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
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