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SMART GRIDS FOR AN EVOLVING WORLD

reti intelligenti - smart grid

Smart grids represent a significant advancement over traditional electrical grids. By integrating advanced digital technologies, sensors, automation systems, and communication networks, these grids enable more efficient, secure, and sustainable energy management.

The main components that make an electrical grid smart include protection relays, network analyzers, sensors and actuators (of various types), and automation and IT systems.

The key benefits of smart grids include enhanced efficiency, advanced traceability of events and faults through protection relays, remote control of devices that eliminates the need for on-site presence to perform certain operations, improved safety, and greater sustainability thanks to renewable energy integration and reduced CO2 emissions.

Furthermore, smart grids empower consumers to actively participate in both energy production and consumption.

Automation Systems for an Intelligent Grid

Automation systems are crucial as they improve data acquisition and processing, making operations more efficient and accurate. They also enable remote execution of activities that would typically require on-site intervention.

Digitalization allows upstream plants to acquire and control data in real-time, even across large distances. These systems facilitate better maintenance planning through optimized preventive maintenance strategies, reducing service interruptions. Additionally, they help optimize resource use, improve product quality, and ensure operational safety.

Another advantage of automation systems is the simplification of maneuvers involving equipment in the plant (e.g., circuit breakers, disconnectors, tap changers, and carriages).

Protection Relays

Protection relays are essential devices for ensuring the safe operation of electrical panels.

They detect faults and malfunctions, such as overcurrent or overvoltage, log them, and respond swiftly by disconnecting the affected part of the circuit to prevent potentially hazardous situations.

Protection relays also enable maneuvering logic to prevent service disruptions, such as automatic transfer switching (ATS) in case of incoming voltage loss and fault detection using current direction (SHG).

Choosing the right protection relays is critical for maintaining the safety and performance of electrical systems, tailored to the specific needs of the grid.

C.R. Technology Systems integrates these systems into its products (eHouse and String-Box), which monitor electrical measurements in real-time and detect anomalies, thereby enhancing the efficiency and reliability of energy generation and distribution systems.