Siemens 2014 Annual Report Download - page 41

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The amount of power being consumed and
generated worldwide is continually increas-
ing. The share of electricity in the energy mix
is on the rise, as is the percentage of power
being produced from renewable, decentral-
ized sources. The greatly fluctuating feed-in
from renewables is a further burden for grids
that are already overloaded. Leveraging
its worldwide experience in designing and
operating grids, Siemens develops intelligent
solutions that better integrate power grids
under such conditions and make them smarter.
An IT revolution has begun in the area of
power grids: information and communica-
tion technologies are boosting security of
supply and enhancing the efficiency of grid
infrastructure operations. At the same time,
grid control software and company software
are becoming increasingly integrated,
opening up new business models for utili-
ties. Siemens offers the energy industry a
complete range of products, solutions and
services from a single source – from grid
protection, automation, planning, control,
monitoring and diagnostics systems to
products and turnkey solutions.
Smart grids are being implemented or planned world-
wide as an energy-efficient, ecofriendly solution for the
reliable supply of power. This complex undertaking
requires new strategies and partnerships, innovative
technologies and tailor-made solutions. As one of the
world’s largest providers in the industry, Siemens offers
a comprehensive portfolio of products, solutions and
services that support energy producers, grid operators
and power utilities.
A smart grid for Brazil
The transformation of Brazil’s power system into a smart grid has been driven
primarily by a consortium comprising Brazil’s Electrical Energy Research Center
(CEPEL) and Siemens. Our Company was selected as a partner for the project on
the basis of its virtually unparalleled experience in designing and implementing
smart grid applications worldwide.
Initial planning for the new system in Brazil began in . In , the country’s
national grid operator, ONS, commissioned the project. Known as REGER, the
system integrates five energy management systems as well as four regional oper-
ating centers into a nationwide power grid.
REGER is one of the safest, most advanced and most reliable systems implemented
to date. Brazil has thus closed the gap to the world’s leading industrialized nations
and paved the way for the ongoing growth of its economy and infrastructure.
Intelligent grids: the key to saving electricity
The development of intelligent grids is one of the key challenges of the future
for the global energy industry. For the first time, the unilateral flow of energy is
being transformed into a multidimensional exchange of energy and information.
Intelligent and networked energy systems are complex – not only in design, but
also in operation. But there’s also a payoff: the systems offer far more than just
a failsafe power supply. Advanced Smart Metering solutions make it possible,
for example, to balance generation and consumption more closely while manag-
ing – and not merely reacting to – the demand for power. They also enable grid
operators to provide pricing incentives to customers who save electricity during
periods of high demand or shift their consumption to off-peak periods. The advan-
tages – flattened demand peaks and improved customer behavior – enhance
energy efficiency, particularly for decentralized power plants and large-scale
consumers, while ultimately making a further active contribution to environmen-
tal protection by increasing the share of renewables.