Study entitled “American Manufacturing and Systems Integration Capabilities for Power Grid Modernization” Provides Specific Guidance from Manufacturers and Systems Integration Firms concerning Readiness to Serve
September 25, 2013. Ellicott City, Maryland. Newton-Evans Research believes that American manufacturers can accommodate more rapid growth in U.S. grid modernization efforts than currently exists. Based on repeated surveys of several of the key manufacturing companies active in grid modernization product development and firms involved with grid management and control systems integration activities, there is sufficient manufacturing and integration capacity to meet expected demand levels for almost all core components of the smart grid investment grant program identified by the U.S. Department of Energy as well as additional grid modernization components studied by Newton-Evans Research Company. The latter group includes the intelligent electronic devices required for various automation projects from transmission and distribution level applications down to smart infrastructure equipment.
Regarding the nation’s ability to increase systems integration workloads and capabilities, there is sufficient integration expertise available to expand usage levels of the following: (1) dynamic transmission line rating systems; (2) synchrophasor-related monitoring systems used in the nation’s high-voltage transmission networks; (3) operational control systems deployed for power generation management, transmission and distribution network operations and outage management; (4) information technology with which to intelligently manage deployments of grid modernization components, including telecommunications and analytical tools.
Newton-Evans’ ongoing discussions and formal studies with suppliers, appropriate consultants and utilities have enabled the research firm to develop an independent update and prepare a fresh outlook for each of the DOE-identified smart grid components and a number of additional grid modernization components studied on a repetitive basis by Newton-Evans. Nationwide grid modernization efforts could be largely completed by 2040, including widespread deployment of a variety of scalable energy storage devices sited along the electric power delivery network and at customer premises, according to these observations and insights.
The core technologies identified as smart grid investment grant (SGIG) program components by DOE and discussed anew in this report are as follows: Energy storage, dynamic line rating (DLR), operational control and monitoring systems including SCADA and energy management, distribution management system, Advanced Distribution Automation (ADA) and outage management systems, synchrophasors, advanced metering infrastructure, smart meters, home-area networks and smart electricity loads
In addition, Newton-Evans has included observations from its own related studies of other essential components of grid modernization. These additional grid modernization components include substation modernization programs, protection and control activities, cyber security developments, time synchronization and a variety of grid infrastructure equipment.
Newton-Evans also conducted its fifth tracking study of capital investment in grid modernization during the summer of 2013. This new report includes key excerpts from findings reported in the company’s report Global CAPEX and O&M Expenditure Outlook for Electric Power T&D Investments: 2013-2014.
The 41 page report is priced at $975.00 and is available on our reports page.
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