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10.7 million smart meters installed in Spain.
Around 90,000 secondary substations adapted throughout Spain.
100% of its meter facilities modernised with a total capacity under contract of 15 kW or less.
- Location: Spain
- Custormer: Iberdrola Distribución Eléctrica
- Solutions: ZIV Smart meters, DCUS, MV RTUs, Sensors, Communication devices
- Keywords: TCA, RMU Automation, Smart RMU, Centralized MV line automation, FLISR, cybersecurity
Iberdrola’s STAR project is a huge smart grid project consisting on the massive deployment of smart equipment in different locations of medium and low voltage grids. This involves millions of smart meters installed at low voltage end users, dozens of thousands of secondary substations equipped with AMI concentrators, RTUs, and communications integrated in RMUs.
Smart grid deployment
In 2009 Spain became one of the leading countries in the transformation of the electricity grid into a SmartGrid by mandating the replacement of 100% of the residential and industrial meters with contracted power less than 15kW (type 5 meters) before the end of 2018.
Making an opportunity out if the obligation, Iberdrola and its suppliers decided to extend the scope of the project to automate the MV distribution network.Consumers, regulators and distribution system operators (DSO) demand flexible, secure, efficient and sustainable networks. Automation of the grid contributes to manage an increasingly active network and the future integration of new users, e.g. electric vehicles
The STAR Project (Network Remote Management and Automation System) is an ambitious initiative of the Iberdrola group aimed at transforming technology in the field of smart grids.
The company has transformed the traditional analogue grid, digitised it, automated it and created a grid for the new era that has transformed our company, our network and our culture. Today, as well as being pioneers in the roll-out of smart grids and world leaders in excellence and technological innovation, we are a global benchmark in this field.
Without a doubt, this project has improved grid operations and the supply quality offered to our customers with different levels of digitisation deployed in our transformer substations and in spontaneous events sent by our smart meters.
Close collaboration Iberdrola – ZIV
ZIV and IBERDROLA have partnered for the development of the TCA working closely from the specifications to the deployment of the devices in the field. The result is an advanced network monitoring and automation system, which is being extensively used.
ZIV`s TCA device was designed to help in the standardization of the distribution automation solutions. TCA as a component of the RMU automation cabinet was qualified and ZIV entered in the vendor list among other suppliers of the framework contract for this solution. The contract was subsequently extended in 2016 and 2019. ZIV has delivered more than 3,000 units of the TCA to IBERDROLA for RMU supervision and automation.The IED’s main functionality is its RTU with integrated directional fault passage detectors to monitor and manage two and three feeder RMUs (2LxP and 3LxP arrangements). The RTU is connected to the SCADA using IEC60870-5-104 communications protocol.A remarkable feature is the possibility to remotely manage the installed base of RTUs without the need off proprietary tools. The systems are interoperable among competitors. For manual management a web server and a command line interface (CLI) are provided. Automated management uses machine-to-machine (M2M) communications based on web services (WS).between the RTUs and the head end system (HES).All communications are cybersecure by means of standard security methods:
– User authentication: local and LDAP
– Encryption: TLS, SSL (https, ftps, SSH)
– Data integrity: certificate exchangeAn automatic fault location, isolation and service restoration running on the SCADA provides centralized MV line automated management, resulting in shorter outage times and more efficient network operation.The RTU is supplied within a cabinet together with the power supply, batteries and communication devices, assembled on the RMU (Siemens 8DJH), fully tested and configured in ZIV’s factory.
Ignacio Galán, chairman of the Iberdrola group
STAR project has meant that quality of supply is three times higher than in 2001
Distribution Network Digitalization
This digitisation process has meant an investment of €2 billion. Thanks to the STAR Project, Iberdrola is one of the most advanced companies in the world in smart grid deployment
Smart Grid is a technological evolution of the energy distribution system that combines traditional facilities with modern monitoring technologies, and information and telecommunications systems. It will offer a wider range of customers services, improve supply quality, respond to the demand for electric power required of society in the future and achieve an optimal power distribution management.
The STAR project combines compliance with the legal obligation of remote management development with an additional, major investment for improving the service rendered and for integrating numerous innovations to the power grid.
The MV and LV supervision and operation are integrated in a single network inside the Secondary Substation. The information coming from the smart meters, LV and MV supervision is sent upwards in the network architecture up to the control center of the distribution company. The amount of the information is enormous, providing online and detailed knowledge of the whole MV and LV grids, from home users to Secondary Substations.
