Development of state estimator for low voltage networks using smart meters measurement data

Accurate and reliable state estimation for low voltage networks is the corner stone for flexible operation and control in the current transaction from passive conventional grids to active smart grids. The development in the energy supply has revealed a rapid increase of controllable distributed generators, consumer installations, stationary storage systems, and electric vehicles. This development has led to a significantly different kind of system behavior which must firstly be understood, and then suggestions for operational network improvements in order to increase the security and efficiency of the distribution system operation can be made. Following this, a high chronological and topological resolution of information for the system state estimation in the low voltage level is necessary. However, measurement data are necessary for state estimation. These measurements can be obtained either from the distribution system measurement infrastructure or from the smart meters installed at the customer´s connection points. The focus of this paper is to develop and validate a state estimator for low voltage networks with distributed generators and to obtain the technical feasibility of using smart meters and their measurements for low voltage network observability and controllability.