Investments
in automation, innovation and smart grids have led the four
Neoenergia’s concessionaries - Coelba (BA), Celpe (PE), Cosern (RN)
and Elektro (SP/MS) – to reduce the number of interruptions in the
energy supply. All of the Company’s distributors achieved levels
below the limits set by the National Electric Energy Agency (Aneel)
for the quality indicators that measure the average frequency of
outages (FEC, in the acronym in Portuguese, measured in times) and
the average duration of outagens (DEC, measured in hours). One of the
main initiatives resulting in this achievement was the implementation
of AIR system (acronym for Smart Grid Automation in Portuguese).
This
technology is used in the event of occurrences caused by external
factors that result in interruption of supply. The system identifies
the point of the occurrence and, whenever possible, carries out some
operations to automatically isolate the problem and transfer loads so
that the lowest number of customers is impacted by an energy outage.
Over 20% of reclosers in Neoenergia’s concessionaries operate with
AIR. Due to the characteristics of the distributors’ concession
areas, Aneel sets different quality thresholds, according to the
complexity of each market. For measuring DEC and FED of each
concessionaire, the Regulator considers specific conditions such as
the territorial scope, electric network characteristics and social
and economic conditions.
ELEKTRO
At
Elektro, for example, AIR has implemented in seven cities as of the
first quarter of this year: Guarujá, Aguaí, Rio Claro, Atibaia,
Cabreúva, Mairiporã e Três Lagoas, amounting to over 220
reclosers. The average frequency of energy supply interruptions in
this distributor was 4.25 times in the period while the threshold set
by the Regulator was 6.39. This figure is also below the recorded in
the first quarter last year, at 4.51 times. The average duration of
service interruptions in the first three months of 2020 was 7.22
hours, below the limit of 8.3 hours set by Aneel in 2019.
COSERN
Cosern
recorded FEC at 4.59 times in the first quarter 2020, far lower than
the 8.01 required by Aneel and 5.41 in the same period last year. The
concessionaire’s DEC was 9.37 hours from January to March 2020
while the regulatory limit was 11.92 and the recorded in the same
period 2019 was 11.46. In Rio Grande do Norte, the city of
Canguaretama installed the grid automation system in 39 reclosers.
CELPE
The
average frequency of service interruption at Celpe was 5.36 times in
the first three months of 2020, a FEC below the limit of 8.34 set by
the Regulator and down when compared to 5.90 recorded in the same
period in 2019. The average duration was 11.37 hours, below the limit
of 13.4, and lower than the recorded in the same period last year, at
11.68. AIR was installed in 93 reclosers in Petrolina and the
equipment located in Recife’s Metropolitan Region also operate with
a centralized automated system.
COELBA
At
Coelba, FEC was 5.93 times in the first quarter this year, below 6.01
recorded in the same period in 2019 and lower than the limit of 7.87
set by Aneel. A light increase in DEC was recorded in the beginning
of the year, from 12.83 to 13.06 hours, but the average duration
remained below the limit of 14.11 set by the Regulator. In Bahia, AIR
is installed in the cities of Vitória da Conquista and Feira de
Santana, and the installation in Itabuna will be completed by the
year-end. Four hundred and twenty equipment are in operation with the
system.
HOW AIR SYSTEM WORKS
AIR
detects the exact point of the problem, with no need of human
intervention, and isolates the network impacted, immediately
restoring the supply for the highest possible number of customers.
With the system, the number of consumers affected can be reduced in
up to 70% and the energy recovery may occur as early as within 80
seconds.
In
practical terms, when the system discovers a failure, it finds a “new
way” for flowing energy to the customers. “All the equipment of
the electric grid is connected through a telecommunication
infrastructure (satellite or radio) to an industrial computer, in
which logical sequences are programmed taking into account the grid
possibilities, such as number of customers, load and voltage. If a
change occurs in the grid structure, voltage changes and the software
sends the command on how each equipment will operate in the
situation”, explains Emanuel Barbosa.
The
expansion of AIR installation at the distribution network reinforces
Neoenergia’s and its concessionaries’ commitment with the quality
of electric energy supply. The project is a part of the Company’s
initiatives to the adequacy to the Smart Grids concept, the new world
trend in electric energy distribution.
