Читать книгу Smart Grid Telecommunications - Ramon Ferrús - Страница 24

Customers' concurrent energy consumption patterns drive the needs of the electric power system. Thus, the Consumption Points are extremely relevant from a technical perspective. Traditionally, electric grids have been oversized due to the difficulties to measure, understand, and modify these consumption patterns. However, behind a Consumption Point, customers can be found, and as stakeholders of the system, their contribution to it needs to be considered.

Customers need to receive a reliable and agreed‐quality electricity service, as they connect their loads to the grid and must be guaranteed that the supply will be available. These load functioning may demand a service with different requirements depending on the nature of the customer (residential, commercial, or industrial).

Customers must be charged for their use of the system, and utilities have developed technology and processes to determine the consumption of electricity at the grid edge, where Consumption Points are located. These metering systems (see Chapter 5) have been based on meters installed on the border between the grid and each customer. These meters have traditionally been the only visible connection of customers with the utility.

Figure 1.4 Low voltage common topologies.

However, the role of the customer in electric power systems is changing, and it needs to gain visibility within the utility. In a similar manner, the electric power system must be visible for customers to the extent that his active participation in the system is required (see Chapter 5).