Smart distribution network operation: Emerging techniques and standards

Smart electricity distribution networks of the future with large-scale deployment of smart meters, intelligent asset condition monitoring, distributed generation and responsive demand will produce vast amounts of data requiring near to real-time analysis. Emerging Information and Communications Technology (ICT) solutions have the potential to enable near to real-time state estimation across large-scale distribution networks. Novel High Performance Computing (HPC) tools and techniques have been recently developed to cost-effectively solve large scale computational challenges in a range of scientific and engineering applications that require similarly scalable computational analysis and communications. Consequently this paper describes an emerging generation of distribution network management systems that exploit novel near to real-time HPC solutions with inherent security and intelligent communications for smart distribution network operation and management. In this paper cost effective scalable ICT solutions will be proposed and initially investigated for realistic distribution network data traffic and management scenarios involving state estimation.