Utility planning for a wide area measurement system

This paper examines the planning that utilities should undergo while preparing to install a wide area measurement system on their local ac network. Stages of background checks from the initial justification, to convening a task force of appropriate stakeholders, to trial installations, to specification for all system components, followed by requests for information, formal quotes, and the decision making process needed to decide the final tender. Also included are some planning studies focused on optimizing the location of PMUs for the specific application of modal visualization. The location studies utilize a combination of multiple randomly generated powerflows, off-line eigenvalue analysis and regression analysis to establish selected measurable power system variables with high correlation to damping dominant inter-area modes. Wide area measurement systems offer many benefits but, as detailed in this paper, require due diligence to acquire the best solution for each unique utility. In many cases significant amounts of offline studies need to be performed in order to realize some of the benefits of a local WAMS.