Smart Grids are the digitalised and smart power grids of the future. They are also essential for Norway’s electrification efforts and success with the necessary reduction of greenhouse gas emissions .
The current power grid is the result of decades of expansions and adaptations. However, society is developing faster than ever, and if the power grid does not manage to keep up with these developments, it will not be able to handle a fully electrified society in the future, where cars, boats and industry run on power produced by “new” green energy sources, such as wind, wave and solar power, instead of fossil fuels.
At SINTEF, we investigate solutions that allow us to digitalise and modernise the power grid in a way that is as cost-efficient as possible for both our customers and society in general.
A large part of this work is developing technology that will automate the planning and operation of the future Smart Grid to a much greater extent compared to the current non-digitalised grid. For example, this technology will enable faults to be dealt with before they occur, allow power customers to use their power more efficiently, and improve the utilisation of the power grid’s capacity.
This will save significant maintenance costs and contribute to reducing the number of expensive cables that will have to be built as society requires more power due to increased electrification. In addition, a Smart Grid will facilitate an increased use of wind, wave and solar power than the current grid allows.
The Smart Grid presents many opportunities. However, a challenge with a digitalised grid is that it also presents many challenges, such as cyberattacks. Therefore, cyber security is an important part of our Smart Grid work.
SINTEF runs research projects of all sizes that focus on innovative technologies and methods for digitalising and modernising the distribution grid, and we welcome participation from both the private and public sector. In addition, we work with our customers to test and further develop existing technologies as part of pilot and demonstration projects.
SINTEF is a host of one of the biggest research centres in the world on the Smart Grid, FME CINELDI (Centre for Intelligent Electricity Distribution). We are also a host of Smartgridsenteret (the Norwegian Smart Grid Centre), which is a membership organisation for everyone working with the Smart Grid in Norway. Smartgridsenteret works to promote research, education, test and demonstration activities related to the Smart Grid in Norway.
CINELDI works towards digitalising and modernising the electricity distribution grid for higher efficiency, flexibility and resilience.
CINELDI is a Centre for Environment-friendly Energy Research partly financed by the Research Council of Norway.
At SINTEF, we have research communities with cutting-edge expertise on how to best plan for and utilise distributed energy resources in the distribution grid, and how battery systems can subsequently help mitigate the technical challenges that distributed generation present to the grid.
BaSS aims to facilitate that battery energy storage systems (BESS) become an alternative to grid reinforcement for voltage challenges, when this is the most socio-economically rational solution. Several different services for voltage support may be relevant in the same power grid (value stacking). It is challenging to design control systems and methods for optimal rating of such a BESS.
Electrification of the transport sector, fish farming facilities, the petroleum industry, etc. will cause increased and more complex electrical loads on the grid.
To mitigate global warming, energy demand by different sectors must migrated towards electricity and the share of renewable resources must be increased. This brings major investment needs and new challenges to the power system. Local energy systems can address some of the challenges like, keeping the demand and supply in balance all the time, maintaining good quality of supply, and social acceptance and participation in energy transformation.
The primary goal of the project is to develop a sensor suite and algorithms that will enable the detection and classification of critical faults – those that can cause power outages – even in poor visibility conditions.
Four years have passed since the first seeds of CINELDI, the world's largest research centre on Smart Grids, were sowed. The centre's work is only half complete, but we are already seeing the first fruits.
The smart grid of tomorrow will be one of the most complex systems ever developed. To better understand this complexity and prepare all relevant parties for the transition to come, CINELDI undertook a successful multidisciplinary foresight process.
Nils Røkke is the Chairman of the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA). This is his opening speech for the EERA 10-year anniversary. Last year, when we started to think about the EERA 10-year anniversary, the first question was whether to have an internal gathering of the EERA research community, or to celebrate it with partners and friends who have shared – and will share – this journey with us. The answer was quite immediate, and I am very pleased that today I can welcome representatives of both EERA and of the European energy research and innovation community at large.
