Improving quality of supply and usage of assets in distribution grids by introducing a “Smart Operator”

The increasing amount of decentralized and fluctuating power generation and an increasing number of electric vehicles, heat pumps and other new consumption appliances pose major challenges to distribution system operators. However, this also offers new opportunities for improved usage of distribution grid assets. Instead of extending grid assets in the conventional way (e.g. with additional and/or higher capacity of cables and transformers), the supply to consumers may be better achieved by exploiting the flexibility of appropriate devices using ICT. This approach is the objective of a “Smart Operator”, which is conceptually presented in this paper.