Requirements of State Estimation in Smart Distribution Grid

Advanced analytical applications for global controls and optimization of distribution systems have not been widely adopted by utilities because of lacking real time complete system models. As more Intelligent Electronic Devices (IED) with two-way communications are being employed, the amount of quasi real time data gathered at different rates by various automation systems is increasing. With effective integration of data from IED, smart meters, feeder and substation automation systems, a series of steady state snapshots distribution state estimations (DSE) will be a key feature to enable real-time optimization, adaptive protection and control, pricing signal, demand response, and many other smart grid features. This paper briefly reviews the state of the art of DSE, focusing on the requirements for smart distribution grid applications, the effects of distribution network characteristics and bad data detection capability.