Energy Grid News

Electric Grid Stability Assailed by Growing Challenges

Rooftop solar is already South Australia’s largest electricity generator with about 1300 megawatts of capacity involving one in every three homes. A full picture of the grid, as it stands, is the precursor to a successful transition to a resilient, distributed grid architecture. Policy makers need to give engineers the data they need if they are to expect a successful transition.

Read More »
Wildfires caused by electrical transmission lines arcing to earth.

PG&E exits 18-month bankruptcy and pays $5.4B to California wildfire victims

Rooftop solar is already South Australia’s largest electricity generator with about 1300 megawatts of capacity involving one in every three homes. A full picture of the grid, as it stands, is the precursor to a successful transition to a resilient, distributed grid architecture. Policy makers need to give engineers the data they need if they are to expect a successful transition.

Read More »
Calle Larga at night during electricity power cut.

Blackouts Have Triggered an Energy Storage Boom in California

The threat of chronic blackouts is sparking a rush to install battery backup systems as California homeowners try to avoid disruptive power cuts related to wildfires.
Given the divisions in ownerships of distribution, transmission and generation assets and the separate jurisdictions of the Energy Security Board, the Australian Energy Regulator, the Australian Energy Market Commission and the Australian Energy Market Operator there is urgent need for mandated, overall monitoring and control of the NEM.

Read More »
Large grid transformers being deployed to increase grid capacity due to continued PV solar roll-outs

Mixed cloud cover causes the highest spikes in solar energy, Dutch Scientists find

Synchronised, GPS-based monitoring and the use of Big Data analysis is the way towards flexible AC transmission as renewable penetration continues on its seemingly unstoppable growth.

Given the divisions in ownerships of distribution, transmission and generation assets and the separate jurisdictions of the Energy Security Board, the Australian Energy Regulator, the Australian Energy Market Commission and the Australian Energy Market Operator there is urgent need for mandated, overall monitoring and control of the NEM.

Read More »
VECTO System-Energy_Merging-of-Transmission-and-Solar

Grid-Wide Monitoring and Control Essential – Australian NEM

Synchronised, GPS-based monitoring and the use of Big Data analysis is the way towards flexible AC transmission as renewable penetration continues on its seemingly unstoppable growth.

Given the divisions in ownerships of distribution, transmission and generation assets and the separate jurisdictions of the Energy Security Board, the Australian Energy Regulator, the Australian Energy Market Commission and the Australian Energy Market Operator there is urgent need for mandated, overall monitoring and control of the NEM.

Read More »

Beyond blackouts: Resilient grid requires local action

The future of a power grid system with baseload thermal, hydro and pumped hydro, gas-fired, wind and solar farm generation, AND the fast-growing private sector of virtually exclusive solar photovoltaic (PV) generation is a vexing problem for politicians, legislators and grid operators alike.

The argument that synchronized, granular, multi-nodal information has to be the basis for any number of control paradigms is easy to support—even if, depending on initial expenditure considerations, limitations are imposed on control protocols and there is a superfluity of information.

Read More »
The world's first hybrid battery storage gas turbine speaker system installed in Norwalk, California. Source: Ysc usc

The (Future ? ) State of the Australian National Energy Market (and all grid operators)

The future of a power grid system with baseload thermal, hydro and pumped hydro, gas-fired, wind and solar farm generation, AND the fast-growing private sector of virtually exclusive solar photovoltaic (PV) generation is a vexing problem for politicians, legislators and grid operators alike.

The argument that synchronized, granular, multi-nodal information has to be the basis for any number of control paradigms is easy to support—even if, depending on initial expenditure considerations, limitations are imposed on control protocols and there is a superfluity of information.

Read More »
VECTO System-Energy_Large-Power-Transformer-station

Predictive Maintenance of Power Grid Assets

It is well accepted that electric transformer maintenance is a key component of grid resilience. Considering the number of transformers installed across a grid, the maintenance cost savings and optimizations can be considerable. Replacement costs for LPT’s (large power transformers) can range from $1 million to $7.5 million. It is for this reason, that power grid operators, seriously consider digital twin preventative maintenance strategies.

Read More »

Achieving grid flexibility in a time of unprecedented change.

Rooftop solar is already South Australia’s largest electricity generator with about 1300 megawatts of capacity involving one in every three homes. A full picture of the grid, as it stands, is the precursor to a successful transition to a resilient, distributed grid architecture. Policy makers need to give engineers the data they need if they are to expect a successful transition.

Read More »

Experts predict COVID-19 will spell the demise of coal burning power plants

Electrical power transmission systems operators investigate transitioning to a Distributed Grid without compromising system strength.

In May 2020, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) announced AU$490,629 in funding for transmission network operator Powerlink Queensland.

The purpose of the funding is to investigate technical, commercial, and regulatory solutions to address system strength challenges.

As renewable energy (RE) gains traction, power grid regulators and operators are scrambling to find viable solutions to prevent variable energy sources destabilizing the power grid.

Read More »
AMEU-New-Rules-to-Deliver-System-Strength-fi

Government Energy Regulators are recognizing the need for comprehensive power grid data

Electrical power transmission systems operators investigate transitioning to a Distributed Grid without compromising system strength.

In May 2020, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) announced AU$490,629 in funding for transmission network operator Powerlink Queensland.

The purpose of the funding is to investigate technical, commercial, and regulatory solutions to address system strength challenges.

As renewable energy (RE) gains traction, power grid regulators and operators are scrambling to find viable solutions to prevent variable energy sources destabilizing the power grid.

Read More »
Wildfires caused by electrical transmission lines arcing to earth.

Why is grid resilience becoming such a contentious topic in California?

Rooftop solar is already South Australia’s largest electricity generator with about 1300 megawatts of capacity involving one in every three homes. A full picture of the grid, as it stands, is the precursor to a successful transition to a resilient, distributed grid architecture. Policy makers need to give engineers the data they need if they are to expect a successful transition.

Read More »

WA’s 15 Gigawatt investment in Solar: pioneering a new frontier.

Rooftop solar is already South Australia’s largest electricity generator with about 1300 megawatts of capacity involving one in every three homes. A full picture of the grid, as it stands, is the precursor to a successful transition to a resilient, distributed grid architecture. Policy makers need to give engineers the data they need if they are to expect a successful transition.

Read More »
VECTO System - your eyes on the electrical grid

Overcoming the limitations of Power Quality Field Investigation with VECTO System

Introducing VECTO System, the revolutionary Class-A multifunction edge computer that lets you see and manage the grid remotely. Power transformers require consistent testing and maintenance to assess their condition and to uncover the issues that threaten the network. Maintenance engineers are a critical link in building power grid resilience and stability. A range of tools and technologies exist to assist engineers in their quest, with most investigations requiring a combination of devices to test the different parameters.

Read More »
Electrical power sub-station in Boksburg, South Africa explodes

Boksburg Substation Explosion

At 8:15am on 9 December 2017 the Gauteng suburb of Boksburg was rocked by a double explosion that shattered windows half a kilometer away. Almost immediately a column of black smoke rose into the sky and a rolling blackout left 25,000 households without power.

Read More »