Smart Grid Projects at NSTAR NE Electricity Restructuring Roundtable

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Smart Grid Projects at NSTAR NE Electricity
Restructuring Roundtable
Doug Horton Project Manager, Smart Grid NSTAR
Electric Gas October 28, 2011
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Agenda
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NSTARs Smart Grid Projects
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AMR Based Dynamic Pricing
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Grid Self-Healing Efficiency Expansion
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Urban Grid Monitoring and Renewables Integration
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Synchrophasor Measurement Installation
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NSTAR is currently pursuing 4 new Smart Grid
initiatives
Initiative Description ARRA Grant Estimated Budget
AMR-Based Dynamic Pricing Deployment of advanced technology to enable real-time measurement and two-way communication of energy consumption using existing AMR meters. SGDP Recipient 50 Grant 4.7M
Grid Self-Healing and Efficiency Expansion Creates an auto restoration or self-healing capability on the distribution system, using modern sensing, communications and information processing based on digital technologies. SGIG Recipient 50 Grant 20.1M
Urban Grid Monitoring and Renewables Integration Facilitates the interconnection of inverter-based distributed generation in a safe manner onto a secondary area network grid. SGDP Recipient 50 Grant 10.5M
Synchrophasor Measurement Installation In conjunction with ISO-NE, install Phasor Measurement Units (PMU) in four substations to enable real-time phasor data applications. SGIG Sub-recipient for ISO-NE 1.6M
Total Total Total 37.0M
50 DOE Funding 50 DOE Funding 50 DOE Funding 18.5M
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Agenda
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NSTARs Smart Grid Projects
2
AMR Based Dynamic Pricing
3
Grid Self-Healing Efficiency Expansion
4
Urban Grid Monitoring and Renewables Integration
5
Synchrophasor Measurement Installation
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AMR-Based Dynamic Pricing

• Overview
• Compliant with Massachusetts Green Communities
  Act
• Will include 2,870 total NSTAR customers
• Integrates two way communications and near real
  time measurement of consumption data via Tendril
  Networks Home Area Network system
• Utilizes Time of Use Pricing by integrating
  interval data from Tendril to NSTAR back office
  systems
• Low-cost solution utilizing existing
  infrastructure
• Compatible with existing meters
• Compatible with existing billing system
• Utilizes Internet for communications back-haul

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Tendril/NSTAR AMR-Based Dynamic Pricing
All participants
ERT
Portal
ERT
Display
Translate
Gateway
Zigbee
Zigbee
Half of the participants
Load Control Switch
Thermostat
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All participants will receive real-time
information on usage and cost
All Participant Groups
Load Control
Access to Web Portal
In Home Display
Programmable Thermostat
Internet Gateway / HAN

• Zigbee device
• Real-time power demand
• Billing period electricity consumption cost
• Price of electricity

• Up to 4 programmable set points per day
• Controllable over the Internet via the Web
  Portal
• Critical Event management and control

• Home Area Network (HAN) to enable two-way
  communication between the customer and NSTAR

• View and manage household energy consumption
  online
• Receive messages from NSTAR
• Analyze historical usage patterns

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Pricing Structures

• NSTAR will call no more than 12 Critical Peak
  Events during the course of the year, each
  lasting for up to 5 hours
• Peak Time Rebate customers will be eligible to
  earn a fixed rebate of 5 per event if the
  customer allows central air conditioning (A/C)
  load control
• TOU-CPP customers will experience steep price
  differentials, per the table below

Illustrative TOU and CPP Rate Periods and Prices Illustrative TOU and CPP Rate Periods and Prices Illustrative TOU and CPP Rate Periods and Prices Illustrative TOU and CPP Rate Periods and Prices Illustrative TOU and CPP Rate Periods and Prices Illustrative TOU and CPP Rate Periods and Prices
Period Summer Period (June - September) Winter Period (October - May) Illustrative Standard Electricity Price (/kWh) Approximate Supply Price Ratio Illustrative TOU-CPP Electricity Price (/kWh)
Critical Peak As called by NSTAR As called by NSTAR 0.16 10.62 1 0.90
On-peak Noon to 5pmnon-holiday weekdays 4pm to 9pmnon-holiday weekdays 0.16 2.23 1 0.25
Off-peak All other times during the period All other times during the period 0.16 0.60 1 0.13
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Marketing Recruitment
Phase I General Marketing Campaign
Traditional marketing techniques Appeal to
mainstream audiences Test/monitor
receptivityappetite and aptitude

• Objectives
• Document outreach and results
• Demonstrate pilot attempts to reach all customers
• Complete non-participant and participant research

Phase II Targeted Marketing

• Objectives
• Secure sufficient pilot participants
• Complete non-participant and participant research

Digital/Online
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Direct Mail
Direct mail communication to eligible residents
in Newton, Hopkinton, Jamaica Plain
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Email Campaign Initial Results
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Current Status

• Installed equipment in almost 1400 customer homes
• Integrated interval metering data into billing
  and CIS systems to produce Critical Peak Rebates
  and time-differentiated billing
• Called 5 Critical Events during the summer
• 3M project spending out of 4.7M total 50
  funded by US DOE

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Agenda
1
NSTARs Smart Grid Projects
2
AMR Based Dynamic Pricing
3
Grid Self-Healing Efficiency Expansion
4
Urban Grid Monitoring and Renewables Integration
5
Synchrophasor Measurement Installation
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Grid Self-Healing Efficiency Expansion

• Electric delivery network using modern sensing,
  communications, and information processing based
  on digital technologies
• Microprocessor-based measurement and control
  using remote sensors
• Current, voltage, KVA, temperature
• Circuit self-healing implementation
  (Auto-Restoration)
• Supervisory controlled overhead and underground
  switches with voltage and current sensors
• Interoperability standards using PI interface
• SCADA interface to recloser control cabinet

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Three Operational Modes

• Mode 1 Supervisory mode
• Leverages remote control of switches
• Operator controlled sequences
• Mode 2 Operational Acknowledgement mode
• Computer-simulated restoration sequences
• Operator validation and execution
• Mode 3 Self-Healing mode
• Computer-determined restoration sequences
• No human intervention

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Grid Self-Healing Efficiency Expansion

• Over 1,700 SCADA Switches installed through the
  service territory and over 5,000 sensors
  monitoring the overhead electric grid

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DA South 600amp Switch locations
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DA North ASU locations
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Smart Switch Equipment
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Current Status

• Over 1700 smart switches deployed throughout our
  service territory
• Allow for remote switching by our SCADA operators
  to significantly reduce the amount of time our
  customers go without power
• 57,000 outages avoided in 2011 due to automated
  sectionalizing, with another 142,000 outages
  being restored in less than 5 minutes.
• Hurricane Irene
• 506,000 total outages
• 232,000 restored in less than 1 hour
• 50,000 outages avoided
• 12.4M project spending out of 20M total 50
  funded by US DOE

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Agenda
1
NSTARs Smart Grid Projects
2
AMR Based Dynamic Pricing
3
Grid Self-Healing Efficiency Expansion
4
Urban Grid Monitoring and Renewables Integration
5
Synchrophasor Measurement Installation
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Project Objectives

• Incorporate advanced sensing and monitoring
  equipment to test the integration of distributed
  resources onto a secondary area network
• Improve visibility into secondary area network
  grid using two different types of nodes or
  sensors
• Deploy sensors on the underground secondary
  network
• Refine methods suitable to scale broadly across
  urban areas nationwide
• Develop model to safely examine small
  inverter-based distributed resource integration
• Solar PV integration from downtown customers
• Potential for integration anywhere on the test
  grid
• Pave the way for other, inverter-based DR in the
  future

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Demonstration Grid Location (Shown in Red)
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Digital Grid Secondary Cable Monitoring CTs
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Current Status

• Finalized the award with the US DOE October 18,
  2011
• Preparing to order equipment and proceed with
  project as planned
• Initial installations of major and minor nodes
  planned for end of 2011

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Agenda
1
NSTARs Smart Grid Projects
2
AMR Based Dynamic Pricing
3
Grid Self-Healing Efficiency Expansion
4
Urban Grid Monitoring and Renewables Integration
5
Synchrophasor Measurement Installation
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Synchrophasor Measurement Installation

• NSTAR is sub-recipient to ISO New England US DOE
  Smart Grid Investment Grant.
• Install Phasor Measurement Units (PMU) in four
  substations
• The project is an essential part of ISO New
  England's plans for infrastructure development
  based on the expansion of its PMU-based
  disturbance detection and monitoring system
• RD project to provide real-time data to ISO NE
  every 1/60th of a second, rather than once every
  10 seconds

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