Transmission and distribution (T&D) system planning studies can take a variety of forms. Whether a short-term plan used to prepare construction budgets or a 20-year long range plan used to guide system expansion, utilities are realizing tangible gains through proactive management of their systems. The objective of T&D system planning is to develop a thorough understanding of the existing system and prepare a roadmap for near-term and future investments needed to provide adequate, reliable, and economical service to new and existing customers.

The Techlabs team can lead or assist your utility with the following types of system planning studies:

Transmission Studies

• System Impact Studies

  From time to time, unexpected events may necessitate a thorough review of your system, such as the interconnection of a new large load or distributed generation facility, or the addition of a large motor at an existing location. In some cases, existing plans or facilities may be inadequate to properly handle a system impacted by an unexpected event.

  
  

  A system impact study can provide your utility with an understanding of how a change can affect your system. Techlabs can make recommendations to properly accommodate these changes. Techlabs can develop a cost estimate of any recommended system modifications to assist the utility with contractual, tariff, and contributions in aid of construction (CIAC) decisions associated with a new large customer or distributed generation interconnection.

  
  
• Transmission Power Flow Studies

Power flow studies are used to evaluate network steady state electrical characteristics. This is an important part in assessing power system adequacy, or the ability of the power system to supply the aggregate electrical demand and energy requirements of the customers at all times, taking into account scheduled and reasonably expected unscheduled outages of system elements.




Techlabs has experienced planning engineers who use industry standard and proven power flow software such as Cyme, PowerWorld and SKM to evaluate transmission and distribution systems.Techlabs is familiar with standards set by both National and Regional reliability organizations to ensure our clients are compliant with pertinent standards.




Some of the power flow services Techlabs offers include:

• Generator interconnection feasibility studies.
• Regional and area planning studies.
• Renewable energy studies.
• Loss analysis.
• Model building.
• Automatic AC contingency analysis.
• Contingency analysis.
• Contingency ranking.
• PV and QV analysis.
• Transfer limit analysis.



• Transmission Reactive Compensation Studies

  Reactive compensation is important to consider when assessing transmission system adequacy - the ability of the system to supply demand and energy requirements taking into account contingency situations. It is also important in assessing system security, or the system's ability to withstand unexpected disturbances such as faults, large motor starting, and loss of network elements.

  
  

  Techlabs has experienced engineers to assist clients with:

  • Capacitor placement and sizing.
  • Reactor placement and sizing.
  • Voltage flicker reduction.
  • Power factor correction.
  • Static Var Compensator (SVC) application.

  
  
• Transmission Stability Studies

  System stability studies are an important part of assessing transmission system security, or the system's ability to withstand sudden disturbances, such as faults and loss of system elements.

  
  

  Techlabs has experienced planning engineers who use industry standard and proven power flow software such as Cyme, PowerWorld and SKM to evaluate transmission systems.

  
  

  Techlabs is familiar with standards set by both National and Regional reliability organizations to ensure our clients are compliant with pertinent standards.

  
  

  Some of the system stability studies Techlabs offers include:

  • Generator interconnection studies.
  • Renewable energy interconnection studies.
  • Feasibility studies.
  • Fault studies.
  • Short circuit analysis.
  • PV and QV analysis

  
  
• Transmission Value of Service Studies

  Value of Service (VOS) studies use advanced survey and statistical techniques to quantify the value of service reliability to end-use consumers. The study results measure the economic losses consumers would bear when a given power outage occurs within a service territory. By identifying the factors (e.g., consumer type, number of employees, household income) that affect economic losses due to service interruptions, VOS studies provide utilities with monetized values for reliability improvements that can be used for evaluating maintenance expenses and capital expenditures associated with reducing outages, ultimately allowing them to more effectively target their resources and investments. VOS studies are useful in transmission and distribution capital planning, maintenance planning, cost of service allocation for reliability-driven investments, and developing strategies to manage curtailment plans.
  
  The graph below presents example results of a cost-benefit analysis for six projects. In this example, Projects A, C, D, and F have economic benefits to consumers that outweigh project costs. Projects B and E will incur costs greater than the benefits. These results can be used to provide empirical guidance to project prioritization, "go or no go" decisions, and justify rate adjustments.

  

  
  

  VOS studies can show the economic benefits of reducing outages by substation, feeder, or rate class depending on the objectives of the study.

  • Distribution Substations: This information helps to evaluate the benefits of contemplated transmission or sub-transmission reliability-driven investments. It can assist in prioritizing projects to those most economically valuable to the end-use consumer.

  • Distribution Feeders: This information helps distribution utilities to estimate the benefits of reliability-driven investments (e.g., undergrounding power lines) at the feeder level or load transfer switching schemes. These estimates can be used in a cost-benefit analysis and be used to properly prioritize projects.  This information can be an important input to curtailment strategies.

  • Rate Classes: Different types of consumers incur varying economic costs when outages occur. The economic impacts of a large investment to improve reliability can be estimated by rate class and costs can be allocated across rate classes accurately.

  
  
• High Voltage DC System Studies