April 1, 2009

In Search of Perfect Power

James M. Hylko

Assembling the Team

During the summer of 2007, IIT joined forces with several key organizations in the electric power industry to assemble a team of experts capable of designing and implementing Galvin’s first PPS at IIT. A proposal submitted to the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Renewable and Distributed Systems Integration Funding Opportunity within the R&D Division of the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability "[to] demonstrate peak load reduction on distribution feeders with the implementation of distributed energy and energy management systems at a cost competitive with system/capacity upgrades" was successful. After that funding was secured, the project team was assembled.

In addition to IIT and GEI, the expert team included Exelon/Commonwealth Edison Co. (ComEd), S&C Electric Co., Endurant Energy, and Integrys. The five-year PPS project began construction in early 2009.

The project consists of six distinct steps inspired by Six Sigma quality methods developed by Motorola.

Step 1: Adopt Quality Methods

The first step in developing any quality program is to develop a methodology to collect discrete statistics from which to measure progress and determine a set of desired end-state metrics (Table 1). The IIT team participated in two training courses on Six Sigma quality methods and principals at the Joseph M. Juran Center for Leadership in Quality at the University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management. The purpose of this training was to develop a replicable methodology for creating PPS. The team subsequently adopted the following standard quality methods for the project:

• Determine what is critical to quality (CTQ) from the customer’s perspective.

• Process map CTQ elements and develop measures that quantify performance or the cost of poor quality.

• Perform a Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) for each process step.

• Engage in error proofing, innovative problem solving, and solution set generation.

• Prioritize the implementation steps.
  
  
  
  Table 1. Energy system quality metrics. The Perfect Power System team began by defining IIT’s power quality needs and a set of desired end-state metrics. Source: IIT

Step 2: Do Process Mapping

Once the key project metrics were established, the process mapping quality method divided the IIT utility system into the following major processes:

• Supply or transmission systems, larger area switch stations, area substations, and step-down transformers.

• Campus distribution or substations, substation breakers, building feeders, building isolation, and communications.

• Building distribution or switches, transformers, and circuits within the building.

• Backup power or standby generation to protect critical loads.

• Procurement and sustainable energy systems to minimize the energy and environmental impacts of the campus loads.

Step 3: Assess Major Subsystems

The team then performed an assessment of the existing campus infrastructure and power supply system processes from Step 2. They confirmed that a number of significant infrastructure upgrades were required before they could apply the PPS principles.

The team found three separate underground circuits, fed from a single substation, that supply three 7-MW ComEd transformers. ComEd designed the electricity system to accommodate a single circuit failure, so the effective demand at the substation was 14 MW. Campus records show IIT’s highest peak load through 2006 was approximately 10 MW. ComEd tested all the substation components and subsequently upgraded the supply circuits to improve short-term reliability.

IIT also installed over 2 MW worth of natural gas – fired engine generators for standby generation to protect critical loads as part of the PPS project. Distributed resources can reduce peak demand and can eliminate or defer new transmission and distribution capacity and decrease electricity wholesale or market prices. Enhanced on-site peaking generation resources can also improve reliability and security.

In addition, IIT is in the middle of a major upgrade to its steam heating system that entails adding new natural gas – fired boilers.

IIT is also working to slow the growth of its electricity demand by installing advanced lighting, windows, and other energy-reducing technologies that will help it avoid rising electricity costs as it continues to expand the campus.

On-site generation, when combined with a new automatic demand response capability, will be capable of sustaining campus operations in the event of a loss in ComEd electricity supply. The completed PPS will be able to remove 10 MW of demand from the grid when called upon by ComEd or the PJM independent system operator to do so. On-site generation sources will also support distribution- and transmission-level load control programs.