Our electricity production and distribution system, which has been built up over more than a hundred years, is founded on the idea of producing electricity in a centralised manner, transmitting it and distributing it over a grid for those who need it. The present situation, and especially the future, set new challenges for electrical networks when the generation of electricity is being transferred to a more decentralised production based on renewable sources of energy. This calls for smarter grids that are able to actively control the omni-directional energy flows travelling through the grid, as well as any fluctuations in production caused by weather conditions. The distribution network becomes the market place for decentralised energy production and consumers, and real-time and automatic adjustment, scaling, anticipation and self-correction are required.

This may sound like science fiction, but it is already a part of everyday life in Vaasa. The region’s energy technology cluster has dozens of experts who are working towards the realisation of smart grids.

The Cutting Edge of Smart Grid Development

The electrotechnical industry has long been engaged in applicable development work and components for Smart Grids. ABB is one the forerunners in this field.

“Improving efficiency in energy production, transmission, distribution and consumption are ABB’s core competences. All these sectors are needed in designing and building smart grids,” says Business Development Manager Dick Kronman, ABB.

“ABB has also invested in smart grids through acquisitions. One of our largest investments involves the Finnish supplier of wireless communications solutions for electrical networks, Viola Systems,” Kronman continues.

In practice, ABB produces solutions for all sectors of smart grids from energy production, transmission and distribution to building automation solutions. ABB in Vaasa has strong know-how relating to smart grids, but there is a particular concentration of competence within the sector of electricity distribution automation here. Electricity distribution systems, substations and smart components for the grid are designed, produced and sold here, and the know-how in electronics and software engineering which is becoming more and more important is also available.

“ABB has currently many ongoing smart grid projects in Finland. For example, we are developing and testing smart energy solutions for the future in cooperation with Helsingin Energia and Nokia Siemens Networks for the Kalasatama district, currently under construction in the eastern inner city of Helsinki. In Kirkkonummi, ABB and Fortum are testing how far an automated grid can repair itself. We have also implemented smart energy solutions using ABB’s building automation system for a modern, energy-efficient block of flats built by Skanska in Espoo. In cooperation with LNI Verkko, we are implementing an isolated operation independent of the mainland, for Hailuoto Island which is basically energy self-sufficient. 

Smart and More Reliable

An extensive cluster of energy technology know-how has grown in Vaasa and generated new companies that work partly within the same sector.  VAMP Oy, established in the 1990s, is an excellent example of this development trend.

VAMP Oy specialises in protection relays for low and medium voltage and regional networks, arc flash protection and measuring and monitoring units for power systems, with built-in communication technology relating to the construction of smart grids. The first extensive smart system implemented with the company’s products is already in use and the company is continuously gaining useful experiences from its use.

“One of the goals of smart grids is to increase the reliability of the electrical network. By amplifying the monitoring, measuring and control of the network, possible fault situations can be located and repaired quickly,” says the company’s Research Director, Lauri Kumpulainen.

In cabled urban grids, new smart components can be easily added, for example, to distribution substations where they are also protected from difficult weather conditions. Outside urban areas in overhead distribution networks, automation makes it faster to resolve faults, but cabling that is significantly more wide-ranging than it currently is will probably be necessary to improve reliability. Kumpulainen states that when the old overhead network is transferred underground it is a good opportunity to increase the smartness of the network. In addition to better reliability, smart grids are often considered a prerequisite for extensive decentralised generation.

Top Expert through Specialisation

A fairly fresh newcomer to the energy technology cluster in Vaasa is the nearly two-year-old Arcteq Oy which designs, manufactures and sells protection relays. The majority of the company’s experts have worked with protection relays in Vaasa for several years.

“There are many suitable market niches for small businesses in this sector. We don’t produce solutions for building entire smart grids, but concentrate on the protection relays for the electrical network,” says Managing Director Juha Arvola.

Although Arcteq Oy is young, it already has some products of its own and existing patents. One of the solutions it has patented is a protection relay designed specifically for wind power plants that makes the protection of the plant possible despite frequency fluctuation.

According to Arvola, the development of the technology and the decrease in component prices enable the relays and other equipment to offer their users more and more information and communication alternatives. This is what the building of smart grids is also based on. “Smart grid, smarter relays,” he says.

For more information go to: www.abb.fi/alyverkot, www.vamp.fi, www.arcteq.fi