American Gas - August/September 2013 - (Page 31)

GAs TecHNoLoGY iNsTiTUTe Integrating Gas into the Smart Grid By Jim Marean W hen most people hear “smart grid,” they think electricity, not natural gas. Yet natural gas plays a crucial role—not only in the generation of electric power, but also as a fundamental component of America’s overall energy infrastructure. The technologies and strategies that will make the grid smart differ for the electric and gas industries. As a consequence, the two industries have pursued grid intelligence separately. That risks gaps or unnecessary redundancy in capabilities, and ultimately a less integrated, less intelligent energy infrastructure. The goal should be seamless communications and data management for both infrastructures—expanding the concept of a smart electric grid to an energy infrastructure that will enable a smart energy future. The needs of the natural gas industry are twofold: First, an investment in the right devices in the right locations, and second, interoperability both among those devices, and especially between the gas and electric industries. Distributed Automation On the electric side, the primary driver of a smart grid has been demand response. Smart meters allow electric utilities to encourage customers to adapt their electricity usage in response to price signals. Demand response could become an issue for the gas industry, but it hasn’t to date. As a result, the gas industry has less need for smart meters. But it does recognize the value of improved communications and more intelligent devices in places that can improve safety, reliability, and operations. Those locations are primarily in the space between the city gate and the customer meter. I refer to this capability as distributed automation. The approach involves creating or enhancing remote monitoring capabilities for regulators, valves, odorant stations, and other components that make up the distribution system. It also includes the use of two-way communications and data collection and analysis to provide information to operators in the back-office or operating the SCADA system. Smart Is as Smart Does Investment in distributed automation can empower gas utilities with a broad range of new capabilities. With the right intelligence, they’ll be able to: • Automate leak detection and notification • Detect the loss of gas through leakage or theft • Remotely disconnect/reconnect and automate the shutoff of a location for safety • Detect and predict third-party damage • Monitor and control gas pressure and flow based on network demand to ensure reliable service • Continuously monitor cathodic protection systems • Monitor and manage gas quality and Btu composition at custody exchange points • Improve decision making during emergencies • Improve asset management • Lower operating costs Development and deployment of many of these capabilities is already underway by a variety of industry vendors. For example, the Gas Technology Institute and Itron Inc. recently collaborated in the development of a telemetry module for cathodic protection that’s now commercially available. Leveraging Investments Communication is at the heart of attaining a smart energy infrastructure. Smart devices can deliver on their promise only if they can communicate with those responsible for operating the system. Leveraging and optimizing the capabilities of the advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) will provide the basis for an integrated energy delivery system. The electric industry is already investing substantial sums in implementing a communications backbone to support smart meters. Arguably, there’s no need for the gas industry to duplicate that investment. Wherever there’s a gas customer, there’s undoubtedly an electric customer. There will be financial and regulatory issues to hammer out to ensure that one customer base isn’t subsidizing another, but there’s no technological restriction that would prevent the gas industry from using the AMI communications infrastructure. Enabling that integration will require standards. As information is captured and communicated, gas utilities shouldn’t have to worry that the data could be lost, delayed, or compromised because of the lack of interoperability. GTI is in the second phase of a collaboration with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, with funding from the nonprofit Operations Technology Development, to develop smart grid standards that include natural gas. A Gas Technology Domain Expert Working Group has been created under the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel to help ensure that the gas industry has a seat at the table as smart grid standards are developed. Integration of the gas and electric smart grids will benefit both industries. The natural gas system will be expected to accommodate emerging local and regional sources of supply as well as emerging technologies, increases in peak demand, the effects of energy-efficiency programs, and the increasing use of natural gas for power generation. Real-time communication between the sectors will be increasingly necessary in order to ensure the reliability of both systems. Integrated communications will speed the emergence of a truly smart grid that promotes the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of the entire energy infrastructure. august/september 2013 AmericAn GAs 31

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Gas - August/September 2013

American Gas - August/September 2013
Contents
President’s Message
Subject Index
Dual-Fuel CNG Beauties
Digest
Issues
Issues
Issues
Need to Know
By the Numbers
Places
In Las Vegas, Another Man-Made Wonder
State House
State House
Elm Street
Main Street
A Matter of Trust
Profile
Here Comes the Grid
Marketing
Jobs
Vendor News
Marketplace
Headway

American Gas - August/September 2013

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