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Substation Power Quality System

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Sandia is developing a proposal for a Substation Power Quality System (SPQS) project and needs industry input. Attached below are the text of a powerpoint presentation and a list of questions. There hasn’t been much involvement yet from utilities, so UFTO companies are especially encouraged to respond directly to Sandia with comments. The central question now appears to be: “Are utilities or large end users interested in a substation level power quality system?”. (There will also be a presentation at the PowerSystems World ’98 conference in Santa Clara, CA on Nov. 11.)

The DOE Energy Storage Systems Program at Sandia has been working with industry and other laboratories for several years on storage systems for substation power quality applications.

Over the last three years, DOE and Sandia worked closely with Public Service of New Mexico on a project with the intent of developing and demonstrating a substation power quality system. Industry partnerships were to be formed for the development phase, and a demonstration site was chosen at Sandia. Recent market downturns coupled with turmoil in the electric utility industry prevented the completion of this project. The DOE Energy Storage Program is still committed to working with industry on the development and testing of substation level, mid-voltage power quality systems.

The system as currently conceived would operate at the 12-15 kV, 2-6 MVA level. It would correct power quality problems originating upstream of the substation in the transmission line system or downstream in adjacent distribution system feeder lines. Open questions exist regarding the required ride-through time, technology to be employed, and the location for such a demonstration. This is anticipated to be a three-year project. The intent is to form a cost shared partnership to design, construct and field a system in this power range.

Sandia is very interested in obtaining comments on the Utility and Electricity provider industry interest in such a project, and feedback from energy storage system suppliers on the technology available for this type of system.

————-(text of powerpoint vugraphs)——–
Substation Power Quality Project

Dean Rovang, Abbas Akhil, John Boyes
Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM

(Oct. 7, 1998, ESA Fall ’98 Meeting, Atlanta, GA)

— Why Are We Here?
Discuss the ESS/SNL perspective on a Sub-station Power Quality System (SPQS)
Project
Past motivation and future expectations
History of project at SNL with PNM
SNL’s performance expectations for PQ system
Obtain industry perspective
Industry perspective on SPQS market
Industry needs of system performance:
Power level, ride through, footprint
Describe SNL’s expectations for further work
Competitive, cost-shared proposals
RFI followed by RFP

— Past Motivation
PNM’s experience with large hi-tech customers in their service area
Traditional UPS solutions did not solve all PQ problems
PNM was seeking a utility-level solution
SNL advocated a SMES solution at a mid-voltage level
SNL Superconductivity Program
Preliminary thinking indicated 1 – 2 second ride through was adequate

— Project History
PNM and SNL formed an Industrial Advisory Board (IAB)
Primarily semiconductor manufacturers
Define system performance requirements
1 – 2 second ride through was thought to be adequate
“Baseline” PQ system concept with 2 second ride through
12.47 kV, 22.4 MVA
SMES system size was 42 MJ

— Other IAB input
Cost must not only be competitive, but aggressively competitive
Not UPS, limited ride through
It protects entire load, people expect lower $/kVA
Demonstrate device at someone else’s facility
Some factors motivated rethinking project scope
Cost estimates of $17 million for baseline system
4 second sag recorded at customer site

— Revised Baseline system was proposed
SNL advocated idea of “meaningful yet supportable” demonstration
6 MVA size: matches SNL loads
Split-bus concept at Substation 41
Use battery to reduce cost and meet ride through requirements
SNL and PNM pursued CRADA for demonstration at SNL site
CRADA package was prepared but not executed
Project canceled

— SPQS STILL MAKES SENSE
Mid-voltage level is the next logical step in the evolution
of PQ systems
Industry wants to develop SPQS technology
Provides vehicle for Utilities to deliver Premium Power
Whole facilities and multiple customers can be protected
in a Premium Power Park concept
Utility will have control of PQ system at the substation level
Short power interruptions can be corrected at one place
Voltage sags are not always corrected by existing systems
Economy of scale

— Substation Power Quality System:
Correct voltage sags/swells and momentary outages from transmission lines or
adjacent feeder lines

— SNL Expectations for Future SPQS
Interconnection voltage: 12 – 15 kV
System power: 2 – 6 MVA
Ride through options:
2 – 8 seconds for voltage sags
up to 30 seconds for 3rd re-closer requirements
1/4 cycle switch time
Storage technology insensitive
Turnkey system
Modular design, outdoor installation
Self-contained energy storage module(s) – eliminate need for building
Minimize footprint

Demonstration preferred at customer site; alternately at SNL
Innovative power conversion and system design
Prefer not paralleling existing small systems to meet performance
Encourage formation of user/supplier consortia
Cost-sharing of 50-80% by industry
SNL contribution expected to be $1.5-2.0 M over 3 years
Time to demonstration – 3 years
Place contract in FY99
System build FY00
System installation and testing FY01

————————————–
QUESTIONS
————————————–
Questions For The Utility/Electricity Provider Industry

1. Are Power Quality solutions at the substation location
useful to you?
2. What voltage(s), in mid-voltage range, are of interest?
3. What is the minimum power level of interest?
4. What power quality events should this system address?
5. What ride through time should this system be capable of
servicing?
6. What problems would this system create that must be addressed
in the design phase? Reconnection? Siting? Safety? Control?
Maintenance? Etc.?
7. What type of sites would benefit from this system?
8. Are there any potential sites in your system?
9. Are you interested in hosting the site?
10. Do you see the need for this system now? In the near
term (1-3 years)? In the long term (>3 years)?
11. What would be a cost goal for such a system?

Questions for the Power Quality System Industry

1. Are the technical specifications in the ballpark?
2. Is the schedule estimate in the ballpark?
3. What are the technical issues in the proposed system?
4. Are the power electronics for the mid-voltage specification
ready for commercialization? If not what is the state of
the art?
5. What are the cost drivers of a mid-voltage Power
Quality system?
6. Who should perform the system integration function?

Questions for All

1. What kind of partnerships/consortia/collaborations could
be formed to pursue this system? Cost Sharing? Intellectual
property rights? Project responsibility? Etc.?
2. What other information is necessary for your company to
participate in this project?
3. What other information is necessary to start this project?
4. Other questions or comments:

___ Indicate if you would like emailed summaries of ESA meeting discussion
and future communications on the SPQS project.
Name:
Company:
Telephone:
Fax:
Email:

Please Return to: John D. Boyes, Sandia National Laboratories
Telephone: (505) 845-7090 Fax: (505) 844-7874
Email: jdboyes@sandia.gov

Reliability TF Final Report

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Electric System Reliability Task Force Completes Final Report

On Tuesday, September 29, the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board’s (SEAB) Task Force on Electric System Reliability conducted its final meeting in Washington, DC and approved its final report.

The Task Force’s final 150 page report, “Maintaining Reliability in a Competitive U.S. Electricity Industry: Final Report of the Task Force on Electric System Reliability,” dated September 29, 1998, addresses the critical institutional, technical and policy issues related to maintaining bulk-power system reliability in the context of a more competitive electric industry. It will be submitted to the Chairman of the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board and Secretary Richardson following the incorporation of the final Task Force review comments.

Printed copies of the Report can be obtained from Richard Burrow, SEAB, (202/586-1709 or Richard.Burrow@hq.doe.gov).

Inquiries regarding the Report can be directed to Paul Carrier (202/586-5659 or Paul.Carrier@hq.doe.gov).

Here is a Reuters news story about the report:

Competition won’t hurt power reliability, DOE told

WASHINGTON, Sept 29 (Reuters) – A Department of Energy advisory panel on Tuesday said opening the nation’s bulk-power markets to competition should not damage reliability of electric supply, although deregulation is a complex task.

Ending a 21-month investigation, the DOE task force concluded that the “viability and vigor of commercial markets must not be unnecessarily restricted,” and market forces now being implemented depend on fair and open access to the transmission grid.
“The traditional reliability institutions and processes that have served the nation well in the past need to be modified to ensure the reliability is maintained in a competitively neutral fashion,” the task force report said.

The group, officially called the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board’s Task Force on Electric System Reliability, was formed to address the question of whether consumers would be able to count on electricity service after restructuring.

The task force began its work as a result of concerns raised after power outages in Western states during the summer of 1996. It is chaired by Dr. Philip Sharp, a lecturer in public policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

At the time the task force was formed, the DOE asked the group to define an agenda “to address relevant technology development and analysis tools, control schemes, operating practices and data requirements for ensuring reliability under changing industry structure and regulation.”

The report also said there is uncertainty regarding statutory and regulatory authority over reliability management, which was being exacerbated by the unbundling of vertically integrated utility functions.

The group said commercial markets should develop economic practices consistent with the mutual interests of the participants, ensuring grid reliability maintenance.

The role of the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) must also adapt to an increasingly decentralized and competitive industry, the report said. The NERC represents wholesale power systems in 10 regions in the U.S. and most of Canada.

Other findings praised the implementation of Independent System Operators, and said competitive markets should be created for ancillary services, like load following, spinning reserve and loss replacement.

Of the numerous recommendations supplied by the task force, the report highlighted the group’s confidence that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and a restructured North American Electric Reliability Organization can maintain performance.

During the transition from monopoly markets to open competition, the task force said electric utilities should open their transmission systems to others and in many cases divest their generating assets.

Final Meeting SEAB Elec. Reliab TF

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From Paul Carrier, Task Force Staff Director (paul.carrier@hq.doe.gov)

Here is the draft agenda for the September 29 meeting of the DOE Task Force on Electric System Reliability. It is anticipated that the Task Force will conclude its work at this meeting with the approval of a final report.

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Secretary of Energy Advisory Board – Electric System Reliability Task Force
Tuesday, September 29, 1998, 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM.
Georgetown University Conference Center,
Salon H, 3800 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington DC 20057

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard C. Burrow, Secretary of Energy
Advisory Board (AB-1), U.S. DOE, (202-586-1709

Background
The electric power industry is in the midst of a complex transition to competition, which will induce many far-reaching changes in the structure of the industry and the institutions which regulate it. This transition raises many reliability issues, as new entities emerge in the power markets and as generation becomes less integrated with transmission.
The purpose of the Electric System Reliability Task Force is to provide advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board regarding the critical institutional, technical, and policy issues that need to be addressed in order to maintain the reliability of the nation’s bulk electric system in the context of a more competitive industry.

Tentative Agenda
Tuesday, September 29, 1998
8:30 – 8:45 AM Opening Remarks & Objectives — Philip Sharp, Task Force Chairman
8:45 – 10:15 AM Working Session: Discussion of Draft Report –Facilitated by Philip Sharp
10:15 – 10:30 AM Break
10:30 – 11:45 AM Working Session: Discussion of Draft Report –Facilitated by Philip Sharp
11:45 – 12:00 PM Public Comment Period
12:00 – 1:30 PM Lunch
1:30 – 2:30 PM Working Session: Approval of Final Report –Facilitated by Philip Sharp
2:30 – 3:30 PM Closing Comments by Task Force Members
3:30 – 3:45 PM Closing Comments by DOE Representatives
3:45 – 4:00 PM Public Comment Period
4:00 PM Adjourn
This tentative agenda is subject to change. The final agenda will be available at the meeting.

Rel. TF Paper-Federalism in Transmission

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Another paper from the DOE Reliability Task Force just arrived. I have then pdf file if you want it — should be posted shortly on the SEAB website.
http://vm1.hqadmin.doe.gov:80/seab/elec_rep.html

————————————————————–
| ** UFTO ** Edward Beardsworth ** Consultant
| 951 Lincoln Ave. tel 650-328-5670
| Palo Alto CA 94301-3041 fax 650-328-5675
| http://www.ufto.com edbeards@ufto.com
————————————————————–

Issues of Federalism in Transmission System Reliability
A Position paper of the
Electric System Reliability Task Force
Secretary of Energy Advisory Board
July 9, 1998
Introduction

Our federal system shares institutional responsibility for ensuring North American grid reliability; this paper addresses the role of state and regional authorities. Our focus is issues of siting and non-federal price regulation that have significant reliability implications. We address both constraints and opportunities. We also acknowledge an important threshold issue: whether the grid itself retains natural monopoly features that justify a continuing government role in regulating the prices of grid services.

If, as some believe, grid construction and maintenance lack compelling natural monopoly characteristics, regulated systems of cost recovery may not long endure at state or other levels. Acknowledging this viewpoint, the Task Force nonetheless believes that this sector’s monopoly aspects remain robust enough to justify improving rather than dismantling price regulation. And we are concerned that state and federal regulation is not doing enough to promote and shape sound investments in grid reliability.1 We also support an increased role for regional institutions that can help states resolve issues that transcend their individual boundaries.

Our paper is organized in four sections below. In section I, we begin with a critical review of state and local responsibility for transmission siting and evaluation of transmission alternatives. In section II, we then explore state roles in cost recovery and incentives for transmission enhancements, including but not limited to new transmission. The third section addresses states’ participation in existing regional reliability organizations. The final section is a summary of the papers recommendations.

DOE Reliability TF paper on T&D

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The Department of Energy’s Electric System Reliability Task Force has written a position paper, “Incentives for Transmission Enhancement”. The report indicates that a need exists for the construction of more power lines to relieve congestion, and that regulators should provide incentives for their construction. In the report, the Task Force reviews the nature of transmission and the challenges facing transmission companies in a deregulated electric industry. The report concludes that the main concern facing grid reliability is the need for stronger state and federal-level regulation to promote sound investments.

The report and earlier materials are available on line:

http://vm1.hqadmin.doe.gov:80/seab/elec_rep.html

Electric System Reliability Task Force – Minutes and Reports

MEETING MINUTES:
Ninth Meeting – Minutes from the ninth meeting (May 12, 1998).
Eighth Meeting – Minutes from the eighth meeting (March 10, 1998).
Seventh Meeting – Minutes from the seventh meeting (January 1998).
Sixth Meeting – Minutes from the sixth meeting (November 1997).
Fifth Meeting – Minutes from the fifth meeting (September 1997).
Fourth Meeting – Minutes from the fourth meeting (July 1997).
Third meeting – Minutes from the third meeting (June 1997).
Second meeting – Minutes from the second meeting (March 1997).
First meeting – Minutes from the first meeting (January 1997).

REPORTS:
Incentives for Transmission Enhancement (in PDF) (August 1998)
Transmittal Letter to Walter Massey, Chairman of SEAB (in PDF)
Technical Issues in Transmission System Reliability (in PDF) (May
1998)
Transmittal Letter to Walter Massey, Chairman of SEAB (in PDF)
Ancillary Services and Bulk-Power Reliability (in PDF) (May 1998)
Transmittal Letter to Walter Massey, Chairman of SEAB (in PDF)
The Characteristics of the Independent System Operator (March 1998)
Transmittal Letter to Walter Massey, Chairman of SEAB
Table: Roles, Functions and Relationships of Various
Institutions with ISOs
Task Force SRRO Letter Report (November 1997)
Task Force Interim Report (July 1997)
Transmittal Letter to Walter Massey, Chairman of SEAB

For more information on the Electric System Reliability Task Force, please contact:

Richard Burrow
DOE, Secretary of Energy Advisory Board (202) 586-7092

Fed. Restructuring Proposal

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Forwarding note received this morning from DOE coordinators for the SEAB
Task Force on Electrical System Reliability.
————————————————————–
| ** UFTO ** Edward Beardsworth ** Consultant
| 951 Lincoln Ave. tel 650-328-5670
| Palo Alto CA 94301-3041 fax 650-328-5675
| http://www.ufto.com edbeards@ufto.com
————————————————————–

Subject: Administration’s Electricity Legislation
Date: Wed, 1 Jul 1998 8:37:00 -0400
From: paul.carrier@hq.doe.gov

On June 26 the Administration forwarded its proposed electricity restructuring legislation to the U.S. Congress. The proposed Comprehensive Electricity Competition Act along with a section-by-section analysis can be found on the Internet at: http://www.DOE.GOV/ceca/ceca.htm.

The Act’s provisions on reliability are based on the recommendations of the Department of Energy Task Force on Electric System Reliability.

Next Meeting SEAB Elec Reliability TF

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NOTE: For the first time, this meeting is in CHICAGO, not Washington DC…

Information on the Electric System Reliability Task Force, minutes of previous meetings, and the Task Force’s interim report may be found at the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board’s web site,
http://www.hr.doe.gov/seab

————————————————————–
| ** UFTO ** Edward Beardsworth ** Consultant
| 951 Lincoln Ave. tel 650-328-5670
| Palo Alto CA 94301-3041 fax 650-328-5675
| http://www.ufto.com edbeards@ufto.com

Secretary of Energy Advisory Board – Electric System Reliability Task Force
Thursday, July 9, 1998, 8:30 AM – 3:00 PM.
The Rosemont Convention Center, Conference Rooms 12 & 13,
5555 North River Road, Rosemont, Illinois. (near the O’Hare International Airport)

Background
The electric power industry is in the midst of a complex transition to competition, which will induce many far-reaching changes in the structure of the industry and the institutions which regulate it. This transition raises many reliability issues, as new entities emerge in the power markets and as generation becomes less integrated with transmission.

Purpose of the Task Force
The purpose of the Electric System Reliability Task Force is to provide advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board regarding the critical institutional, technical, and policy issues that need to be addressed in order to maintain the reliability of the nation’s bulk electric system in the context of a more competitive industry.
Thursday, July 9, 1998
8:30 AM Opening Remarks & Objectives
— Philip Sharp, ESR Task Force Chairman
8:45 AM Working Session: Discussion of Draft Position Paper
on State/Regional Issues in Transmission System
Reliability — Facilitated by Philip Sharp
10:30 PM Working Session: Discussion of Draft Position Paper
on Incentives for Transmission Enhancement
— Facilitated by Philip Sharp
12:00 Lunch
1:00 PM Working Session: Planning for the Final Report
— Facilitated by Philip Sharp
2:45 PM Public Comment Period
3:00 PM Adjourn

DOE Elec Reliability TF Papers

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Two papers were approved by the DOE Task Force on Electric System Reliability at its meeting on May 12.

– “Technical Issues in Transmission System Reliability”

They were just posted (May 21) on the SEAB website, along with cover letters,in PDF Acrobat format.

They can be found under “Minutes and Reports” at
http://www.hr.doe.gov/seab/electsys.html