{"678177":{"#nid":"678177","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Southern Company and Smart Wires Team Up with Georgia Tech to Revolutionize Georgia\u2019s Power Grid","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESouthern Company, Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), Smart Wires, and other partners have announced that they are collaborating on a new U.S. Department of Energy-funded project. Scheduled for 2025, the project will jointly implement advanced power flow control (APFC) and dynamic line rating (DLR) technologies to support the connection of renewable energy sources and new demand more quickly.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis project, led by the Georgia Tech Center for Distributed Energy with professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/deepakraj-m-divan\u0022\u003EDeepak Divan\u003C\/a\u003E as Principal Investigator, was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy in November 2021 as one of four projects to receive funding for grid enhancing technologies (GETs) that improve grid reliability, optimize existing grid infrastructure, and support the connection of renewable energy. It will use Smart Wires\u2019 APFC solution\u2014 SmartValve\u2122\u2014in a mobile deployment combined with its DLR software\u2014SUMO\u2014and also develop control algorithms that improve and fine-tune how these solutions can work in synergy to optimize use of the grid.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe launch of this innovative project represents an important step toward more efficient and reliable integration of cleaner energy sources,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/timothy-charles-lieuwen\u0022\u003ETim Lieuwen\u003C\/a\u003E, interim executive vice president for Research at Georgia Institute of Technology. \u201cThis collaboration allows us to identify, develop and test new ways to manage the power grid in Georgia by co-deploying APFC and DLR technologies.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the effectiveness of these solutions is well documented in multiple third-party reports, such as RMI\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/rmi.org\/insight\/analyzing-gets-as-a-tool-for-increasing-interconnection-throughput-from-pjms-queue\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGETting Interconnected in PJM\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, this project will be the first large-scale implementation of both technologies together. It will specifically examine their combined impact and result in the development of design control algorithms to unlock the combined power of these solutions and maximize their efficiency.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESUMO identifies when lines have spare capacity based on real-time weather conditions, while SmartValves can redirect power flows to quickly utilize this spare capacity. This also applies in reverse, with SUMO identifying when the dynamic ratings of lines are less than the static rating. If it\u2019s a hot day, for example, SmartValves can redirect power flows away from these circuits to others with capacity, reducing the risk of system faults while improving operational safety.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe mobile deployment of SmartValves can be installed and in-service within one week. This provides a rapidly deployable solution that avoids extended outages and can be easily moved between sites as system needs evolve over time.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re delighted to provide both SmartValves and SUMO in this project to move the dial in terms of deploying multiple GETs in synergy and optimizing their use,\u201d said Joaquin Peirano, General Manager for the Americas at Smart Wires. \u201cThe commitment of utilities like Southern Company to get the most from their existing grid with GETs, combined with the positive regulatory developments such as FERC\u2019s recent Order 1920, positions the U.S. to capture the full value these technologies can provide on transmission grids.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe project will be delivered in 2025 and will involve a one-year performance period to provide Southern Company with operational experience that can be shared with other utilities and pave the way for greater use of GETs in the U.S.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology is a leading research university, committed to improving the human condition through advanced science and technology. Georgia Tech\u2019s engineering and computing colleges are the largest and among the highest-ranked in the nation. The Institute also offers outstanding programs in business, design, liberal arts, and sciences.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith $1.37 billion annually in research, development, and sponsored activities across all six colleges and the Georgia Tech Research Institute, Georgia Tech is an engine of economic development for the state of Georgia, the Southeast, and the nation. Georgia Tech routinely ranks among the top U.S. universities in volume of research conducted; In 2023, the Institute ranked 17th among U.S. academic institutions in research and development expenditures, according to the National Science Foundation\u2019s Higher Education Research and Development Survey.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Smart Wires\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESmart Wires is the world\u2019s leading grid enhancing technology and services provider. We help electric utilities unlock capacity and solve their critical grid issues, using our solutions to create a more flexible, reliable and affordable grid. This enables a faster, more cost-efficient path to meet growing electricity demand with clean energy generation, at lowest cost to consumers. Headquartered in the Research Triangle of North Carolina, Smart Wires has a global workforce of passionate and visionary industry-leading experts across four continents, who work every day to transform grids globally. In collaboration with our customers and partners, we\u2019ve unlocked over 3.5 Gigawatts capacity\u2014enough to power over 2.5 million homes\u2014supporting the faster integration of clean energy and new demand, enhancing security of supply and delivering cost savings to consumers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETogether, we are reimagining the grid for net zero.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESouthern Company, Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), Smart Wires, and other partners have announced that they are collaborating on a new U.S. Department of Energy-funded project. Scheduled for 2025, the project will jointly implement advanced power flow control (APFC) and dynamic line rating (DLR) technologies to support the connection of renewable energy sources and new demand more quickly.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Southern Company, Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), Smart Wires, and other partners have announced that they are collaborating on a new U.S. Department of Energy-funded project."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2024-11-05 14:37:08","changed_gmt":"2024-11-05 14:39:59","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-10-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-10-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPriya Devarajan | SEI Communications Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}