Feb 8, 2016
Open Systems International, Inc. (OSI) has released its Solarium™ solution suite, the first comprehensive PV Solar simulation, modeling and forecasting tool which can be used as a standalone system or as added functionality to an ADMS or an EMS platform.
With the rapid and unpredictable penetration of rooftop PV Solar installations, especially in sun-belt regions, utilities have a daunting task of managing their distribution grids and planning for uncertainties. Due to the lack of widespread grid-edge telemetry, the unknown nature of these generation resources has dramatic effects on the voltage and Var profile of the distribution and sometimes the transmission grid. The problem is bound to get worse with the much larger penetration of roof-top solar generation.
The Solarium suite includes a robust algorithm for modeling solar arrays and uses a prediction engine to predict, with excellent results, the solar generation for up to 168 hours in advance. A highly tunable model for aggregated arrays are used to flexibly model and take into account weather parameters, various efficiencies, time of day, weather forecasts as well as other physical characteristics of the arrays. When performing simulation studies, operators would be able to include weather related conditions as input to their switching studies to ensure the effect and impact of the solar generation is taken into account. The suite includes full three phase power flow modeling as well as a Volt/Var control function which can model and use Advanced/Smart Inverters for voltage and power factor control in addition to the traditional capacitors and regulators.
"Utilities' number one question to us always is: tell me what my solar generation is doing to my grid! We have no telemetry and we see huge swings on our voltage profiles and feeder flows," said Brian Rasefske, OSI's VP of Engineering & Development. "With our Solarium solution, this question can be substantially answered and a more predictable model of the solar generation can be used for operations and planning."
OSI (www.osii.com) provides open, state-of-the-art and high-performance automation solutions to utilities worldwide. These solutions include Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, Network Management Systems (NMS), Energy Management Systems (EMS), Advanced Distribution Management Systems (ADMS) and Generation Management Systems (GMS); as well as individual software and hardware products and Smart Grid Solutions for utility operations worldwide. OSI is head quartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
For additional information regarding this news release, please contact news@osii.com.
