POWERING SUBSTATIONS: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

The transmission grid consists of interconnected substations and power lines enabling the flow of energy from generation sources to distribution centers. Auxiliary services, essential for the supervision, control, and protection of the transmission network, are typically powered by internal sources (tertiary winding), external sources (distribution grid) or by diesel generators. This work presents a comparative analysis between the traditional diesel generator and an innovative solution consisting of lithium-ion batteries coupled with photovoltaic generation. Employing HOMER PRO, technical and economic assessments were conducted. Although the renewable system incurs a higher initial investment, it exhibits significantly lower operational costs and environmental impact. This alternative offers great potential for use, especially in substations without availability of internal power sources or those far from the distribution grid.