November 2024

Identification of Low Voltage topology. Advantages and benefits

What is the Low Voltage network topology?

The topology of the Low Voltage network allows us to know exactly to which Secondary Substation, LW panel, feeder and phase each consumer and other elements of the LV network are connected upstream.

How to get a complete and correct topology of the LV network?

The usual method to obtain a complete and updated topology is by means of large topology identification campaigns for each consumer, which allow the topology of the entire LV network to be determined from the connectivity data of the network assets.

Advantages of correct Low Voltage topology identification

Digitisation of network assets and their connectivity/topology.

Inventory. Keeping a record of the topology of each consumer and other network elements in the company’s databases.
Location of elements on the map during field works by determining their GPS coordinates.
Updating of the company’s GIS system, with location of the elements of the LV network and their connectivity.

Updating and revision of electrical distribution plans

Obsolete existing plans. Incomplete information for some areas.
Update of new supplies.

The IMPORTANCE of determining customer topology and digitising the LV network.

Having the Low Voltage topology identified, without errors and updated, has its advantages that are reflected in different areas of the utilities´ business.

MANTENANCE

Faster detection and resolution of power supply restoration incidents.
Notification to customers of scheduled outages.
Preventing other customers from being left without power supply in the event of a cut on a specific line. Avoiding complaints.

POWER QUALITY

Notification of scheduled outages to customers.
Quickly locate which consumer is causing the power quality faults.
With the help of other current and/or voltage measuring devices, plan a re-balancing of loads/consumers causing Power Quality problems.

NEW SUPPLIERS

Adding new customers while keeping the network balanced in phases and feeders.

OVERLOADS

Solving overload situations. If a feeder or phase is heavily overloaded.

Allows switching certain consumers to another phase or feeder.
Reducing the possibility of failure, losses, and extending the life of the assets.

SELF-CONSUMPTION

If there are several self-consumptions on the same feeder, increasing the voltage of one phase and affecting other consumers.

Allows some self-consumption to be moved to another phase.
Avoid complaints from other customers or consumers.

Next steps towards FLEXIBILITY and DIGITAL TWIN.

Knowing the topology of the Low Voltage network is a mandatory prerequisite for advanced monitoring of the LV network, Digital Twin and improving the flexibility of the network.

Energy balances at transformer level: If you know exactly how many consumers are connected to a transformer and what they are consuming, you can determine if there are losses or fraud.
If you have monitoring sensors at line level, you can determine energy balances (and thus also technical losses and theft): The difference between the energy supplied by a feeder and the sum of the energy consumed by the meters connected to that feeder. Of course, it is essential to know exactly where the meters are connected.
With good advanced monitoring software, it would also be possible to detect manipulated meters.

It is a further step towards the Digital Twin, which allows us to replicate what is happening in the network on our server/PC in order to simulate possible future changes or situations (PFS ‘Power Flow Simulation Tools’).

It is also an important step towards flexibility. With generation becoming increasingly complex due to distributed generation, electric car chargers, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), the LV grid is entering a new paradigm in which it has to adapt to different time slots and consumption patterns; and to be able to act it is necessary to know our grid very well and to be able to simulate on it.