News articles 11.06.2020

CINELDI – Addressing the energy transition challenge through collaboration

Society’s dependency on electricity increases. This sets a challenge for today’s grid: peak loads might increase beyond the current capacity of the grid. To cope with the challenge, the distribution system needs to be modernised for higher efficiency, flexibility and resilience.

Towards flexible and robust systems

Solving the challenge requires cooperation. Centre for Intelligent Energy Distribution, CINELDI, has taken the initiative to drive cooperation between system operators, technology providers and research institutes in well-structured projects in which the stakeholders share visions and create workable scenarios which are tested in real-life environments. The target is to enable a cost-efficient realisation of the future flexible and robust electricity distribution grid through smart-grid innovations.

CINELDI is One of the Centres for Environmental-Friendly Energy Research in Norway, and one of the largest research centres related to smart grids. Funded by the Research Council of Norway and 29 partners, CINELDI drives six different research work packages, each focusing on a specific aspect of smart and sustainable distribution of energy. The eight-year programme will last until 2024.

Although working in Norway, CINELDI has the ambition to extend the impact of its programs internationally by involving partners from other countries and by having an international Scientific committee.

Real needs and challenges drive innovations

Gerd Kjølle, centre director in CINELDI received in May the Norwegian Academy of Technological Sciences honorary award for her ground-breaking contributions to a more reliable electricity distribution grid and security of electricity supply.

Gerd Kjølle, centre director in CINELDI, wants to see innovations emerging. She highlights the importance of cooperation between technology providers, system operators and researchers.

– It’s important to have the real needs and challenges as well as the possibilities as inputs for the research. So it becomes relevant. Research should lead to innovations, but researchers cannot deliver innovations – the industry has to innovate.

– Furthermore, cooperation facilitates competence building both for the industry partners and for the researchers. And it provides opportunities for networking which is fruitful for new projects and ideas.

AMM data, a new asset for smarter systems

With smart meters recently deployed in the whole Norway, utilisation of AMM data in digitalising and modernising the energy system is an actual topic. As an example of a concrete use case to be investigated in this area Gerd Kjølle mentions a scenario of being able to do more precise grid investments in the future, utilising schematics created with today’s more frequent and more precise measurement data.

She is pleased to have Aidon as partner and contributor of technology provider’s perspectives in this specific area. She’s looking forward to utilising smart meters in new use cases in pilot projects which make an important part of the work packages. Provided mostly by the grid companies, pilots provide platforms for testing and verifying technologies and solutions as well as for involving users. Currently there are around 20 different pilots ongoing.

On top of this, the National Smart Grid Laboratory is an important asset in CINELDI in providing test facilities for researchers, students and industry partners. The Smart Grid lab has even a small-scale AMM system provided by Aidon available for diverse test scenarios, for example.

 

Read more about CINELDI: https://www.sintef.no/cineldi