Siemens Energy, Inc. has been selected by Hawaiian Electric Co. to provide a smart grid solution to integrate automation of the distribution grid and thus improve reliability and operational efficiency as part of the utility's $5.3 million share of federal smart grid stimulus funds. The "East Oahu Transmission Project - Phase 2" will automate high-load distribution circuits feeding sections of eastern Oahu. It offers an innovative system design and operations approach, minimizing construction impacts to the community and reducing potential outage times from hours to minutes.
The scope of the project includes establishing an intelligent 46 kV substation feeder infrastructure integrated with the existing control center solutions, including feeder automation, installing intelligent substation controllers, automated switches and reclosers to quickly isolate and restore power (self-healing grids); advanced control center grid visualization, intelligent information analysis/filtering and tools for "predictive analysis" of operations problems; extension of cost-effective standard/open communication for the 46 kV sub-transmission system; and development of a standard repeatable installation process. Hawaiian Electric already uses Siemens Spectrum Power(TM) TG energy management system.
"With Siemens' help, Hawaiian Electric has developed a Smart Grid automation methodology that will be applied to eight substations in a critical urban load center in Honolulu," said Harold Kageura, vice president of energy delivery at Hawaiian Electric. "The grant will help fund a $15.4 million project to help us continue to enhance our grid and provide reliable power to Oahu residents," he continued.
"The approach is focused on reliability improvement while maximizing asset life, increasing asset utilization and overall value," said David Pacyna, senior vice president and general manager of Siemens Energy, Inc.'s Transmission and Distribution Divisions. "It moves Hawaiian Electric's distribution grid design from an 'adding more capacity for reliability' paradigm to one of 'leveraging existing capacity through monitoring, control and automation for improved reliability.'"
Siemens' approach also reduces environmental permitting and construction processes, thereby minimizing disruption to the local community. It establishes the solution base to effectively integrate Hawaiian Electric's operations and maintenance organizations and processes by adding predictive, condition and event-driven maintenance programs.
