Facilitating the implementation of innovative technologies for a smart(er) future grid

The paper addresses the problem of massive electricity transmission by presenting some alternatives, including new technology implementation, for optimizing the power capacity of existing Overhead Line Systems (OHL) while minimizing additional expenditure on new lines. A unified methodological framework is presented under which the overall OHL system performance is evaluated. The results from this unified analysis can facilitate the implementation of innovative smart grid technologies into the expanding current grid. After the presentation of three case studies, that illustrate the potential of this methodology for informing decisions about the existing system, the contribution, the implications and future developments of this framework are discussed.