Utilities with a vision to modernize their ADMS must prioritize the efficiency of their distribution networks, particularly during periods of peak demand. Reducing peak demand and conserving energy helps utilities avoid expensive infrastructure costs, such as building new substations to meet demand and reduce system losses. It also enables utilities to conserve energy, reduce the risk of unplanned power outages, participate in incentive programs from their upstream provider, avoid peak demand fines, and reduce their overall cost of energy.

Volt/VAR solutions can help utilities improve energy efficiency throughout the distribution network. Localized Volt/VAR solutions are not the answer, as they address a narrow range of conditions without assessing the network as a single, integrated system and therefore fail to deliver all potential energy conservation benefits.

Utilities need a centralized solution that optimizes their network’s energy efficiency through automated management of voltage levels and reactive power.

SurvalentONE Volt/VAR optimization (VVO) is a centralized solution for optimizing energy efficiency in the network grid. This advanced software optimizes energy efficiency based on one of three objectives: maximize system efficiency (loss minimization), voltage reduction, and energy conservation. Utilities can choose any one of these objectives as their optimization method.

VVO manages reactive power and voltage while ensuring that power factors, feeder loads, and voltages adhere to user-defined limits.

VVO can be run in automatic mode, which automatically issues controls to optimize the objective function via standard communication protocols, or in semi-automatic mode, which creates switch orders with the recommended action for the operator to review and approve before execution.