Articles & White Papers

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2014-01-012014 Microgrids are for Real Quanta Technology In the past few years, Microgrid developments have grabbed the attention of various utilities and industries as a key part of system hardening and Smart Grid implementation. This is to enhance the reliability of the electric grid, as well as the power quality – particularly for the purpose of providing backup power supply during system restoration as a result of blackouts or natural disasters Download
2016-01-012016 Market Design for Congestion Relief With Energy Storage Quanta Technology This paper explores how energy storage could be added to the portfolio of traditional transmission solutions when the driver for the investment is relieving transmission congestion. It demonstrates how storage can be operated so as to mimic the effects of those traditional solutions (such as transmission construction and line re-conductoring) to alleviate congestion. Download
2016-01-012016 Sharing the Ride of Power: Understanding Transactive Energy in the Ecosystem of Energy Economics IEEE PES Advocates of Transactive Energy (TE) make arguments for the integration of distributed energy resources (DERs) into a market environment from the standpoint of overall energy economics, customer choice, facilitating technology adoption, and encouraging innovation. At a very high level, this is reasonable given the rapid development and adoption of personalized transactions via the web and mobile computing in many domains and the equally rapid proliferation of DERs, at least in some geographic areas. Download
2019-01-012019 IEEE Magazine July/August 2019 IEEE PES Download
2016-01-012016 IEEE Magazine May/June 2016 IEEE PES Download
2020-05-272020 Electrify vehicle fleets and transportation sector will follow Damir Novosel - The Energy Daily A commentary by Damir Novosel in the Energy Daily, "Electrify vehicle fleets and transportation sector will follow" Download
2020-01-012020 Energy Storage Primer IEEE PES Energy storage continues to emerge as one of "non-conventional alternatives" to mitigate the effects of renewable variability, optimize the utilization of existing grid infrastructure, and improve resilience and reliability by providing end users with the ability to self-supply during outages. Energy storage is a flexible resource for grid operators that can deliver a range of grid services quickly and efficiently. Unfortunately, the cost of many of these services still exceeds their value, compared to conventional solutions. As energy storage technology becomes more cost-effective, a wider range of applications will become accessible. The purpose of this Primer is to provide a fundamental understanding of the roles of energy storage in the electric grid and explain why it is more complex than simply inserting a battery into a phone, requiring careful engineering design expertise. Download
2020-01-012020 Sharing Knowledge on Electrical Energy Industry's First Response to COVID-19 IEEE PES Electric utilities and system operators have overcome the issues associated with COVID-19 to provide safe and reliable power to communities. The steps taken by industry stakeholders to protect employees' and customers' health, while keeping the lights on, required significant innovations. This document, prepared by IEEE PES Industry Technical Support Leadership Committee (ITSLC), represents a collection of the experiences faced by and practices implemented by a number of utilities and system operators across the globe to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has shown us how now, more than ever, reliable, resilient, and cost-effective delivery of electrical energy is a necessity for the society to cope with any crisis. Download
2020-06-302020 Energy Storage Opportunities and Research Needs IEEE PES. Damir Novosel & Ralph Masiello (Contributing Authors) Energy storage is a key asset for the future of sustainable and reliable electric energy delivery, with widespread applications across the grid infrastructure. This document, prepared by IEEE PES Industry Technical Support Leadership Committee (ITSLC) at the request of the U.S. Department of Energy, highlights some of the technology gaps and describe future R&D needs for energy storage to become ubiquitous in the electricity infrastructure. It encompasses various technologies, tools, and processes, needed to make energy storage systems competitive and easy to adopt and deploy. Download
2020-07-202020 THE PANDEMIC’S SURPRISE REVELATION: A VISION OF A CLEANER FUTURE AND AN OPPORTUNITY FOR FLEET ELECTRIFICATION IEEE-USA InSight , written by Dr. Julio Romero Agüero One of the most important steps towards that future is the electrification of transportation, particularly fleet electrification. According to 2018 data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the transportation sector generates the largest share (28.2 percent) of total greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, primarily from cars, trucks, ships, trains and planes. This is closely followed by electricity production (26.9 percent). Download
2020-08-012020 Smart Meters and Grid Modernization: A Guide to a Successful AMI Implementation A Quanta Technology White Paper The demands on the power grid in the 21st century are rapidly changing. Many utilities are looking to grid modernization plans to meet these challenges. Grid modernization is not a series of individual technologies but a prioritization of investments that create a portfolio of technologies to meet the utility’s vision. These technologies may require integration as well as new processes and trained staff to manage them. A major component of many plans is smart meters that make up an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) system. To be a successful component of a plan, care must be taken in the planning, process development, implementation, and integration of the AMI system to ensure the utility’s goals and vision are met. Download
2013-10-202013 Accidental Islanding of Distribution Systems with Multiple Distributed Generation Units of Various Technologies CIGRE The system response to accidental islanding and effect on anti-islanding detection of distribution feeders with multiple distributed generation (DG) technologies (synchronous machine and inverterbased units) is one major utility concern associated with increasing penetration of DG. Studies have been conducted to evaluate the performance of anti-islanding detection through use of conventional voltage and frequency protection elements, and a non-detection zone (NDZ) defined in terms of real and reactive power mismatch scenarios. However, this NDZ applies to only synchronous generator DG technology, and efforts to characterize system behaviour and performance of anti-islanding detection for systems with mixed inverter and machine units have been limited. This paper investigates the effect of adding inverter-based DG to the system under various real and reactive power mismatch scenarios. Download
2016-01-012016 Operational Frameworks for Utility Integrated Microgrids CIGRE This paper provides an overview of the operational, planning, and control framework required for a utility-integrated community-based microgrid. Design, planning, and operational requirements are reviewed along with microgrid control hierarchy and technology enablers. Special focus is given to the integration of the microgrid with the utility grid system and how utilities can leverage microgrids to complement existing utility grids and customers. The first part of the paper describes the various tasks involved in the design, engineering, and implementation of a utility microgrid project. The second part of the paper outlines the common operating practices and the challenges in control and protection system development for a microgrid. The third part of the paper describes microgrid functional requirements, emerging technologies, and the integration of the microgrid with the utility grid. Download
2008-05-012008 Design for Distributed Energy Resources IEEE The blackout experiences have demonstrated the vulnerability of the interconnected electric power system to grid failure caused by natural disasters and unexpected phenomena. Changes in customer needs, additional stress due to liberalized electricity markets, and a high degree of dependency of today's society on sophisticated technological services also intensify the burden on traditional electric systems and demand for a more reliable and resilient power delivery infrastructure. This paper discusses the design of a restructured electric distribution network that employs a large number of small distributed energy resources (DER) units, which can improve the level of system reliability and provide service differentiations. Download
2017-04-232017 Hardware and Software Model Evaluation of a Dynamic Load Balancer for Mitigation of Current Unbalance in Distribution Circuits IEEE Current unbalance conditions are a concern to utilities and can negatively affect power quality and safe and reliable system operation if left untreated. Conventional solutions involve physical re-configuration and are typically challenging and less effective as these changes are temporary and will change as circuit and customer load habits evolve. As alternative, power electronic-based devices are promising solutions to mitigating current unbalance. This paper introduces the control theory behind one such power electronics-based Dynamic Load Balancer (DLB) and details the development of a transient software-based simulation model to allow for mitigation planning and performance evaluation in distribution circuits. The physical and software model for DLB were tested under a range of system conditions as verification of model accuracy and also evaluation of the device capabilities and performance. Download
2017-07-162017 Microgrid Protection: An Overview of Protection Strategies in North American Microgrid Projects IEEE Microgrids have been proposed as an attractive solution to harness the benefits offered by distributed energy resources (DERs). However, despite their advantages, microgrids introduce new challenges to electric grids. In particular, they can impact conventional protection practices in distribution systems. This is mainly due to the presence of DERs, different microgrid operational modes, as well as various network configurations. This paper will provide an up-to-date overview and analysis of the protection schemes that have been designed and/or implemented in major North American microgrid projects. A brief overview of the microgrid protection issues and potential solutions are also presented in the paper to help designers with defining protection requirements for practical microgrids. Download
2015-01-012015 Investigation and Correction of Phase Shift Delays in Power Hardware in Loop Real-Time Digital Simulation Testing of Power Electronic Converters CIGRE Power Hardware in Loop (PHIL) digital simulation testing has been recently introduced as an alternative approach to traditional methods of high power / high voltage device level testing without the use of load banks and physical medium/high voltage test feeders. PHIL testing approach is very cost effective and highly applicable for performance evaluation of power electronic apparatus in distribution and transmission systems such as power converters in PV and wind generation plants, energy storage systems, and distributed/transmission level power conditioning units and FACTS devices.
2008-05-022008 Microgrids Management IEEE The environmental and economical benefits of the microgrid and consequently its acceptability and degree of proliferation in the utility power industry, are primarily determined by the envisioned controller capabilities and the operational features. Depending on the type and depth of penetration of distributed energy resource (DER) units, load characteristics and power quality constraints, and market participation strategies, the required control and operational strategies of a microgrid can be significantly, and even conceptually, different than those of the conventional power systems. Download
2020-11-012020 Predictive-Maintenance Practices: For Operational Safety of Battery Energy Storage Systems IEEE Power and Energy Magazine Changes in the Demand Profile and a growing role for renewable and distributed generation are leading to rapid evolution in the electric grid. These changes are beginning to considerably strain the transmission and distribution infrastructure. Utilities are increasingly recognizing that the integration of energy storage in the grid infrastructure will help manage intermittency and improve grid reliability. This recognition, coupled with the proliferation of state-level renewable portfolio standards and rapidly declining lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery costs, has led to a surge in the deployment of battery energy storage systems (BESSs). Although BESSs represented less than 1% of grid-scale energy storage in the United States in 2019, they are the preferred technology to meet growing demand because they are modular, scalable, and easy to deploy across diverse use cases and geographic locations. Download
2020-10-012020 Resilience Framework, Methods, and Metrics for the Electricity Sector IEEE Power & Energy Society Technical Report The resilience of the electric grid is the foundational building block for our decarbonized clean energy future. While the concept of resiliency is not new, its application to the electric grid is not as straightforward due to the lack of a consistent definition of resilience or a mature set of metrics by which resilience or its application can be measured. This report provides an overview of resilience definitions, including its relationship with reliability, the existing frameworks for holistically defining resilience planning and implementation process, and the metrics to evaluate and benchmark resilience. It provides recommendations on how to use those frameworks and metrics and evaluates technologies, tools, and methods to improve electrical system resilience. To provide a practical perspective to addressing resilience, the report includes the progress made by electric grid operators in collaboration with regional authorities to strengthen the resilience posturing, including some of the more common practices and use cases to increase system resilience, enhance broader preparedness, and to combat the impacts of the various external impacts to the electric power grid. Those use cases include Southern California Edison, Con Edison, Entergy, Florida utilities, San Diego Gas & Electric, ComEd, Austin Energy, as well as transmission and distribution system hardening practices, wild-fire risk mitigation lessons learned from California, and NERC reliability and cyber-security standards. Download
2020-12-302020 Workforce Transformation: Powering the Utility of the Future Quanta Technology White Paper by Brad Cawn Virtually every component of the utility industry—the business models, the technology, the customer experience, et al.—is currently experiencing transformation. With nearly $800 billion dollars in grid infrastructure and operations investments expected over the next decade, the notion of dynamic wide-scale change is no longer merely an over-used and under-defined buzzword; it is fast becoming the primary work of utility companies. Download
2015 Automated Evaluation of PRC-023-2 Requirements Quanta Technology Paper: Authors-Saman Alaeddini, Tim Chang, Farid Katiraei Quanta Technology paper presented at Georgia Tech, written by Saman Alaeddini, Tim Chang, Farid Katiraei
2019 Automated Modeling of Power System Protective Devices for Advanced Analysis of Protection System Performance Paper Authors: Hadi Khani, Mohamed Maria, Saman Alaeddini Paper presented at TAMU written by Hadi Khani, Mohamed Maria, Saman Alaeddini Download
2019 Challenges in NERC PRC-026 Compliance Evaluation for a Complex Multi-Terminal Transmission Line Paper Authors: Tim Chang, Mehrdad Chapariha, Ishwarjot Anand, Saman Alaeddini Paper presented at WPRC Conference, written by Tim Chang, Mehrdad Chapariha, Ishwarjot Anand, Saman Alaeddini Download
2020 Developing Primary and Protection Model Maintenance Approach for NERC PRC-027 Paper Authors: Ishwarjot Anand, Hadi Khani, Mehrdad Chapariha, Saman Alaeddini Paper Presented at PAC World written by Ishwarjot Anand, Hadi Khani, Mehrdad Chapariha, Saman Alaeddini. Download
2021 Application and Integration of Automation-Based Tools for Efficient and Accurate Modeling of Transmission System Protection Paper Authors: Daixi Li, Saman Alaeddini, Tim Chang, Guanhua Wen, Xinyang Dong Paper presented at TAMU Conference written by: Daixi Li, Saman Alaeddini, Tim Chang, Guanhua Wen, Xinyang Dong Download
2021 Process Improvement of Distribution Protective Relays Coordination Paper Authors: Mehrdad Chapariha, Mohamed Maria, Saman Alaeddini Paper presented at TAMU written by Mehrdad Chapariha, Mohamed Maria, Saman Alaeddini Download
2020 Grid Modernization for Public Power and Cooperatives Paper Authors: David G. Hart, Julio Romero Agüero, Bob Dumas, Donald Hall, and Mike Longrie More than 2,000 communities in the United States are served by public power utilities. These utilities typically provide electric, water, or gas service. Similarly, there are over 900 electric cooperatives that cover more than half of the nation’s landmass and serve more than 40 million people. Both public power utilities and electric cooperatives are vital parts of local economies, as they have a strong focus on serving their communities. Electric power grid and water services are delivery systems that interface to each home and business in a community. Historically, the utilities’ primary concern was the delivery of reliable power and water to its customers. However, the utility landscape is changing due to technical and societal drivers. Download
2022-06-152022 Grid Resilience Assessment during Extreme Fast Charging of Electric Vehicles via Developed Power Hardware-in-the-Loop IEEE This paper presents a resilience assessment of a microgrid during extreme fast charging events of electric vehicles (EVs) via a power hardware-in-the-loop (P-HIL) testbed. The system under study is replicated in a real-time digital simulator (RTDS) to model its electrical features. Four 350-kW extremely fast chargers (XFC) and one 50-kW fast charger are considered in this test, as a combination of actual hardware and simulated chargers. To achieve a thorough breakdown of the fast-charging impact on the grid’s stability, an electric vehicle simulator, hereinafter known as Regenerative Electric Vehicle Actuation Node (RE-VAN™), is developed which provides numerous testing capabilities such as different charging models and power rating, dissimilar battery characteristics, etc. RE-VAN™ is deployed in the P-HIL testbed to enable the testing of the actual EV chargers in the setup. Download