The Director of Engineering at ECG, Mr Julius Kpekpena, has shared with Fellows of The Energy Center some of the opportunities and challenges of smart grids during his presentation on “The Potential of Smart Grid within ECG” in the ongoing 2012 energy seminar series organized by TEC. In his presentation, he indicated that the current state of ECG distribution systems is predominantly radial feeders with a lot of mismatch between demand and supply system capabilities.
In addition, the network components like transformers, switchgear and conductors are overloaded which leads to frequent system failures and prolonged power outages. He added that operation and maintenance of the existing electricity grid is manual and is coupled with high incidence of power theft, high voltage losses along the transmission and distribution lines and inaccurate energy accounting. With such issues at stake, he emphasized that there is an urgent need to make our electricity grid smart to accurately account for our energy demands and supply and also reduce systems failure and power losses on the electricity grid.
Sharing his ideas with the Fellows of The Energy Center on how the Ghana electricity grid can be made smart, he mentioned that the transmission and distribution lines can be made smart by adding intelligence and digital technology which will include computer systems and applications, controls and automation and new equipment. Extensive resources and human training will therefore be needed to manage such digital systems. On the potential of smart grids within ECG, he pointed out that there are two ongoing initiatives being carried out by ECG to ensuring some degree of smartness in the grid through VIT automation systems and an AMI/AMR project. The ongoing projects will install systems which are made up of Load-Break Switches (LBS) and reclosers that are equipped with electronic sensors to maximize protection performance through the integration of current controlled method and voltage time controlled methods. In addition, power theft and losses along the transmission and distribution lines will be reduced through this initiative.
In his concluding remarks, he indicated that whilst there are many opportunities with smart grid systems for electricity transmission and distribution, there are also challenges to the deployment of smart grid within ECG. Realization of smart grid will require huge investment capital, stronger communication systems and infrastructure and training of both consumers and workers in the electricity sector.
To download a copy the presentation from ECG, click here