In 2018, SP Group (formerly Singapore Power), Singapore’s sole electricity distribution operator, set out to “find out what makes a smart grid and measure that intelligence” by benchmarking the transformation of grid operators around the world.
The 2019 edition notably reveals a strong increase in the score of grid operators in the Asia-Pacific region, who are catching up with their European and North American counterparts. Enedis, the main French DSO, is also making strong progress, ranking 13th out of 75 DSOs evaluated.
« The growing integration of renewable energies into transport and distribution networks implies new challenges for operators, because conventional networks were not designed to handle bidirectional flows of energy, nor the integration of intermittent energy sources. Such challenges prompt network operators to upgrade their existing infrastructures into smart grids. Traditionally, the System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI) and the System Average Interruption Frequency Index (SAIFI) were used as key performance indicators. However, the reliability of supply is no longer the sole matter to be taken into account as renewables integration, resiliency in the event of cyber attacks, the management of behind-the-meter assets and multidirectional flows of energy are now coming into play. Reliability indexes alone are not sufficient to evaluate the perfomance and the capabilities of the grid, explain Smart Grid Index inventors.
The benchmark developed by SP Group takes seven criteria into account:
- Monitoring and control
- Data Analysis
- Reliability of supply
- RE Integration
- Green Energy
- Security
- Empowerment and customer satisfaction
Based on information published by grid operators, the Smart Grid Index examines the indirect indicators for each criterion and identifies the best practices of 75 grid operators around the world.
The 75 operators (including 26 in Asia, 23 in Europe, 24 in North America) were chosen because of their commitment to the development of Smart Grids and the availability of published data.
Most of the network operators studied, the authors conclude, “are successful in the areas of monitoring and control, supply reliability, accountability and customer satisfaction”. They have a Fault Management System (OMS), Fault Locating and Restoration of Supply (FLISR), Distribution Management System (DMS) or Advanced Distribution Management System (ADMS) to effectively manage their network.
“Many have high reliability, with a CAIPS (sum of total interruption times divided by the number of customers) of less than 10 minutes. A few even have a SAIDI of less than one minute…Many have deployed metering technologies and provide their customers with real-time energy consumption data and rate signals.
The Smart Grid Index highlights, according to its designers, that “grid operators are less advanced in the other four criteria: data analysis, RE integration, green energy and security. However, North American and European grid operators score better on all four criteria. “They faced the challenges of disruptive technologies earlier than their counterparts in the Asia-Pacific region … who are likely to catch up in these areas as they face similar challenges.
North American network managers score an average of 73%, higher than their European (69%) or Asia-Pacific (59%) counterparts.
It is worth noting that the Smart Grid Index ranks SP Group 33rd out of 75 players surveyed.
The score of Enedis (75%), the only French player included in the index, is higher than the European average (69%). It increased by 17 points between the 2,018 and 2,019 editions of the index.
“The evaluation methodology of the Smart Grid Index will have to evolve over time”, its authors acknowledge, “and adopt new criteria to follow the evolution and adoption of new technologies, such as distributed energy resource management systems (DERMS)”.