What's all the buzz about electricity network models?

What’s all the buzz about electricity network models? Simply put, they form the backbone that enables network operators (like Powerco) to run transmission and distribution systems more effectively, while meeting the growing demands of a dynamic energy market, and a society that expects ever-increasing reliability at the lowest possible cost.

Network models – and the systems built on top of them – help operators identify opportunities to operate distribution assets more intelligently, detect faults, and respond to them (often autonomously), and ultimilaty, to get the most ‘bang-for-buck’ for our customers. These digital models play a critical role in ensuring a safe, reliable, and low cost electricity supply.

After spending considerable time in the industry, network models have come to occupy a portion of my mind, and rightfully so given their critical role.

So, what exactly is an electicity network model?

At its core, an electricity network model is a digital twin of the grid. It brings together asset data, connectivity, electrical characteristics, operational states, and geospatial data to provide a single, unified view of the grid for the digital systems that rely on it. When used within advanced distribution management applications, this digital model enables electricity distribution (and transmission) companies to plan, operate, and optimise the flow of electricity across their real-world networks – the poles and wires you see dotted across the countryside.

It sounds straightforward to build such a model, but in practice it takes significant effort. Data has to be pulled from multiple enterprise systems, transformed into a Common Electricity Network Model (CENM), and then integrated into the tools used to manage the network — tools like PSCAD, PSS SinCAL, Hosting Capacity Maps, and an Advanced Distribution Management System (ADMS).

What am I working on?

Like most distribution companies, my employer has many touchpoints with customers — from handling new residential connections and managing outages, to supporting those with large-scale distributed energy resources (DER) connected to the grid.

A crucial foundation for all of this is having a Common Electricity Network Model. It ensures the data we use to connect customers, operate the network, and share information is consistent across the business. To achieve this, we’ve developed a Network Modelling System: a customised software solution built with the support of Boreas Group. This system draws on data from across our enterprise warehouses and generates a Common Electricity Network Model that serves as the foundation for our suite of network management applications.

The system isn’t perfect — there are still data gaps and refinements underway — but we’ve already seen positive results. The different software tools it supports now produce network views that are largely consistent with one another, something that wasn’t possible before.

What’s next?

This is only the first step in a long journey. Over the next 12-18 months, one of my main focuses is refining the model to support:

• A fully autonomous Fault Location, Isolation, and Service Restoration (FLISR) capability.
• A self-service DER connection and generation capacity portal for customers.
• An integrated DER management system, in alignment with the Electricity Authority’s and industries views.

It may not be a sprint, but like every marathon, the progress starts with putting one foot in front of the other