SmartGrid role in reducing electrical losses — The InovGrid experience

EDP - Distribuição is implementing InovGrid project, a smartgrids initiative, in Évora municipality. This infrastructure will provide data concerning MV and LV operational status, including load diagrams of the LV feeders and consumption points. InovGrid data presented an opportunity to develop a new built-in module to DPlan, the network analysis software used by EDP-Distribuição. This module allows DPlan to simulate LV grids with greater precision, given the knowledge of power consumption diagrams on each home provided by the infrastructure. Furthermore, EDP-Distribuição developed a methodology aimed at reducing line losses on the LV grid using the data provided by InovGrid. A preliminary test performed on eight LV grids demonstrated a potential line loss reduction of 10% using the developed analysis methodology.