Co-authored with: Kyle Thomas, Elevate Energy Consulting, &Â Phil McKay, Canadian Renewable Energy Association
In this article, the authors introduce the concept of Grid Readiness Levels as a stepping stone from the more familiar Technology Readiness Levels as a way to address the complexities of integrating variable renewable energy and inverter-based resources within one of humanity's most complex machines, the electricity grid.
The electricity system across the world is undergoing a rapid transformation toward clean energy resources. Many fossil-fueled generating resources are being phased out and decommissioned at an unprecedented rate. These resources are being replaced with clean energy resources – mostly wind, solar photovoltaic (PV), battery energy storage, and hybrid power plants. Most newly connecting clean energy resources are considered inverter-based resources (IBRs) because they interface with the grid through a power electronic inverter/converter. Wind and solar PV are also variable energy resources that have some degree of uncertainty and variability that the existing system needs to manage through increased grid flexibility, balancing, and reserve capabilities.
The pace of the energy transition, driven by the need to reduce green-house gas emissions and increase resilience in the face of a changing climate, is presenting significant challenges for the electricity sector to ensure clean, affordable, reliable, and resilient energy for end-use customers. The resources being connected to the system are not inherently less reliable; however, the entire construct of how the grid is planned, designed, engineered, analyzed, monitored, and operated is being turned upside. Similarly, the pace of change regarding the generation mix, emerging technology adoption, changing grid dynamics and characteristics, projected load growth due to electrification of all sectors, etc., is occurring at a rate that has never been experienced by the electric power industry since its inception.
This transformation is happening across the bulk power system (transmission and sub-transmission) with large utility-scale plants connecting to the system as well as at the distribution system with the increasing growth of DERs. Furthermore, evolving technologies such as electric vehicle (EV), vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology and virtual power plants (VPPs) are growing in popularity and are having an impact on grid planning and operations. The rise of DERs and VPPs creating a more active distribution system, combined with a more blended transmission–distribution interface, is making the preexisting boundary between these systems increasingly harder to differentiate and plan and operate separately.
Distribution and transmission utilities, system operators, market operators, regulators, and policymakers are grappling with the rapid pace of change of the transformation and the need to ensure grid reliability, security, and resilience since electricity is the most foundational critical infrastructure in modern society. Therefore, utilities and system operators are facing these challenges head-on by increased collaboration, partnership, information sharing, and cross-sector collaboration to achieve societal decarbonization goals. One example of this is the Canadian Renewable Energy Association’s Electricity Transition Hub, which provides networking and knowledge-transfer services to all Canadian utilities and system operators who opt into the program. These efforts have produced relevant and timely guidance material for the utility industry to consume.
However, it is imperative that utilities and system operators also look within as they continue to evolve and build capabilities internally. Many of the unique challenges facing utilities and system operators across the electricity sector require cross-departmental collaboration and alignment - identifying specific projects, teams, and technologies needed as well as determining an optimized implementation plan for addressing challenges across the organization (see Figure 1).
Figure 1. Key Considerations for Addressing Energy Transition Challenges
The transition to a future grid dominated by IBRs and DERs spans all the macro-level challenges facing the utility industry; however, there are specific areas of focus that will bring practical value to utilities and system operators moving forward. The core categories of IBR- and DER-related challenges are outlined in Figure 2. They range from highly technical topics related to planning, operations, and engineering; they also span regulatory, policy, and stakeholder engagement initiatives that must be considered as well.
Figure 2. IBR and DER Integration Challenges
For utilities and grid operators to effectively address these IBR and DER integration challenges by rapidly integrating new technologies, the industry must extend beyond conventional technology readiness level (TRL) demonstrations and progression. Significant research and funding are already focused on accelerating technologies from early-stage research (TRL 1-3) to laboratory testing (TRL 4-6) to small pilot projects in a real-world environment (TRL 7) to final design specifications (TRL 8) and finally to successful testing under actual operating conditions (TRL 9). This work across academia, research institutions, national laboratories, and other R&D institutes is critical for further advancing new technologies that will help drive a clean energy transition. In many cases TRL 7 and higher projects are already addressing many of the existing challenges today.
However, the electricity sector requires notably more assurance and trust in emerging technologies, processes, and innovations that could affect the operational performance of the grid. Part of the reason behind this is the task of fully integrating these technologies into the grid at every level is a process itself that is complex, time consuming, and varied from utility to utility. In reality, there may be too much educational material available and not enough guidance on “the how” – that is, specific application guidance and support readily available to help break down obstacles for each entity’s specific needs or challenges.
Fortunately, there has been substantial research in the area of system and organizational integration in other sectors. While all these readiness level tools are useful, for the purposes of the electricity sector’s integration challenges, the authors are proposing the introduction of a new readiness level that advances beyond TRL 9 to move toward full-scale adoption and system integration into the grid. This new leveling system is the Grid Readiness Level (GRL), and the core structure of the program will be focused on taking all the new IBR technologies and challenges through the full GRL system to achieve full grid integration and scale-up. The GRL system is introduced in Figure 3 below. There are five levels for GRL and each of the various departments in electric utilities will need to go through these levels to ensure every aspect of grid integration is covered.
- GRL 1: Technology Understanding and Use Cases
- GRL 2: Incorporating Technology into Utility Systems
- GRL 3: Training and Documentation
- GRL 4: First-of-a-kind Testing
- GRL 5: Full-scale Implementation and Standardization
Figure 3. Grid Readiness Levels
The GRL process will be the forcing function to breakthrough the implementation wall that exists by incorporating and adopting new technology into the grid. Figure 4 shows the process in going beyond TRLs levels to progress through the GRL levels with the goal of achieving full-scale grid implementation of the technologies and solutions for renewable resources to achieve a decarbonized electric grid.
Figure 4. GRLs for moving from Technology Development to Systems Integration
For any technology or challenge to be fully incorporated and addressed in the grid, multiple departments and disciplines must be involved in the GRL evaluation and adoption process. The electric grid is comprised of many complex systems all working together in unison, and as such, core cross-departmental teams must be at the table for any new technology to be successfully adopted and integrated at scale through successful projects.
Depending on the technology and scope of grid interconnection (ranging from Transmission to Distribution to Generation to End User), representatives from many different organizations may be required, such as Transmission Planning, Distribution Planning, and Resource Planning for example. It is also important to note that there may be some technologies or challenges that will not require every department’s involvement. Careful and deliberate discussions must take place at the beginning of a new technology GRL integration project, allowing departments to opt out or remove themselves once an understanding and agreement is made that the technology/challenge is not applicable to that department. Below is an example of a core set of departments from within a utility that will need representation in the GRL process.
- Transmission and Distribution Planning
- Substation Engineering (Civil and Electrical)
- Transmission and Distribution Line Engineering (Civil and Electrical)
- System Protection and Control Engineering
- System Operations
- Field Installation, Operations, Maintenance, and Repair
- Electricity Markets
- Safety
There is the potential for certain specific technologies and challenges to require the addition of other departments and disciplines with partner organizations. An example of those are listed below.
- Project Managers
- Construction
- Finance
- IT/Telecommunications
- Physical and Cybersecurity
- Legal
With this concept of core cross-departmental team structures being implemented using the Grid Readiness Level system, entities will be adequately positioned to fully and efficiently address the complex technical and procedural issues that come with integrating new IBR technologies into the grid. Figure 5 shows an example illustration of the types of representatives from different departments that could be needed for a larger initiative trying to address specific challenges posed by IBRs. For example, assume that IBR and/or DER performance issues continue to occur, and a utility is trying to build a more comprehensive performance validation, event analysis, and model validation program across the company. This could require decision makers from, at a minimum, the following affected departments:
Figure 5. Roundtable Illustration of Cross-Departmental Engagement
Electric utilities and system operators across North America and around the world are dealing with a myriad of challenges regarding the clean energy transition. In most cases, it is not the “why” or the “what” or the “who” or the “where” that they struggle with; it is the “how.” In fact, many that are still challenged by the “why” may actually be expressing an inability to weigh the costs and benefits against an intangible “how.” Addressing the “how” is unique to each specific entity and the Grid Readiness Levels structure with multi-departmental participation can bring significant value to grid operators by helping orchestrate a cross-departmental immersive experience that helps break down barriers, increase information sharing, improve team collaboration, and integrate new technologies and solutions onto the grid as efficiently as possible. Having the right individuals in the room together, working to educate and information share on IBR/DER-related topics all at once is critical. Hosting roundtable conversations so all applicable departments can be involved in developing solutions that suite their needs and goals, will help drive a successful engagement from concept to execution for any new challenges and solutions that must be integrated into the grid to address the looming challenges of climate change, climate resilience, and the broader evolution of grid technologies.