Smart Grid

Components of a Smart Grid
Status of Smart Grid development in Hawaii

A key element in Hawaii’s clean energy future is development of a more intelligent electric grid.

At Hawaiian Electric, our grids are already smart, with advanced communications and computerized controls managing the flow of electricity from our power plants as far as our substations. However, we are developing a “smarter” electric infrastructure to continue to deliver reliable service while increasing renewable energy sources throughout our grid.

We believe smart grid technologies should have high security and serve one or several of these functions:

•	Assist the integration and efficient use of renewable generation;
•	Improve grid reliability and resiliency;
•	Improve customer satisfaction;
•	Help our customer efficient use of electricity.

Bridging the gap between "smart grid" concept and reality will require developing and investing in enhanced information technology, communications infrastructure, cyber security, and smart-grid compatible components on both the customer-side and utility-side of the meter.

Components of a Smart Grid

A smart grid builds upon existing utility generation, transmission and distribution. It uses automation, communications, analytics and controls to operate the grid reliably and safely with increasing intermittent renewable sources (like wind and solar power) on the utility side of the meter as well as demand-side and distributed resources on the customer side.

Each electrical system will have its own specific "smart" components, depending on the function desired. However, the National Energy Technical Laboratory has described a Smart Grid System with the following components:

•	An integrated communication system – A system that connects the other components in a reliable manner that is resistant to cyber and physical attacks.
•	Sensing and Measurement – Devices in the field that sense and gather useful data. One example is advanced meters.
•	Advanced Control Systems – Computer-based systems that collect and process the data, react to system conditions automatically or provide diagnostic information and solutions to help utility system operators respond to outages and system conditions.
•	Advanced Components – Devices such as advanced switches, flexible AC transmission systems or power quality devices, plug-in hybrids and so on, in the field.

Status of Smart Grid Development in Hawaii

New technologies are constantly emerging in the smart grid arena. The Hawaiian Electric companies continue to conduct pilot projects, support research and evaluate developments to determine which technologies best fit Hawaii’s unique needs and provide the most value to our customers for years to come.

Maui smart grid projects

On Maui, Maui Electric Company is partnering with the University of Hawaii and several national and international companies on three smart grid pilot projects. The results will help others learn what can be done with the smart grid while improving service to customers on Maui.

The island of Maui meets the definition of high-penetration renewable power. With a peak load of around 200 MW, up to 30 MW can now come from wind energy. Today, Maui receives nearly 10 percent of its energy from wind, with plans to add even more wind-powered generation and solar energy in the future. Even at 10 percent, issues with grid reliability arise due to minute-to-minute wind fluctuations. These characteristics make Maui an ideal setting to develop smart grid technologies.

Currently, these smart grid research projects are in development on Maui:

The Maui Smart Grid Project

The Maui Smart Grid Project will evaluate new technologies to enable a cleaner, more efficient energy system on the island of Maui. This pilot project will be on a voluntary, opt-in basis in the Maui Meadows neighborhood of South Kihei. It is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) at no cost to project participants.

Objectives:

•	Reduce demand for electricity by 15% on neighborhood distribution circuits during peak times
•	Help integrate greater amounts of intermittent wind resources
•	Enable faster outage restoration
•	Allow customers to better manage their energy use

All participants will have an advanced meter professionally installed at no cost at their home and receive access to a personalized energy data website. Through this site, participants can easily monitor and control their energy consumption.

In addition, participants may be eligible to test one or more of the following technologies:

•	An in-home display
•	A smart thermostat
•	A smart water heater control system
•	A solar PV monitoring system (if a rooftop solar system is installed)

For more information, go to www.mauismartgrid.com.

Japan-US Smart Grid Project

In May 2011, energy partners from the United States and Japan agreed to collaborate on a multi-million dollar smart grid demonstration project on Maui. The project aims to improve integration of variable renewable energy resources such as solar and wind power, and preparing the electric system for widespread adoption of electric vehicles.

Partners on the project include: U.S. Department of Energy; Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT); Hawaii Natural Energy Institute at the University of Hawaii; Hawaiian Electric Company; Maui Electric Company; and Japan-based New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), an entity under Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

NEDO will provide approximately $37 million to support the project (3 billion yen).

Project Overview

•	Develop and install smart utility system controls in the Kihei, Maui area to improve integration of solar and wind power and electric vehicles
•	Connect advanced electric vehicle charging management systems to the electric utility system controls, allowing utility operators to manage electric vehicle charging to balance generation and power demand

The project is part of the Hawaii-Okinawa Partnership on Clean and Efficient Energy Development and Deployment an agreement signed in June 2010 by the U.S. Department of Energy, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan, State of Hawaii and Prefecture of Okinawa.

The Hawaii-Okinawa partnership is intended to foster development of clean and energy- efficient technologies to solve global energy security and climate-change challenges. The governments of Japan and the United States designated Hawaii and Okinawa for this groundbreaking partnership due to their demonstrated leadership and experience in clean energy and energy efficiency.

Installation of the smart grid technology is to begin in late 2012, with the project becoming operational in 2013. The demonstration project is scheduled to run from 2013 to 2015.

Smart Grid Inverter Demonstration

This project will use smart grid technologies to improve integration of high levels of photovoltaic power into utility grids. The output of photovoltaic systems can vary with cloud cover and other environmental conditions, which can affect service reliability on the grid.

Objectives:

•	Achieve lower interconnection costs for customer-sited photovoltaic systems
•	Use “smart” equipment to improve management of power output from photovoltaic systems
•	Commercialize products to support higher levels of photovoltaic installations

Hawaiian Electric-Sacramento Municipal Utility District
Photovoltaic Integration Research Project

In April 2010, the Hawaiian Electric companies, in partnership with the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), were awarded a research grant totaling up to $2.9 million from the California Solar Initiative Research, Development, Deployment and Demonstration Program to study ways to increase and effectively manage more photovoltaic (PV) generation while maintaining reliability on utility grids.

The research is designed to integrate new solar monitoring hardware and develop forecasting software. It will provide tools for utilities around the country to better manage high penetration of PV generation using technologies such as advanced metering infrastructure (AMI). It will also test interconnection controls on PV systems.

The new systems will be tested and validated at residential, commercial, and utility-scale deployments in California and Hawaii. The research will develop graphical displays that overlay PV location and output information on top of the transmission and distribution system information. Operators and system planners can then visually identify high value locations for distributed PV and readily locate areas requiring grid modifications to enable higher PV penetration.

The East Oahu Transmission Project

As part of a large upgrade to Oahu’s transmission system, Hawaiian Electric received federal funding for a specific project to take advantage of smart technology to make service more reliable and efficient around the University of Hawaii at Manoa and in portions of East Honolulu. Using this technology, Hawaiian Electric is able to avoid digging up major roadways to install nearly two miles of underground power lines at an estimated cost of $28 million.

Studying the new Smart Grid technology, Hawaiian Electric engineers determined that nearly the same level of reliability could be achieved at a lower cost, $15 million, without the disruption to traffic and businesses of digging up the streets. In addition, by securing a federal stimulus (ARRA) grant of $5 million, Hawaiian Electric is able to cut the cost of the project to about one-third of the original cost to customers.

Advanced metering projects

Hawaiian Electric has conducted smart grid pilot projects including installation of advanced meters in neighborhoods on Oahu to explore the operational performance and capabilities of an advanced meter network. Integrating smart grid technology is a key component of the company’s strategic plan to make the islands’ electric systems more efficient and more reliable, give customers more options to control their energy costs and increase the use of renewable energy.