Inertia Measurement Service - A World First From Reactive Technologies

The World’s First Inertia
Measurement Service

The increasing uptake of renewables, particularly wind and solar, necessitates a fundamental change in the way Transmission System Operators and Distribution Network Operators manage their networks and maintain security of supply.

GridMetrix® is a technological breakthrough, borne from our telecommunications expertise and our data scientists’ innovative approach to using the power grid as a communications channel. We’ve conclusively demonstrated that we can send a signal through the grid, read the output through the noise, and uncover the previously invisible inertia.

GridMetrix® was successfully proven in a number of projects including Project SIM and Project TIM (link to case studies) and is now being commercially rolled out around the world.

gridmetrix interface inertia measurement

How The System Works

The modulator creates a small frequency movement in the power system, this is recorded by XMUs throughout the same system and is reported to GridMetrix® via a secure internet connection. The analytics service in the GridMetrix® Cloud processes the data and produces an inertia metric that can be viewed via the GridMetrix® UI.

gridmetrix system

Getting more from GridMetrix®

Accurate

Our XMUs are plug and play at the distribution level, making them easy to install.

Scalable

Our XMUs are less costly than Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs) allowing the GridMetrix® service to cost-effectively cover a larger geography.

Secure

Our cloud-based platform uses the latest security measures to ensure critical data is kept safe.

Proven

Deployed and successfully demonstrated internationally with multiple TSOs with highly accurate results delivered.

XMUs That Excel

Our proprietary Extensible Measurement Units (XMUs) are proven, cost-effective and scalable devices. They enable greater grid visibility and enhanced monitoring as part of the GridMetrix® service available to Transmission System Operators and Distribution Network Operators.

Why Inertia Measurement
Is Important

Until recently, power system inertia was always estimated as there was no way to measure it. When the grid was predominantly supplied by synchronous, fossil fuel power stations all connected at the transmission level and when demand patterns were predictable, TSOs could see which power stations were running and easily estimate inertia. However, as an increasing amount of power is being produced by non-synchronous sources at the distribution level, the generation hidden from the grid operator is growing, making inertia estimates increasingly inaccurate.

In a bid to mitigate the risks associated with lack of accurate visibility, TSOs currently have little choice but to curtail renewable generation in favour of fossil fuels limiting the speed of renewable uptake. This means inertia models are no longer fit for purpose – and to enable a safe and cost-effective transition to an energy mix characterised by increasing amounts of renewable generation, it is crucial that TSOs have a real-time view of system inertia.

Grid

“National Grid is proud to be at the forefront of the energy revolution as we enable the uptake of renewable generation…being part of this innovative project to continuously measure inertia will improve our understanding of how to monitor grid stability in a changing energy environment.”

Duncan Burt Director of System Operations at National Grid ESO

Product Vision

We will continue to expand the benefits offered by GridMetrix® by incorporating the latest big data techniques and providing even more detailed and predictive inertia services.

GridMetrix®

The World’s First Inertia Measurement Service