Graphical User Interface of an Aggregation System to control a Multitude of Distributed Generation during Power System Restoration

A part of a distribution management system (DMS) is presented on a conceptual level, focusing on the graphical user interface (GUI) to operate an aggregation system in an active distribution network. Power plant functionalities with numerous of small distributed generation (DG) shall be provided to the network operator in order to assist during system restoration. Two main challenges arise. On the one hand, large amounts of available information from DG must be condensed to be handleable by a human operator. On the other hand, an interface should be designed to provide effective control to the combined capabilities of DG. Literature review, as well as expert workshops involving the personnel of network operator's control center, identified several key features for the planning and execution of build-together and top-down restoration approaches, exploiting the potential of task-specific forecasts in an improved manner by e.g. enabling an easy aggregation and visualization of these. Especially the identification of geograhical areas with reliable and flexible residual loads are of interest to a distribution system operator (DSO) as well as the actual control over DG to influence the residual load and to provide frequency maintaining ancillary services. The proposed GUI is specifically designed to be a crucial part of a future DMS used by DSOs in the case of critical grid situations or power system restoration with high shares of DG.