QUEST - an overarching system control solution: operational trials

QUEST is an innovation project led by Electricity North West Limited (ENWL), a UK Distribution Network Operator (DNO). The QUEST project solution co-ordinates different network control systems, arbitrating between control decisions and avoiding undesirable conflict when delivering autonomous smart functions of Voltage Optimisation, Active Network Management (ANM)/Constraint Management and Conservation Voltage Reduction. In this paper, ENWL and Smarter Grid Solutions (SGS) have evaluated the QUEST solution further via a simulated operational trial. The simulated operational trial focuses on four different scenarios, allowing evaluation of both existing and potential control methods, managed by QUEST and applied to existing and potential network development scenarios. Key outputs show how QUEST has enabled confirmation of potential smart functions of Voltage Optimisation; ANM/Constraint Management and Conservation Voltage Reduction; delivered to emulated network scenarios within a simulated environment. Forecasting the impact of deploying existing and future control principles and quantifying their impact on network operation and performance across network development scenarios. Preparation of the Digital-Twin to consume real-time data to compare and contrast outputs from the Digital-Twin against the live QUEST environment. Furthermore, the key outputs were completed in preparation to compare and contrast QUEST within a live trial environment.