Planning and Operation of Networks for Flexible and Low-Carbon Power and Energy Systems

缓解气候变化的迫切需要正在推动电力网络成为低碳和可再生能源整合的核心推动因素，以及道路运输的电气化和越来越多的最终用途。向低碳、经济和社会可接受的电网快速发展的需要正在挑战当前的电力系统运营和规划实践。新兴的模式是摆脱对大宗供应方控制、广泛的安全边际和高度冗余的基础设施的主要依赖。电网内部的演变广泛地与必要技术的发展联系在一起，以捕捉和利用网络及其互连组件的内在灵活性。事实上，柔性网络是一种能够以较低的成本应对不确定性和降低安全裕度的网络，同时仍能可靠地向所有用户输送电力。最近的工作一直在讨论电力系统灵活性的概念，并处理定义电力系统资源提供的灵活性的定义，定义和表征电力系统的灵活性要求，以及制定将资源与需求相匹配的方法。灵活性方程式中大部分被忽略的元素是网络，即线路，其作用是将灵活性从可用的地方引导到需要的地方。关于网络作为灵活性渠道的作用以及低碳电力系统运营和规划的相关方法和要求，有一个广阔的开放研究领域。该研究计划将针对高压输电和中压配电网及其接口。在输电方面，我们将主要关注在大多数发电来自可再生间歇能源的背景下，重新思考长期大规模电网规划方法。在配电方面，主要的研究重点将是利用智能电表和自动化提供的新的控制和传感可能性来实现主动网络管理的可操作性。还将讨论输电/配电接口，以调查在输电中引入灵活性限制和程序如何影响分配中的限制和程序，反之亦然。我们希望利用不同电网级别之间的协同效应，同时也考虑对相反要求的跨网络裁决。加拿大人和加拿大企业将从更合理的电网设计和运营中受益匪浅，这些电网的费率更低，可靠性更好，碳影响更低。这项工作的结果将有助于简化加拿大电力工业的脱碳进程，为电力公用事业公司优化电网资本投资和整合低碳发电提供指导。

The imperatives of climate change mitigation are pushing electricity networks to become central enablers for the integration of low carbon and renewable energy, as well as for the electrification of road transport and more and more end uses. The need for a rapid evolution towards low-carbon, economical and socially-acceptable grids is challenging the current power system operation and planning practices. The emerging paradigm is to move away from prime reliance on bulk supply-side controls, wide safety margins and highly redundant infrastructure. The evolution within electric grids is widely associated with the development of technologies necessary to capture and exploit the intrinsic flexibilities of networks and their interconnected components. In fact, a flexible network is one capable of dealing with uncertainty and lessened safety margins at a lower cost while still delivering electricity reliably to all consumers.Recent work has been addressing the concept of power system flexibility and dealt with defining flexibility as provided by power system resources, defining and characterizing flexibility requirements for power systems and formulating methodologies to match resources to requirements. The element that has been mostly left out of the flexibility equation has been the network, i.e. the wires, whose role is to channel flexibility from where it is available to where it is needed. There is a vast open field of research on the role of networks as channels of flexibility and associated methodologies and requirements for low-carbon power systems operation and planning. The proposed research program will target both high-voltage transmission and medium-voltage distribution grids as well as their interface.On the transmission side, we will focus mainly on rethinking long-term bulk grid planning approaches in a context where most generation is from renewable intermittent sources. In distribution, the main research thrust will be the operationalization of active network management exploiting the new control and sensing possibilities offered by smart meters and automation. The transmission/distribution interface will also be addressed to investigate how the introduction of flexibility constraints and processes in transmission could influence constraints and processes in distribution and vice versa. We look to exploit synergies between different grid levels, while also looking at cross-network adjudication of opposing requirements.Canadians and Canadian businesses are set to benefit greatly from more rational design and operation of electricity grids in terms of lower rates, better reliability and lower carbon impact. The results of this work will contribute to streamlining the decarbonization of the electricity industry in Canada by offering guidance to electric utilities on optimizing grid capital investments and on integrating low-carbon generation.