EDF Rseau de Distribution

1
EDF Réseau de Distribution

• Missions
• To carry out the design, construction, operation
  and maintenance of medium and low voltage
  networks in mainland France
• To ensure that connection and access to the
  network is available on a non-discriminatory
  basis
• To develop new procedures to organise the French
  open market energy flows
• To be responsible for relations with the energy
  regulation authority
• To contractualise link with TSO network access,
  network development and investments, operation
  and safety system

• Statistics
• 2.200 distribution HV/MV substations (20kV)
• MV network 592.000 km (35 underground)
• 725.000 MV/LV substations
• LV grid 664.000 km (40 underground)
• 31 million customers in full open market by July
  07 11 electrical energy suppliers 2600
  generators (MV) installed 7000 MW.

2
Main changes to deal with

• Costs and tariffs under regulatory control
  asset management, investments, operating costs,
  and a full open market

• Development of local production in distribution
  (rising the need to a more active approach and
  evolution in network control tools) and new type
  of loads (plug-in hybrid vehicle, heat pumps, )
  in a quite constant grid infrastructure.
  

• New requirements between TSO and DSO

How to build and operate infrastructure
differently?
3
A growing complexity
Networks Dispatching
storage
Communicating meters
substation
Network/ heat storage
Micro CHP
CHP
substation
Switch with advanced functions in network
needing new approaches and tools requiring RD
work.
4
Some RD needs towards active dist. networks

• How to get the optimal real time knowledge of
  the network state
• in order to improve its operation both
• in normal situation
• and also in incident

?

• Network observability state estimation
• Knowledge of DG (especially wind farm)
• Advanced automated function

• How to take advantage of the newcomers for a
  higher flexibility ?
• Ancillary services at distribution level (voltage
  control, )
• Congestion management load and production local
  management,
• Solutions to increase safely and economically the
  capacity of the grid to connect DG

• How to adapt data management to the new
  challenges ?
• Innovating solutions to solve issues of
  Information Technologies and standardisation of
  data exchange format (eg. CIM)

5
Questions ?

• How to take into account the regulated context
  (with quick changes) in the technical studies and
  development ? Is the multiplicity of European
  regulatory contexts a real obstacle for DSOs to
  share RD efforts on active networks ?
• How to develop exchange data standards for
  forecast and real time operation ?
• How to choose the right mix of active management
  and network reinforcement? How to ensure that a
  solution that is cost-effective today will still
  be cost-effective tomorrow, with the arrival of
  unplanned DG ?
• What regulatory incentives have been already
  experienced in order to make DG contribute to
  ancillary services ? How the responsibility of
  ancillary services should be shared between TSOs,
  DSOs and DGs ?
• Will demand side management be usable for
  ancillary services where fast-response is needed
  ? Will Automated Meters Management infrastructure
  need to be connected to the grid control centres ?