Project Name: Optimal Reconfiguration and Resilient Control Framework for Real-Time Photovoltaic Dispatch to Manage Critical Infrastructure
Funding Opportunity: Advanced Systems Integration for Solar Technologies: Situational Awareness and Resilient Solutions for Critical Infrastructure
SETO Subprogram: Systems Integration
Location: Charlotte, NC
SETO Award Amount: $3.7 million
Awardee Cost Share: $900,000
-- Award and cost share amounts are subject to change pending negotiations --
This project team will develop a grid management tool that identifies clusters of devices, and a single controller that manages these clusters, so that they work together to support the electric grid. By coordinating the behavior of devices at different scales, from residential solar to utility systems, this project will help manage and protect the power grid during normal and abnormal conditions.
APPROACH
The team will develop a tool that connects to devices that monitor the grid, assess its vulnerability, and optimize the flow of power and information. Then the team will develop a tool that automatically identifies clusters of devices, and then one controller will manage all the devices in the clusters. Each cluster will be able to manage its own resources and proactively modify device settings to keep the grid stable. The team will also develop a control architecture that detects and analyzes possible cyber and physical threats to the system. A high-fidelity power grid simulator will demonstrate that the system can perform all these tasks in real time.
INNOVATIONS
Tools that enable coordination of multiple controllers and devices in power grids will provide signals about grid conditions in real time and regarding longer-term planning. These tools will also allow systems with large amounts of storage and photovoltaic generation to be simulated in real time, so that utility-scale networks can handle the computational load of controlling many devices at once. This project will help grid operators better respond to grid needs, maintain reliability, and respond to events like cyberattacks.