Grid reliability, resilience and flexibility system conditions system blackouts

GRID RELIABILITY, RESILIENCE AND FLEXIBILITY
Source: Author
RELIABILITY:
Ability of the power system to deliver electricity in the quantity and with the quality demanded by users.
Adequacy:

• Generation capacities to satisfy peak load
• Sufficient transmission capacities to transmit electricity to consumers

Security: Ability of a system to withstand disturbances

RESILIENCE:
Ability that the system will recover from being adversely impacted by unanticipated or extreme events that strain and overwhelm the system and will return to normality, in a safe and timely manner.
FLEXIBILITY:
Operational perspective

• Ability of the system to cope with fast variations in demand and/or generation.

Planning perspective

• Ability of the system (grid) to adopt to new circumstances

The Energy Community Secretariat IAEA Workshop on Power Systems and Markets, 15-07-2021
SYSTEM CONDITIONS
Possible system conditions
Source: ENTSO-E
N compliant: system operates within limits with all lines/transformers/other facilities in operation
N-1 compliant: system operates within limits with one line/transformer/other facility out of operation
Emergency: some violations exist (low voltages, frequency out of range, close to instability…)
Blackout: consumers are not supplied
The Energy Community Secretariat IAEA Workshop on Power Systems and Markets, 15-07-2021
SYSTEM BLACKOUTS
BLACKOUT: LOST OF VOLTAGE (POWER) IN A SYSTEM

• total blackout (overall system affected)
• partial blackout (some areas affected)

CAUSES:

• extreme weather conditions (earthquake, hurricane, wind and ice etc.)
• multiple faults in a network
• poor communication between dispatching centers
• lack of monitoring and analytical equipment
• human error
• lack of reactive power, voltage collapse
• lack of coordination on system protection
• lack/vulnerabilities of load shedding schemes, etc.