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Contrary to expectations, the development of smart (mini) grids is slow. Due to drastic improvements in innovative technologies, the reasons are not strictly technical but the problem mainly lies in regulatory barriers. The current business models are centric to utilities rather than customers. Net metering is a key enabling factor for smart (mini) grids. This paper addresses the economic benefits...
Lightning discharges are able to damage electric and electronic devices that usually have a low protection level and are influenced also by current or voltage pulses with a relatively low energy, such as those induced by lightning currents. Home automation systems contain electronic parts and hence are more vulnerable than normal electric systems. The risk of damage can be assessed by using the procedure...
The power system architecture of hospitals supports by design an enhanced electrical behavior also adequate to the better withstand to external forces, if actual, as earthquake, fire, flood, applying a “Darwinian” approach. The architecture of the power system, supported by supervision control systems and a business continuity management (BCM), must guarantee operational performances that preserve...
The quantity of artificial light necessary in a road tunnel depends on the external luminance, the climatic conditions, the road surface wet or dry, the traffic speed and the related safe driver stopping distance. The design of the lighting system takes into account these parameters assuming critical conditions. This may result in very high electrical power demand. The paper suggests a practical method...
In city centers, urban or industrial areas, the grounding systems (GSs) interact naturally because they share common zones of influence. IEC Standard 61936-1 defines the “global grounding system” (GGS), as consisting of elements that are essentially interconnected such as the metal sheaths of MV cables. This paper deals with an analysis of the parameters that characterize the grounding systems as...
Building Automation Systems BAS are the key to improve the energy performance of buildings and the occupants' comfort. There is a need to build a knowledge base on the matter and to grow suitable algorithms for a smart management of the “intelligent buildings”. Indeed, fuzzy logic is a valuable candidate for developing robust algorithms. The scope of the present work is to validate a fuzzy logic approach...
Protection against electric shock requires grounding systems that must be designed primarily to keep touch voltage and step voltage below a safe value. The measurement of the ground resistance in a large grounding network requires to place current electrodes at adequate distances. In urban areas, buildings grow adjacent each other, and the choice of suitable locations for auxiliary electrodes becomes...
The paper proposes a new idea, called "Interactive Energy", for the dynamic pricing and dispatching of the charging services of Electric Vehicles (EVs) in a micro-grid. In the proposed approach, the customers can choose their recharge time through an interactive application able to indicate different recharge times and related prices in function of the real time conditions of the micro-grid...
The integration of Energy Storage Systems (ESSs) in Micro Grids (MGs) is becoming mandatory for the optimal management of the energy flows and to make the MG an efficient and self-sustainable system, further able to provide ancillary services to the main network. The present paper includes an overview on the services and benefits that an ESS, based on batteries technology, can provide in a MG, considering...
The paper describes a case history of an advanced lighting control system designed and realized for a couple of classrooms of the University of Rome. The control is organized by adopting a BUS system with "distributed intelligence" without a central and with smart actuators. The control turns on/off and regulates the lighting output of two classrooms, according to the actual presence of...
The aim of the present paper is to investigate the appropriateness of a new testing way consisting in the use of one or more auxiliary electrodes at short distances. If correctly applied, the method gives always conservative results. In the measurement the leakage current distribution around the ground electrode introduces a systematic error that increase the gradients in the area influenced by the...
Building automation systems (BAS) allow automated control of equipment and eventually control of indoor conditions. Indeed, BAS are becoming a powerful tool to improve the energy performance and occupant comfort, introducing the concept of “intelligent building”. At this regard, there is a need to build a knowledge base and to develop suitable algorithms for a smart management. Fuzzy logic is a valuable...
IEC Standard 61936-1 “Power installations exceeding 1 kV a.c.” defines the “Global Grounding System” (GGS). It consists essentially in the interconnection of the MV/LV grounding systems, generally at least by means of the MV cables metal sheaths and/or of dedicated ground conductors buried along the MV cable lines. The interconnection of grounding systems involves a significant reduction of the apparent...
The amount of the electrical energy used for in interior lighting of medium and large buildings is generally considerable. The European Standard EN15193 was devised to establish conventions and procedures for the estimation of energy requirements of lighting in buildings, and to give a methodology for a numeric indicator of energy performance of buildings. The methodology of energy estimation is based...
Modeling of the electric system “architecture” aims to achieve performances of operation, maintenance and safety. The paper discusses about the criteria in designing the normal and special cases that need a structured architecture complying with electrical loads extensively distributed and with installation requirements proper to external stresses hazard as earthquake, fire, flood, extreme environment...
Routing of high voltage electric transmission lines for the connection of renewable energy distributed generation plants is a critical issue from an environmental point of view. A standard methodology that incorporates multiple weighted perspectives of influence is useful in the route approval by the governmental and regulating permitting entities and the support of the affected public. In this paper...
The electrical equipment especially in critical facilities needs a seismic qualification and so the relative standard to define essential requirements to harmonize prescriptive protocols which ensure: - a minimum accepted level of integrity for the service continuity, - equipment tested in conventional configurations with benefits for all the stakeholders. Indeed, if design, installation and operation...
The external luminance, the climatic conditions as limpid sky or haze, the road surface wet or dry, the traffic speed and the related safe driver stopping distance, strongly influence the quantity of artificial support light necessary at the entrance of the tunnel. The design of the support lighting system in the road tunnel takes into account the critical conditions for these parameters that determine...
In electrical power systems smart grid is widely recognized as the new solution that must be developed to manage distributed network tackling the increment of renewable energies. Through monitoring capability, data integration, effective communication, advanced analysis and system control the smart grid can meet the power demand as well as increase total efficiency and reduce consumption and costs...
Dependability is the overall term used for computer systems and is defined as the “ability to deliver service that can justifiably be trusted.” Strong earthquakes can cause serious problems to the dependability of supply of electrical power systems particularly in exposed and sensitive structures as hospitals and strategic buildings. The paper discusses the need to study the requirements for the design...
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