A framework to assess the impacts of digital electrical substations

Abstract

In the context of the digital transformation of the electricity sector, the most recent technologies in power substations has promised benefits related to improved engineering, operations, and maintenance, transforming them into “smart” substations. However, methods and tools to analyse the impacts and estimate the benefits of electrical substation digitalisation to support investment decision-making have rarely been reported. We propose a comprehensive framework for assessing the impacts of the digitalisation of electrical power substations. Literature review, interviews with stakeholders and an expert survey were carried out to better understand those impacts and support the definition of the conceptual model. The framework identifies six key technological drivers and a total of 12 impacts, establishes the relationships between them, and defines key performance indicators for quantifying the impacts. The proposed framework was applied in a case study of the digital retrofit of a distribution substation on the scope of a research and development project on intelligent substations. The application demonstrates the framework's usefulness as a tool to systematically assess digital substations and highlights how digitalisation can benefit engineering and construction, and operations and maintenance activities. The proposed framework can also be applied to other contexts, thus contributing to an increasingly digital and connected electricity sector.