KCP&L Selects Siemens for Smart Grid Demonstration Project
Stimulus funds will help deploy a fully integrated Smart Grid in a designated Green Impact Zone and surrounding areas
ORLANDO, Fla., Nov. 24 - Siemens Energy, Inc. has been selected by KCP&L, Kansas City, Missouri, to provide a Smart Grid demonstration project showing how the latest technologies will enable the advanced utility of the future. Partial funding for the project is from the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act's Smart Grid Investment Grant Demonstration Project program. Siemens' scope of the project includes Siemens Spectrum Power(TM) distribution management system to coordinate the Midtown substation, Siemens Smart Substation(TM) Controller and control of all intelligent distribution field equipment.
KCP&L's Smart Grid demonstration project consists of four major components: distribution network automation, distribution network management, distributed energy resource and demand response management and advanced metering infrastructure and meter data management. The combination of functions will provide the basis with which to enable and manage the KCP&L Green Impact Zone in this project. The systems will be fully integrated with existing systems at KCP&L, functioning as an integral part of the KCP&L enterprise. As a whole, the program will verify a full range of standard modeling and information exchange protocols necessary to implement a functional, cost-effective and secure intelligent grid. The project will define, validate and verify the necessary parameters and potential solution adjustments for KCP&L to plan and implement a system-wide rollout of the successful technologies and processes.
"Siemens' technology will help KCP&L enhance service for the entire Kansas City Midtown area through improved reliability, reduced energy delivery costs, more efficient energy consumption, improved carbon footprint and enhanced information flow," said Ed Matthews, director, Smart Grid, KCP&L. "KCP&L believes this project will serve as a blueprint for future Smart Grid implementation and will accelerate a realization that the 'utility of the future' safely delivers reliable electricity with greater efficiency, reduced costs and improved environmental performance."
KCP&L will invest approximately $48.1 million and deliver meaningful benefits to the 14,000 customers in the Green Impact Zone area.
The Spectrum Power distribution management system (DMS) and Smart Substation(TM) Controllers provide the operational backbone of the system supporting significant levels of automation on the feeders, complex and automated feeder reconfiguration decisions and tightly integrated supervision with the control centers.
The DMS serves as the primary point of integration for the facilities, consumer, electrical system, load, distributed energy resource and real-time substation and feeder information. It includes outage management, distribution supervisory control and data acquisition, distribution network analysis and integration with KCP&L's existing mobile workforce management system, geographic information system and other supporting systems.
The Smart Substation(TM) controller establishes an intelligent substation information technology infrastructure with the ability to make feeder and substation reconfiguration decisions, control field equipment, verify operations, track local grid capacity and coordinate with the control center. This "proactive" management of the distribution grid is a necessary step in preparing for the integration of significant levels of renewable and variable energy resources, controllable demand and demand response. With the addition of distributed energy resources, the DMS and Smart Substation(TM) become essential to managing Volt/VAr conditions, adaptively modifying protection equipment settings and managing crew safety.
"Siemens is pleased to take a leadership role in the development and implementation of KCP&L's Smart Grid demonstration project," said Mike Edmonds, vice president and general manager of Siemens Energy, Inc.'s Power Distribution Energy Automation business. "The approach is focused on increasing automation to improve grid reliability and increase controllability, while setting the stage for the integration of alternative energy sources and enhancing the opportunities for demand response."
Because Siemens understands the complete energy conversion chain, the company is able to transform today's grid into a living infrastructure that is smart enough to respond quickly, flexibly and comprehensively to society's energy needs. And Siemens also incorporates solutions for commercial and industrial applications as well as smart homes including building automation, IT systems integration, advanced lighting technology and energy efficient appliances for a comprehensive Smart Grid solution.
The Siemens Energy Sector is the world's leading supplier of a complete spectrum of products, services and solutions for the generation, transmission and distribution of power and for the extraction, conversion and transport of oil and gas. In fiscal 2008 (ended September 30), the Energy Sector had revenues of approximately EUR22.6 billion and received new orders totaling approximately EUR33.4 billion and posted a profit of EUR1.4 billion. On September 30, 2008, the Energy Sector had a work force of approximately 83,500. Further information is available at: http://www.siemens.com/energy.
About Kansas City Power & Light
Operating from headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri, KCP&L has evolved into a full-service energy provider and resource. The company was founded in 1882 and has become one of the Midwest's most affordable energy suppliers because of our leadership in fuel procurement, plant technology and efficient power production and distribution. KCP&L services more than 800,000 customers in 47 northwestern Missouri and eastern Kansas counties -- a service territory of approximately 18,000 square miles. Delivering that power requires 2,500 miles of transmission lines, over 26,000 miles of distribution lines and 392 substations.
Source: Siemens Energy, Inc.
CONTACT:
Monika Wood,
Siemens Energy, Inc.,
+1-407-736-4197,
monika.wood@siemens.com
Web Site: http://www.siemens.com/energy
