In April this year, Siemens Energy launched “SensSolution” — the world’s first power transmission solution with holistic cloud connectivity and designated web application suite. We have in this exclusive interaction, Nicolas Söllner, Product Manager, SensSolution, Siemens Energy, sharing keen insights on this revolutionary power transmission solution. He explains that digitally-enabled and connected systems are the foundation of the intelligent grids of tomorrow. In response, Siemens Energy is continually enhancing its portfolio of products, systems and solutions with such integrated “Sens” technology, asserts Söllner. An interview by Venugopal Pillai.
We understand that the basic objective of SensSolution is to provide real time data from substations to the cloud. Tell us in general terms what SensSolution seeks to achieve?
SensSolution is a holistic, digital connectivity and platform solution designed for usage in the transmission system domain and closely linked to the Siemens Energy turnkey solution portfolio. It comprises secure connectivity options to high-voltage substation control systems including auxiliary components, and additional monitoring solutions for ambient asset conditions. It provides the basis for cloud-based, flexible and scalable data storage, analysis, dashboarding, reporting and supervision – as well as dedicated applications to support everyday operation and maintenance activities. SensSolution technology enlarges the scope of cloud-based data analytics and monitoring to a holistic, transparent view covering operation of the complete substation, on top of main electrical assets as supervised by Siemens Energy Sensproducts. This also includes data from control and protection systems, as well as auxiliary components and sub-systems and even connected AC grid measurements.
What aspects of today’s power transmission grid make it imperative to have access to real time data? Can SensSolution forestall grid instability caused by an every-increasing injection of renewable energy into the grid?
The complexity of operating, maintaining, and designing today’s power transmission grid infrastructure is steadily rising. Aspects like e.g. an increased share of renewables resulting in largely fluctuating power flows, decentral independent market participants leading to a loss of full generation transparency or ageing equipment and necessary forecasting replacement strategies with limited available budget pose new types of challenges to TSOs. Systematically collecting and processing real time operational fleet data generated by transmission assets, systems and solutions and correlating it with measured data from the connected networks provides a solid, holistic information basis to draw the right conclusions and give proper recommendations for any type of technical or economic decision.
Particularly HVDC and FACTS systems are equipped with high-resolution data recorders and very powerful, high-speed, real-time control and protection systems that can detect even transient events in the connected AC grids. Bringing this type of data from the substation to the cloud, analyzing it with the help of vast cloud computing power and machine learning algorithms and interfacing existing network simulations models opens a completely new opportunity field for permanent detection and avoidance of grid instability issues and the underlying root cause.
Siemens Energy will equip its HVDC power transmission systems with SensSolution to start with, as we understand. Will this be done concurrently, globally?
The first SensSolution implementation is going to be realized in Europe. Worldwide deployment is possible, depending on legislative and regulatory boundary conditions.
“All future HVDC projects will be equipped with SensSolution technology and the required HVDC Connectivity Package by default.”
Would retrofitting be technically feasible or would SensSolution necessarily be part of greenfield HVDC power transmission systems alone?
Due to the modular and minimal invasive design, retrofit of existing stations is possible on individual request for most Siemens Energy brownfield HVDC transmission systems.
When can we expect SensSolution to reach Indian shores, given that India is also pursuing HVDC schemes, including several with Siemens Energy technology?
All future HVDC projects will be equipped with SensSolution technology and the required HVDC Connectivity Package by default. As HVDC scheme implementation is pursuing in India, locally deployed HVDC greenfield solutions will naturally be provided with SensSolution technology.
Is there any planned timeframe as yet to extend SensSolution to conventional AC transmission systems?
In principle, all turnkey solutions of the Transmission Solution Portfolio will be compatible with SensSolution technology in the future. This comprises also AC substations and FACTS, whereas HVDC is the first technology to be realized. SensSolution for AC substations will follow in due time.
Siemens Energy has already launched “Sensformer” and “Sensgear” for equipping transformers and switchgear, respectively, with data intelligence. Can we presume that SensSolution would be essentially integrating the intelligence supplied by Sensformer and Sensgear, at least to a large extent?
Correct, the existing Siemens Energy Transmission Sensproduct portfolio does seamlessly integrate with SensSolution and can be accessed within the same, common platform.
Incidentally, what is the status of Sensformer and Sensgear in terms of its commercial rollout globally?
The digitalization journey of our portfolio has been started already in 2018 by launching our first digitally enabled transformer to the market. With Sensformer we have converted the classical transformer to an intelligent asset by adding per default the digital layer incl. connectivity, data storage, computing and visualization per default. In the last 3 years we have scaled it up feature- and portfolio-wise incl. further products like switchgear, circuit breaker, instrument transformer, coils and bushings. Furthermore, we added a system layer on top to enable more system intelligence and thus more value add for our customers. So, the product portfolio is now complete and released for sales and delivery globally.
Thanks to systems like SensSolution, one gets the impression that there is (or will soon be) an inundation of real-time data from the transmission grid. Do you think that imbibing, interpreting and acting upon this abundance of information will eventually be a special field/expertise by itself?
A large amount of transmission grid specific data has been generated ever since substations were equipped with digital control systems. However, this data is typically lying dormant on premise within the substations and has never been used further in a systematic manner. Automatically filtering, analyzing and processing this bulk data stream with existing technology now offers the opportunity to provide a comprehensive grid and fleet status overview for operation and maintenance staff or highlight abnormalities that need human attention.
Key to doing so is to bring together both data analytics, algorithmic and programming knowledge with technical transmission domain expertise, both on OEM and customer side, in a collaborative manner. Within Siemens Energy Transmission, we are already employing dedicated professional data scientists that work together with asset and system technology experts, in order to enhance and develop the SensSolution functionality. We clearly see an emerging new working field for data analytics in the transmission domain that we are fostering proactively to find new solutions that benefit our customers.
SensSolution, as we understand, completely takes care of cyber security of the transmission grid. Tell us more.
SensSolution was designed with an implicit focus on cyber security for transmission grid systems as being regarded as critical infrastructures. SensSolution incorporates a holistic cybersecurity approach to guarantee plant, network, system and data security.
This includes:
- design measures (e.g. network zone separation, end-to-end encryption)
- end device hardening
- security monitoring
- state of the art encryption standards
- multi factor authentication and user/role cloud access concept
Specifically, as part of the HVDC Connectivity Package, a unique dedicated high security hardware device (“data diode”) guarantees complete physical isolation and one way data flow from the plant to the internet. Hence, intrusion into the HVDC systems from the internet is impossible, as data can only flow in one direction by design. This enables easy interfacing without compromising security.
“Digitally enabled, connected assets, systems and solutions are the foundation of the intelligent grids of tomorrow.”
Does Sensformer, Sensgear and SensSolution cover all aspects of intelligent grids? Are there more members of the “Sens” ecosystem expected to follow?
Digitally enabled, connected assets, systems and solutions are the foundation of the intelligent grids of tomorrow. To allow our customers an effortless adoption, we at Siemens Energy Transmission are consequently enhancing our products, systems and solution portfolio with integrated “Sens” technology.
The products are the backbone of any intelligent grid and therefore we scaled up consequentially our transmission portfolio in the greenfield area, means, every new product from our factories will be equipped with the “Sens” technology.
In terms of our turnkey solutions, HVDC is the first technology to be provided with native cloud enablement. FACTS and the AC substation domain will also be on-boarded to this ecosystem in due time. Beyond pure connectivity and data storage, the applications, and services accessible via the SensCloud environment form an important part of the added value and functionality of Siemens Energy equipment and SensSolution. Hence, we will also particularly focus on extending the digital layer as integral part of our products with beneficial new features and purpose driven applications.
Captions to photographs, in order of appearance:
- Siemens Energy launched the world’s first power transmission solution with holistic cloud connectivity and designated web application suite at Hannover Messe. SensSolution enables the secure transmission of substation data to the cloud, allowing for valuable real-time analyses and monitoring, supporting system operation and availability as result.
- Interior view of a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) converter hall. Siemens Energy will equip from now on all new HVDC systems with SensSolution. Providing the most efficient means of transmitting large amount of power over long distances, HVDC power transmission is a key enabler for integrating renewable energy.
- In the German North Sea, HVDC technology from Siemens Energy will connect around 7 million households with offshore energy. Seen here is the offshore platform in the North Sea, associated with the grid connection BorWin3, commissioned for grid operator TenneT.
