Imagine if electricity suppliers could know exactly when consumers use high-energy appliances like clothes dryers, eliminating the need for expensive standby power and reducing wasteful operations.
Associate Professor Hemanshu Pota from UNSW Canberra is leading cutting-edge research to transform renewable energy and electric vehicle integration into the power grid, using advanced tools and real-time data for enhanced stability and efficiency.
Life for an electricity supplier would be a lot easier if a consumer called the power company and said, "I am going to turn on my clothes dryer, may I do so?". This would make spinning reserves - supply that is online but not in the grid - unnecessary and prevent wasteful operations.
Smart grids are a way to achieve this with advanced metering, data analysis, and artificial intelligence. Australia''s electricity network is the longest in the world, and perhaps with the least number of users. Smart grids can reduce transmission losses and achieve a high level of renewable integration, especially suited to Australia with abundant sunshine and coastal wind.
My research is focused on the finer aspects of renewable energy integration for smart grids. Most media reports and research are based on bulk analysis that considers only the total amount of electrical load and renewable generation.
In our finer analysis, two issues are important:
These aspects enable us to ensure that the electricity network meets all the regulatory constraints.
Our research has found that there is a substantial difference between the bulk and finer analysis when predicting generation or electric vehicle operating or hosting capacity. The inclusion of dynamics enables us to analyse system stability and design controllers to enhance system stability for abnormal operating conditions. We have designed and demonstrated high-performance controllers that extend the operating range of generation resources for abnormal operating conditions.
Our work improves how renewable energy and electric vehicles are integrated into the power grid by providing advanced tools for enhancing network capacity. We develop algorithms that use data from a few key network locations to accurately predict the grid''s capacity in real-time. These predictions help with smart scheduling, ensuring the grid stays stable and uses its capacity to the fullest.
Our approach is different from the traditional bulk analysis, which looks at overall data and often leads to limitations. Instead, our research uses detailed, real-time data to create more accurate and effective solutions for designing and operating smart grids. This leads to better performance and a more reliable and efficient power system.
Potentially yes, a finer analysis of renewable energy integration for smart grids could help bring down the cost of an energy bill. By analysing and optimising the integration of renewable energy sources, electricity companies can improve the efficiency and capacity of the energy network. This means that the grid can handle higher amounts of renewable energy without requiring expensive upgrades or expansions, resulting in cost savings that can be passed on to consumers in the form of lower energy bills.
This not only provides them with compensation from electricity companies but also reduces their dependence on grid imports, significantly lowering their energy bills. Additionally, reduced demand on the grid can lead to lower overall energy costs for all users.
The main challenge is getting sufficient information about network topology, i.e., the road map, and the mathematical models for the dynamics of the interconnection of multiple generators and loads. One way of looking at it is like the dynamics of the acceleration and deceleration of traffic as lanes merge and roads intersect.
We are developing artificial intelligence-based fine analysis with multiple scenarios of spatiotemporal distribution for hosting capacity and safe network operation. We are also developing controllers for generation devices that will result in performance much superior to synchronous generator-based systems.
Our research will maximise the use of energy storage thus minimising the capacity required for the desired smoothing of the intermittent renewable energy resources. A mix of centralised and decentralised control would minimise the risk of cyber-attacks and enable a stable operation for many different types of cyber-attacks. This approach would increase cybersecurity.
Hemanshu''s current research interest is in the areas of:
His fundamental contributions in the power systems area are battery and renewable resource integration, vehicle-to-grid for power quality support, analysis of power systems transient stability, robust feedback linearising control of synchronous machines and renewable resources, robust control for low-voltage-ride-through for wind generators, high-performance PV system control for real and reactive power support, non-interacting controller design for distribution systems. His contributions in the control of mechanical systems are spatial control, resonant control, and robust control that have been applied to high-speed AFM image scanning.
UNSW Sydney NSW 2052 AustraliaTelephone: +61 2 93851000
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UNSW is located on the unceded territory of the Bidjigal (Kensington campus), Gadigal (City and Paddington Campuses) and Ngunnawal peoples (UNSW Canberra) who are the Traditional Owners of the lands where each campus of UNSW is situated.
Around the world, cities are leading the charge by giving themselves a ‘smart edge’. This comes as urban areas are increasingly putting data and technology to work.
This can also be said when it comes to energy. The European Commission says that as smart cities integrate physical, digital and human systems in traditional networks and services, this allows for better and more efficient uses of energy resources.
Following COP28 in Dubai, the International Energy Agency (IEA) reaffirmed the vital role played by smart cities to reduce energy consumption while meeting service demand, improving grid stability and improving the quality of life for all.
So here we spotlight 10 stellar examples of smart cities across continents and what makes them such important entities and positive contributors to the energy landscape.
Canberra is quickly evolving into a smart and connected digital city with plans for 100% electrification across the city by 2045. It is also applauded for its high levels of EV adoption, reducing its reliance on fossil-based vehicle fuels. The city integrates smart grid technologies, promotes energy-efficient buildings and underpins electric vehicle infrastructure to support its take up, enhancing sustainability and reducing its carbon footprint.
Copenhagen has pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2025, with its smart city initiatives focusing on environmental issues that are related to this commitment. Its abundance of wind and solar energy, integrating smart grids and promoting energy-efficient buildings plays into this, and sits alongside the city’s renown for its focus to pioneer environmental policies.
Copenhagen is paving the way for EV technology, with its centralised platform to connect traffic lights, EV charging points and smart metering. Its district heating systems and sustainable urban planning optimise energy use and minimise environmental impact.
About Canberra smart grid
As the photovoltaic (PV) industry continues to evolve, advancements in Canberra smart grid have become critical to optimizing the utilization of renewable energy sources. From innovative battery technologies to intelligent energy management systems, these solutions are transforming the way we store and distribute solar-generated electricity.
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