The SOGNO project achieved its ambitious goal of combining hardware, software solutions and research activities on different areas, such as advanced deep learning, 5G communication, and cloud virtualization, to build and validate a new philosophy of electrical grid management based on the concept of automation as a service. Figure 1 The SOGNO Concept and Approach.
The energy systems of 2025 will be based on increasing levels of RES penetration and DSO’s need new insight into how their networks are performing to optimise their operations. At the same time new 5G mobile networks offer low latency, high availability services enabling data driven control of power networks. The evolution of the energy sector is increasingly focused on energy as a service. What DSOs need now is to accelerate their ability to introduce innovations using services to increase their flexibility to adapt and reduce their need for capital expenditure.
SOGNO addressed this challenge by combining the application of deep intelligence techniques, industry grade data analysis and visualisation tools, advanced sensors, an advanced power measurement unit and 5G based ICT to provide fine grained visibility and control of both MV and LV power networks using end to end automation in a virtualised environment. Our results are provided as turnkey services, validated in DSO field trials (to TRL level 6) which have been prepared for market introduction. An Open API enables third parties to market their services in our eco-system creating further market growth.
Regulatory and standards changes needed to enable the deployment of advanced techniques have been prepared by the project. Ethical business models will support the market introduction of turnkey services. Commercialisation of the project results, as energy services, will result in disruptive change in the DSO energy market enabling breakthroughs in the speed and cost effectiveness of DSO large scale roll out of automation and growth in the energy services market in Europe and beyond. The SOGNO vision will unlock a new service-oriented market making Europe’s energy sector the most advanced and open in the world.
Figure 2 The SOGNO Scope.
The SOGNO approach to addressing the RES challenge
• The development of a set of innovative monitoring and optimisation scenarios based on new business models including offering monitoring and optimisation tools packaged as turn-key services for utilities,
• The development of new innovative data-driven monitoring and optimising techniques for power networks based on a fully data-driven approach.
• The implementation of the techniques as a powerful set of services as well as a product, providing utilities will fast to roll-out services requiring a low level of up-front investment
• The define optimisations of 5G based ICT, including radio network optimisations and the use of Edge Infrastructure, to support the near real-time operation of the SOGNO services,
• The validation of the services and algorithms through field trials up to TRL level 6,
• The development of proposals for changes to regulations and standards required to implement advanced algorithms in coming years, and
• The preparation of the commercialisation of project results as services to be introduced to the market shortly after the end of the project.
