INGENIEUR
Figure 24 : Job Creation due to Energy Transition Program Investments [ Ref . 7 ]
reliability and service , reduce costs and improve efficiency . It is in this context that the Smart Grid is considered disruptive . It empowers customers to engage directly with operators and stakeholders / asset owners in electricity markets leading to a more sustainable electricity supply industry and greener economy .
With Advanced / Smart Metering Infrastructure ( AMI ) and ToU electricity pricing mechanism deployed at the distribution / consumer end , consumers can actually tailor and optimise their own usage / consumption . Consumers can also engage in DR application as part of the demandside management ( DSM ) market through the AMI infrastructure . Figure 25 illustrates the architecture of AMI infrastructure as will be deployed by a typical electricity utility company .
Figure 26 ( a ) and Figure 26 ( b ) graphically show the transformation of the traditional electricity grid infrastructure / centralised fossilfuelled generation to full smart grid realisation [ Ref . 6 ]. The transformation is through integration of large-scale solar photovoltaic power plants and BESS , and distributed solar photovoltaic generation on consumers ’ rooftops with deployment of AMI for smart charging of electric vehicles , ToU pricing and ancillary market services ( such as frequency regulation , peak load shifting and DR applications ) and enhanced distribution management automation
( DMA ). Distribution management automation will include functions , such as distribution network security assessment , loss optimisation , fault location-isolation-restoration and automatic feeder reconfiguration .
Many utilities in US , UK / Europe and Australia have already deployed regulatory-driven smart grids in their electricity infrastructure . One of the challenges of smart grid deployment is that it is capital intensive . In UK , Italy and Australia , smart grid cost recovery is through minimum monthly rental fees , whereas in the US it is bundled into the electricity tariff .
Malaysia is currently in the process of crafting the necessary regulations which will address smart grid cost recovery mechanism and the roles and responsibilities of the Regulator ( Suruhanjaya Tenaga ), the utility ( TNB ) and the customer . The other issues with smart grid deployment pertain to security of data and job threat to meter readers / disconnectors . Key success factors to smart grid deployment in the Malaysian electricity infrastructure are :
● Clear regulatory framework
● Funding mechanism ( Government grant / support and / or regulatory pass-through )
● Robust technology infrastructure and interoperability with pilot project at initial stage of smart grid journey
● Effective customer engagement strategies .
68 VOL 87 JULY-SEPTEMBER 2021