Austrian Pilot Advances Local Grid Monitoring with SmartGridBox
The Austrian EVELIXIA pilot is taking an important step forward in local electricity grid monitoring, with the installation and integration of a SmartGridBox at a low-voltage transformer.
Led by the European Center for Renewable Energy Güssing, the pilot involves Energie Güssing, in cooperation with the University of Applied Sciences Burgenland. The SmartGridBox has been connected to the Austrian pilot platform through a dedicated data gateway, which has now been developed and installed, with initial test runs underway.
The gateway provides access to high-resolution data streams from the SmartGridBox, enabling detailed monitoring of grid utilisation and power quality at the lowest voltage levels. The analysis will consider both electricity consumption and feed-in, with particular attention to summer peak hours during photovoltaic generation and winter consumption peaks.
The monitoring activities will also investigate key power-quality aspects, including harmonics, voltage rises, reactive power and phase imbalance. This detailed measurement approach will help identify local grid bottlenecks and power-quality challenges, generating valuable insights into the conditions of the local distribution network.
Looking ahead, historical data will be used to anticipate critical times and locations within the distribution grid, while real-time information will contribute to the development of active and passive measures. These include demand-side management strategies targeting flexible loads and generation units.
Through these activities, the Austrian pilot is building a more detailed understanding of local grid conditions and exploring how real-time monitoring and flexibility can support more effective grid management.
