Improved network analysis by using data from smart meters

By using data from smart meters, meter values and Power Quality events, it´s possible to improve the analyze methods and network calculations. Better understanding of the grid behavior and customers load pattern will make it possible to better predict the need of reinforcements and avoid unnecessary investments, especially for grid areas with more volatile loads caused by large amount of photovoltaic solar panels (PV) and electrical vehicles (EV). Both fulfillment of customer promises (supply contract) and acceptable level of distribution fees (tariffs) will set the focus on asset management costs and investment strategies. Up to now the information in the Customer Information System, CIS, are the only source for customer related information regarding load, total energy consumption and the customers load pattern. The network analyses and planning activities will give acceptable good results if these data always are updated and in good shape, but it has been shown that this is not always the case. It has in this report been shown that network analysis and calculations based on meter values instead of traditional methods using static load curves gives better results and most likely large benefits for the asset management process such as avoiding oversized assets in general, possibility to postpone asset investments and allow new customers to be connect to the grid without any mayor asset investments (new substations or upsized transformers). By measure the total feed-in energy at transformer level in the secondary substation it´s possible to monitor the network losses with good accuracy. It´s possible to detect wrongly installed meters and none measured consumption if the load is sufficient high. But this also set the focus on data quality issues, reliability of the grid documentation and customer data are crucial. Data