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Traditional grids face several challenges in the current landscape.
Aging infrastructure, increasing demand, and the integration of renewable energy sources pose significant problems.
These grids were originally designed for centralized power generation and one-way electricity flow, making it challenging to accommodate distributed generation and bidirectional energy flow.
Limited visibility and control over grid operations, inefficient utilization of resources, and difficulties in grid planning and expansion further hinder their effectiveness.
As a result, power distribution network operators struggle to optimize their networks, incorporate renewable energy sources efficiently, and ensure stable voltage quality.
These challenges call for innovative solutions and digitalization to modernize traditional grids and make them more flexible, resilient, and sustainable.
Roseau Technologies is a pioneering company that aims to mitigate climate change and modernize the power distribution industry.
They offer simplified and accessible electrical modeling software to digitize grid data, optimize power distribution networks, and promote renewable energy integration.
Their comprehensive software suite includes tools like Roseau ETL for converting geographical data into electrical models and the Grid Connection Simulation app for quick feasibility assessments.
They also develop innovative solutions like Grid ExpanDER, enabling non-firm grid connections for small-scale photovoltaic generators.
Check out our interview with Roseau Technologies in this episode of Climate Tech 100.
What is the role that Roseau Technologies sees itself playing in mitigating climate change, particularly in terms of promoting renewable energy integration and optimizing the efficiency of power distribution networks?
We are working along two axes.
The first axis is to bring the benefits of digitizing grid data to distribution network operators who currently do not have full access to it, especially those that are local SMEs — not large enterprises.
Helping the smaller players
Larger grid operators, especially in industrialized countries, usually already have several types of models (or “digital twins”) of their grid: a geographical model that tells where the components of the grid are located; an electrical model for grid design & planning purposes; etc.
Our targeted customers (local utilities etc), however, have to get by with a lot less data and software tools, especially because the existing software for grid data management tends to be complex, expensive etc.
Local Grid Operators often only have a basic GIS, and no software yet for electrical modelling.
Making this type of electrical modelling software simpler and more accessible is our trademark, and we think it brings a lot of value.
Indeed, many Grid Operators do not have easy access today to the tools they need to design and size their network in a methodical and optimized way.
The concrete drawbacks are that some parts of the network may be oversized, which translates into unnecessary costs and consumption of raw materials such as copper, while other parts of the network may be undersized, which translates into technical problems such as poor voltage quality.
These problems have a direct effect on grid users, and particularly on renewable energy producers.
Oversized grid
For instance, in the first situation (oversized grid), a renewable energy project may be prevented from connecting to the grid as a precautionary measure for fear of congestion, when a more detailed analysis would have shown that the grid is actually indeed able to absorb the additional energy.
Undersized grid
In the second situation (undersized grid), voltage quality issues may cause a renewable energy generator to frequently disconnect from the grid — incurring a loss of clean energy, and a loss of gain for the producer.
The second axis is to develop a software solution (Grid ExpanDER) for the implementation of “non-firm grid connections” in low-voltage grids, through the AMI (“advanced metering infrastructure”).
The idea is to leverage smart meters, which in many countries are already there and paid for, for an application that has nothing to do with billing: reducing the cost and delays for the grid connection of small-scale photovoltaic generators (and potentially other devices such as EV charging stations, etc).
The rationale of non-firm connections is to connect a PV generator to the grid without reinforcing it, in a situation where this should normally be done; and then to monitor the grid and send a curtailment signal to the generator when the grid is close to being congested.
In effect, the producer will get a faster and cheaper grid connection, in exchange for a limited loss-of-gain due to occasional curtailments.
This principle is not new, and even relatively well-known; yet it is currently not widely adopted by Distribution Grid Operators, especially at the low-voltage level.
We are trying to solve this issue by offering Distribution Grid Operators an off-the-shelf solution that will make it easier for them to offer non-firm connections to their customers.
Can you provide an overview of Roseau Technologies’ software suite for the digitalization of the power distribution industry and how it supports the modernization of grid management?
Regarding the first axis (grid data management, modelling and simulation), we have a vision for a comprehensive software suite that we are still in the process of implementing: some software components are already very mature, others are functional but incomplete, while some are still in the making.
One of our mature products is Roseau ETL, whose job is to convert legacy geographical data into a simulation-ready electrical model.
Roseau ETL
Roseau ETL can be used either to import data into our own simulation software, or to import it into third-party grid engineering software in various formats.
Another mature product in our suite is our Grid Connection Simulation app, which makes it possible for a grid user to quickly assess the feasibility of a grid connection project directly in a simple and user-friendly web interface.
In particular, a specific version of this application is commercialized in France under the name “Grid Capacity” and it is based on a country-wide network model that we built entirely from open source data.
This approach is quite unique, as far as we know.
Roseau Load Flow
One last example of a mature product is our Roseau Load Flow software, a grid simulation library that is accessible directly through a Python API (not through a graphical interface).
Roseau Load Flow is a specific tool for users who need full control of the solver, typically for R&D engineers and researchers.
We are currently developing more components, and the pieces of the puzzle should all come together within 12 to 18 months to form a complete and consistent software suite. Stay tuned!
Grid ExpanDER
Regarding the second axis, non-firm connections to the low-voltage grid for small-scale PV generators: our central product Grid ExpanDER is a software component that plugs into the “data concentrator”, a telecommunication gateway that manages a PLC (power line carrier) network of several smart meters.
The role of this software component is to collect data from different smart meters, estimate the state of the network and the risk of congestion, and send curtailment setpoints to PV generators.
If you think of the grid as a network of roads, it would be the equivalent of an automated system that monitors traffic, and sends text messages to some people to tell them to stay home and cancel their trip because a traffic jam is currently forming on the highway that they are planning to use.
Road congestions are inconvenient, power grid congestions are unacceptable
An important difference between a power grid and a road network, however, is that traffic jams are only an inconvenience that we live with; while it is generally considered that a power grid congestion is almost unacceptable and that the utmost should be done to prevent it.
The curtailment system thus has to be very reliable.
Could you share some examples of technical projects in power distribution that Roseau Technologies has successfully supported, highlighting your expertise in power distribution and electrical engineering?
We have several types of customers that have different needs and run different types of projects (in numbers: 50+ customers, 500+ users of our software, and we have modelled several millions of km of network).
We are of course working for Distribution Grid Operators, but also for Local Authorities / Regulators, as well as for grid users such as Renewable Energy Project developers.
Here is an example of a project in the area of grid modelling and simulation (first axis) that we have done for several local Distribution Grid Operators in Switzerland.
As in many other countries, Swiss legislation mandates a certain level of renewable energy generation, and the Grid Operators wanted to assess how much and how quickly they would need to upgrade their grid to meet the policy targets.
To answer this question, the grid operator hired a consulting firm to assess and locate all the potential renewable generation sites in its territory, and then used our software to identify the areas of the grid that might need reinforcement.
Grid Capacity
Another example is our “Grid Capacity” web application, a project that we developed to answer the needs of renewable energy project developers.
The app makes it possible to quickly assess whether the grid connection of a large PV project, for instance, will be economically feasible.
This is done 100% based on open data, independently of the various Grid Operators that serve the territory.
Grid Capacity is currently available only in France, where the publicly available grid data that we need is relatively rich compared with other countries.
Regarding the second axis, we have developed a unique experimental setup to develop and validate our Grid ExpanDER software.
The setup consists of a laboratory platform that represents a residential area with 12 homes.
Each “home” has its own load, PV generation and smart meter; power lines are represented as well; etc.
This setup is a great project in itself, that made it possible to demonstrate our Grid ExpanDER technology in a controlled and risk-free environment.
Now, in partnership with a French DSO, we are moving one step forward with the first fields trials that will be carried out in 2023!
How does Roseau Technologies handle the challenge of turning network data into usable electrical models, considering potential data quality and formatting issues? Can you provide insights into your experience in modelling power lines?
This is what the above-mentioned “Roseau ETL” software does, and this is one of the things we are now really, really experienced with.
Converting GIS (geographical) data into an electrical model is not a mere cosmetic change: it requires to infer a lot of new information that is usually not represented in the GIS data.
This inference step is usually made a lot more difficult by the fact that the GIS data suffers from various quality problems.
To make things worse, each case is different: different Grid Operators will store slightly different data, they will structure it differently, they will use a different data format, and the data quality problems will not be exactly the same.
The solution we have come up with is to develop a tool set, Roseau ETL, that is as generic as possible, and that we tune and refine every time we face a new dataset.
With the proper software tools that we have developed, and with all the experience that we have accumulated by doing this work for different Grid Operators, we are now processing GIS data into electrical models very efficiently.
With a focus on software engineering, how does Roseau Technologies ensure modularity and integration capabilities of its software components into other applications? Could you provide examples of how these components can be utilized?
This is a good question, and a very important point that is giving a lot of people headaches in the industry.
The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) in the US, in particular, has been conducting research on this topic for many years under a program called “GMDM” for “Grid Model Data Management”.
They identified many improvement opportunities and their reports are a must-read on the topic.
Generally speaking, there is still a long way to go before the various software applications that are used by utility companies are fully integrated and interoperable.
In the specific case of our own software, things are made a little bit easier by the fact that we are often working with local Grid Operators, whose IT ecosystem is a lot simpler than that of large utility companies: as a consequence, the needs for interoperability are reduced.
Mainly, the issues are (A) to be able to import data from a GIS, a topic that was addressed above, and that motivated the development of Roseau ETL ; (B) to be able to export data from our software in a standard format, which is why we strive to support the CIM format in particular ; and (C) to offer a well-designed API that makes it possible for our customers or third parties to write add-ons to our software, typically for integration or for automation purposes.
At this point, our GIS import features through Roseau ETL is (as stated above) very mature, while the CIM export and the API are still evolving regularly.
Can you elaborate on the energy analytics and data science capabilities of Roseau Technologies’ team? How do you apply mathematical methods and analytics to power-grid-related projects, and what advantages does your software toolbox offer in modeling, simulation, and optimization applications?
Many of our team members indeed have a background in maths, and we do tend to include relatively “advanced” mathematical methods here and there in our software wherever this is relevant.
Here is an example. A pivotal feature in power grid engineering is the “load flow calculation”, which makes it possible to predict where a network might be congested; any power grid analysis software provides some way to solve this problem.
However, the load flow calculation only tells you what the problems are, not how to solve them.
To this end, we added a decision-support feature in our software that helps grid planners quickly find an optimized solution to get rid of the identified bottlenecks.
Another example is our Roseau Load Flow solver, which arguably uses more advanced mathematical methods than competing solvers.
This translates into a very generic software product that can model very diverse types of grids (radial or meshed, three-phase or single-phase or split-phase, etc), special components such as “flexible” generators and loads, etc.
I think that it also translates into a clean and transparent API and documentation.
In contrast, other load flow solvers resort to various approximations to make the problem simpler to solve, in order to avoid having to resort to advanced mathematical resolution methods.
I think that this type of approximation tends to make such solvers a bit obscure, and less accurate.
As the electricity distribution sector continues to evolve in the context of the energy transition and increasing digitalization, what are Roseau Technologies’ future plans to further innovate and adapt its software solutions to meet the changing needs of the power distribution industry?
Our next step is clearly to finish the implementation of our vision of a comprehensive software suite for local Grid Operators, for which we think the need is already there and the market is ready.
This should be enough to keep us busy for another few years!
We also need to keep pushing for the implementation of non-firm grid connections: at this point, we have developed and tested a technology, but there is still a long road before it is industrialized and widely used in practice.
And then… We have so many other ideas! But we have to take one step after another and first finish what we have already started.
Learn more about Roseau Technologies here.
