside and out, weighs as much, and has roughly the

same power (more torque, less HP). Both cars have a low center of gravity – the Audi because it was designed to handle well, the Volt because of

that road-hugging battery weight. Both are well-built and have the same solid feel. Because of the Volt's price point, GM outfitted it with "Audi level"

accoutrements: leather, premium sound, navigation, satellite radio, internet-based diagnostics, etc., so it even feels the same there.

And it's just as boring, which is a good thing. Ultimately, the Volt is just a splendidly good daily driver. It is the easiest car to live with I have ever

owned, no more exciting than any other workaday sedan, but every bit as comfortable and utilitarian as the best I've owned, while being smoother

and quieter to drive and noticeably more convenient because I never stop for gas. And, it requires far less scheduled service than any gasoline car.

I've seen the future, but the Volt isn't quite it. Both my personal EV ownership and my professional study and analysis lead me to doubt that EVs

will rapidly penetrate the automotive market. But I do expect that half a century from now almost all cars will both be powered by electricity and plug

in, and that many, like the Volt, will carry a fossil fueled motor-generator to extend range. What I expect to happen is this - hybrid drive trains will

become universal within ten or certainly twenty years. They will be so common that no one will remark on it. It will just be the way cars are powered.

The advantages a hybrid has – the ability to recover braking energy through regeneration and to give an otherwise very small gasoline engine a

huge shot of low-end torque – are just too big to ignore in the face of tightening fuel economy standards. This trend is already well under way. Evolu-

tion of design will take care of the rest. Incremental expansion of the hybrid's battery and motor, and the addition of a plug-in charger, will provide

electric-only driving range and a further savings to those who want it – and as the price on that option comes down, more people will. Really efficient

hybrid transmissions (Prius, Ford Fusion) are actually just complex motor/generator/planetary gear combinations. So at some point, manufacturers

will disconnect the gas motor from the drive-train and just use the electric motors to propel the car, regardless of power source. That step leads to

noise reduction and increased smoothness, and lowers part count and, hence, cost. That seems inevitable. Basically, at that point, you have a Volt,

even if engineered quite differently and arrived at through a long evolution from a different starting point. That said, and much as I love mine, I

expect the Chevrolet Volt will turn out be the Chrysler Airflow of the 21st century – a car eventually recognized as brilliantly engineered, but just too

far ahead of its time, remembered and respected because it led the way with features that became universal in time.1

1 Most people remember only the Airflow's streamlining, but it was also among the first mass produced cars with a monocoque (unibody) construction and an engineered, balanced weight distribu-

tion. All three aspects – streamlining, unibody and weight distribution engineering, are common to all modern automobiles and light trucks today.

Figure 2. Performance is not affected by ambient temperature,


Conservation Voltage Reduction (CVR)

The most common smart distribution voltage control function is

Conservation Voltage Reduction (CVR) to intentionally lower the

voltage on the distribution feeder to the lowest acceptable voltage

value to reduce demand and energy consumption.

The ROI for a VVO project could be as short as two years as a

result of cost savings from reduced losses and reduced generation

costs. Ideally, information should be collected form all voltage and

VAR control devices and acted upon to obtain optimal consistency

with optimized control objectives. This approach is commonly re-

ferred to as integrated VVO.

VVO is an advanced application that runs periodically or in re-

sponse to operator demand and uses two-way communication in-

frastructure. VVO makes it possible to optimize the energy delivery

efficiency on distribution systems using real-time information with-

out causing voltage/current violations. VVO should work in various

system design and operating conditions.

Technical Challenges

The control variables available to VVO are the control settings for

switchable capacitors and tap changers of voltage regulating trans-

formers.

VVO is basically an optimization problem due to the following chal-

lenges:

Load Sensitivity to the voltage profile

Work by this author has shown that customer load is sensitive to

the voltage profile of the system and that the load must be modeled

accurately to quantify the impacts and benefits of volt/VAR

measures.

However, improving the voltage profile (e.g., with capacitors) can

result in an increase in load that may exceed the loss reduction.

Some conventional loads do not accurately model changes to the

system resulting from changes in the voltage profile.

Real-time VVO

New generation of automation control, more robust bidirectional

communication, and a new range of line-sensing solutions to ena-

ble centralized and distributed control schemes hold a lot of prom-

ise for real-time Volt/VAR control for reducing line losses and peak-

demand shaving. By aggregating and analyzing volt and reactive

power real-time data from across the distribution grid operators can

monitor the reliability of the system as load-profile shifts occur (thus

making long-established power-flow models obsolete). Volt-VAR

optimization programs can also provide another opportunity to

boost returns from installed assets, such as advanced meters.

Closed-loop control schemes, based on real-time data collection,

can enable utilities to dynamically manage power quality. Utilities

can prevent harmful voltage excursions that inevitably damage and/

or reduce the useful life of equipment. The latest technology en-

hancements offered through advanced volt-VAR controls determine

whether devices are turned off or on by taking real-time measure-

ments and analyzing the associated VAR flows. This allows utilities

to optimize the system across all feeders served by a substation,

eliminating a situation in which one feeder has a leading power

factor and another has a lagging power factor but in which the sub-

station bus has met the target power factor. Innovations in volt-VAR

management technology are enabling the industry to move closer

to maintaining a consistent power factor across all operating

conditions

Centralized and Distributed VVO Intelligence

Centralized intelligence allows the management of the grid on an

overall substation level to maximize efficiency. Centralized intelli-

gence can be layered over distributed intelligent controls. Such an

approach eliminates vulnerability to a single point of failure, such a

communication failure which may cause the system to lose all func-

tionality. In a layered system, and in the event that communications

are lost, the system would continue to function as a result of the

distributed intelligence, albeit, at less optimal level.

VVO Coordination with Other DA Technologies

Volt-VAR can be layered in with self-healing and distributed energy

management systems. This could to provide addition layers of intel-

ligence that will improve voltage and VAR support under different

operating conditions and system topology changes.

VVO Requirements

For VVO to operate properly, it is necessary to assure that the opti-

mal quantity, sizing and placement of capacitors and regulators

across individual feeders. Intelligent controls and communications,

as well as central analytical software are then added to into the

system. Continued on next page

Distribution Automation Continued from page 6


VVO with Distributed Generation

Advanced volt/VAR control systems are needed to manage the ef-

fects that renewable energy sources, plug-in EVs and photovoltaics

on the grid. These have the potential of dramatically changing a

system's voltage profile, affecting the quality of service. Having ana-

lytics and sensing and a number of voltage monitoring points will

create a real-time view of a system's voltage profile on the system

with such devices. Because voltage is managed within tight ANSI

norms, the accuracy of the sensing data is important . Communica-

tion bandwidth and low latency are also vital factors for obtaining

quality data in real time for correct control decisions. It is also im-

portant to have sufficient voltage-regulation devices on the feeders,

whether these are capacitor banks or line voltage regulators to deal

with the intermittency of some of the devices.


To read the entire Distribution

Automation series, go to

www.eeweb.com or follow

these EEWeb PULSE links:

INTERNATIONAL SPOTLIGHT

In October, Quanta Technology launched an international brochure at the Transmission and

Distribution Smart Grid Conference in Amsterdam. "Putting the SMART into GRID"

brochure gives a brief introduction to Quanta Technology’s expertise in the areas of Smart

Grid, Asset Management, T&D Planning, Integration and Renewable Technologies, as well

as areas where we can assist with the strategy, operation and management of utility

programs and projects. This brochure can be downloaded through our website.

Here’s a snapshot of Quanta Technology’s consulting activities around the world:

EUROPE

The Quanta Technology Europe team is seeing an increase in activity in the region. Europe is facing the challenges of integrating

renewable resources into the interconnected grids as well as planning for the proposed shut down of nuclear plants in Germany in the

near future. System stability and operational awareness, but also aging, maintenance and congestion are topics of increasing urgency

and importance. In the distribution grids, system upgrades and smart grid solutions are being planned and implemented. Pilot projects

are being deployed and Quanta Technology is positioning itself to get involved in number of them.

In October, Damir Novosel (Keynote Speaker) and Bas Kruimer (Conference

Program Committee) participated in the T&D Smart Grid Europe Conference in

Amsterdam. The conference itself attracted 1,200 participants and the exhibits on

Metering, Billing, CRM, Home automation and T&D Smart Grid welcomed over

6,000 visitors. Quanta Technology organized a number of technical presentations

for utilities from around the world: PG&E (USA), Elia (Belgium), CEM Macau

(China), Stedin (The Netherlands), Johannesburg City Power (South Africa). One

of the highlights was a series of presentations by Damir Novosel and Vahid Madani

of PG&E on Situational Awareness, Integration of Wide Area Measurements in

EMS/SCADA and Real-Time Stability Management under Stressed Conditions –

Managed Voltage Stability. Quanta Technology also chaired a number of Confer-

ence Sessions, such as Asset Optimization, Intelligent Systems and Operational

Efficiency for a Robust Grid.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

http://www.eeweb.com/blog/nicholas_abisamra/distribution-systems-automation-optimization-part-1




INTERNATIONAL SPOTLIGHT Continued Quanta Technology organized a seminar in Rotterdam in the

former Head Quarters of the Holland-America Line (see the pic-

ture – today this building is called Hotel New York!) together with

Stedin and Joulz on situational awareness, innovation mapping,

real-time wide area monitoring, and grid operations and stability

issues. With other utilities and grid operators we also discussed

solar-induced geomagnetic disturbance prevention and perform-

ing transmission corridor upgrading and uprating while lines re-

main energized and in operation.

In October, Bryan Gwyn from our Boston office presented

“Protection Data Asset Management” at the Euro Doble Collo-

quium in Manchester, U.K. Afterward, Bryan and Bas Kruimer

met with National Grid in Warwick. Quanta Technology partici-

pated in the Elia Innovation Partners Day in Brussels and the

ENTSO-E Stakeholders Workshop on the next 10-Year Develop-

ment Plan for the European Transmission Grid and development

of the Grid Visions for 2030 and 2050.

Bas Kruimer and Juergen Holbach participated in the VDE Smart Grid Conference in Stuttgart, Germany. Over 800 people participated

and the main topic was the role of Smart Grids in the German “Energiewende”, the closing down of the nuclear power plants by 2020

with a target to achieve over 80% renewable power supply by 2050. Juergen presented on Wide Area Measurement Systems – the Pro-

tection Approach.

Quanta Technology was invited to join a Department of Energy (DOE) Europe Grid Study

which was organized by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory of Richland, Washington.

Quanta Technology visited Energinet in Denmark, 50Hertz Transmission in Germany, and

RED Electrica Espana in Spain---discussing experiences and approaches to integrating

large amounts of off-shore wind generated electricity to the European coupling grid.

LATIN AMERICA

David Elizondo chaired a conference, along with other U.S. experts from MISO and ATC, in

Colombia to share the latest American technical, economical and regulatory initiatives for

electric energy planning.

Solveig Ward, David Elizondo and Eric Udren conducted a successful three day seminar

in Ecuador working with CENACE on the implementation of a Systemic Protection System

(SPS) which will ensure the reliability of the Ecuadorian national power system. In

November, Hans Candia presented the SPS project to the CENACE board of directors in

Quito, Ecuador. The Minister of Electricity, Dr. Esteban Albornoz Vintimilla, attended this

presentation in his role as the president of the board of directors. Quanta Technology also

assisted CENACE with the launching of the SPS project bidding for international manufac-

turers in Raleigh in December. Then Pacific Gas & Electric, supported by Quanta Technol-

ogy, hosted the CENACE delegation at their Synchrophasor Proof-of-Concept facilities

located in San Ramon, California.

Hans Candia presented on the future of the Electrical System in the U.S. at the prestigious RAE

CIER conference which was held in the Dominican Republic. This is a conference organized by Latin

America’s Commission of Regional Energy Integration (CIER, http://www.cier.org.uy/) for high level

transmission executives. The conference was centered on energy security, regional integration,

sustainable energy, and innovation in technology.

"Exciting Research on Smart Grids at

Chalmers", an article in Power Circle

Magazine featured Quanta Technology

Senior Director Aty Edris discussing his

role as an International Advisor supervis-

ing Smart Grid research at Chalmers

University of Technology and the actual

Smart Grid research being performed.



Conferences

DistribuTECH, San Diego, CA – January 29-31, 2013, Presentations by Hahn Tram, Julio Romero Aguero, Luther Dow,

David Buroughs, Le Xu, Farid Katiraei, Eric Udren, Farbod Jahanbakhsh

International Energy Storage Conference, Nice, France – Feb 27-28, 2013, Presentation by Aty Edris and Bas Kruimer

on New Large Scale Storage

North American Synchrophasor Initiative, Working Group Meeting, Huntington Beach, CA – February 20-21, 2013

iPCGRID, San Francisco, CA – March 26-28, 2013

Visit us at Booth

715

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year, in both electronic and printed form, and in special editions for im-

portant industry events. If you would like to receive your copy, please con-

tact: Lisa Williams at (919) 334-3071 or [email protected].

About Quanta Technology

Quanta Technology, LLC, headquartered in Raleigh, NC with offices in Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Oakland, CA; Toronto, Ontario in

Canada and a European office in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, is the expertise-based, independent consulting arm of Quanta Ser-

vices. We provide business and technical expertise to energy utilities and the utility industry for deploying holistic and practical solu-

tions that result in improved performance. Quanta Technology has grown to a client base of nearly 100 companies and to an excep-

tional staff – now more than 100 persons – many of whom are foremost industry experts for serving client needs.

Quanta Services, Inc., headquartered in Houston, TX, (NYSE: PWR), member of the S&P 500, with 2011 revenue of $4.6billion, is

the largest specialty engineering constructor in North America, serving energy companies and communication utilities, according to

McGraw Hill’s ECN. More information is available at www.quantaservices.com.

INTERNATIONAL SPOTLIGHT Continued

INDIA & THE FAR EAST

In November, Quanta Technology hosted a USAID/DRUM Smart Grid class for a delegation from India in cooperation with Tata

Power Delhi Distribution Ltd. in Raleigh, NC. The delegation visited the FREEDM Center at NC State University where our engineers

gave a demonstration of Quanta Technology’s RTDS simulation

capabilities. Among the attendees was the the Chief Manager of Power

Grid Corp. Ltd. of India (PGCIL).

TAIWAN & MACAU

Quanta Technology continues to work with the Taiwan Power Company, CEM in Macau/China, as well as clients in Thailand and Malaysia.

In our current project with CEM, we are working on the communication strategy project which is identifying other requirements for the

deployment of the strategy. We identified two high priority projects that CEM may want to take action before we complete the communica-

tion project tasks – Integrated network management and SOA/ESB Feasibility Analysis and Trial Implementation.

U.S. Patent granted to Dr. Abdel-Aty Edris for inventing a device that could be applied for an automatic control the voltage

on transmission and distribution networks. The device is based on the use of Voltage-sourced Converter (VSC) technology,

which is equipped with gate turn-off power switches, e.g., Insulated Gate Bi-polar Transistor (IGBT), Gate Communicated

Thyristor (GCT), etc.

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