Xiong’an New Area to Boast a World-Class Digital Active Distribution Network

Recently, a proposal to build a digital active distribution network in Xiong’an New Area was released. According to the proposal, State Grid will implement its strategy in Xiong’an to build a world-class digital active distribution network, a demonstration project of energy internet.

The network will digitalize the energy data from transmission, transformation, distribution, and end-users to enable information-sharing and create new value in the digital economy. It features “one goal, three advantages, and six engines”.

The network will provide 100% online services based on the intelligent IOT sensing technology and big data analytics, and customize services by closely tracking the demands for greater satisfaction of its customers. It will provide clients  with access to 24/7 quality services via mobile apps. Sun Zhangling, deputy chief engineer for State Grid Hebei Electric Power Company, said clients can change ways to use home appliances according to data analysis to save electricity bills. In case of outages, they can place an emergency repair order via apps to contact repair staff.

Moreover, clients on distributed generation like photovoltaic and wind power can also trade electricity in the markets according to demands and their capacities, consuming or selling electricity at the best possible periods for better experience and return.

The staff is monitoring the status of electric equipment via an intelligent examination system.

The network will give full play to its advantages in serving the government and large corporate clients. By integrating all information on electricity consumption, it can provide big data analysis for government departments, which further paves the way for urban planning and development as well as the comprehensive utilization of electricity, heating, air conditioning and gas. By monitoring, collecting and analyzing the consumption, it can provide data for large enterprises and institutions to make decisions, improve operation, and better allocate resources for greater productivity. Moreover, it will also facilitate the public’s access to towers, stations and cables among other grid facilities, supporting the construction of Internet of Electric Vehicles in Xiong’an.

“Auto-pilot” is another advantage of the network. The system can make precise projections of clients’ loads, generation capacity and transmission flow, and actively predict faults based on sensing technology. It can also automatically make alerts of safety limits, actively avoid risks, and achieve automatic optimization and autonomous dispatching, thereby substantially improving power supply reliability and quality.

A distribution transformer being tested at the Xiong’an Testing Center

According to the proposal, Xiong’an New Area will complete the digital active distribution network step by step, with the concept phase completed by the end of 2020, the demonstration phase by the end of 2022, and large-scale replication by the end of 2030. At that time, the New Area will boast a world-class distribution grid in terms of resource allocation, power reliability, and intelligent interaction.