As the energy transition progresses, the need for grid expansion grows and grid planning becomes more complex. Key challenges include:
- Grid planning becomes a process at scale, as the grid needs to be expanded more often, pushing manual planning processes to their limits.
- Identifying viable solutions has become significantly more complex, as there are more alternatives to choose from than ever, making detailed variant evaluations difficult.
- A fragmented tooling landscape and inconsistent data make creating, using and maintaining long-term grids even more difficult.
- Mounting regulatory pressure increases the need for digital and systematic grid expansion planning.
In this context, grid operators are obliged to predictively determine the use of flexibilities and optimize planning processes. Endless Excel spreadsheets won't do the job anymore. The potential of optimization-focused grid expansion planning remains untapped as well. There's a lack of an efficient end-to-end process that unites strategic and operational planning.
A bidirectional integration into operational grid planning bridges this exact gap: Long-term grids can be seamlessly integrated into operational planning processes and further refined. At the same time, operational insights feed back into strategic planning, creating validated, implementable and up-to-date long-term grids.
Instead of separate solutions, the envelio app Strategic Grid Planning provides an end-to-end, data-driven process and helps you optimize your grid infrastructure by prioritizing optimization over reinforcement and expansion, powered by AI and a self-learning algorithm. Thanks to a combination of automated analyses and manual adjustment features, strategic grid planning is now easier and more flexible than ever.
What you can use the Strategic Grid Planning app for
The app enables you to create technically valid and economically optimized long-term grids across several study years for the entire MV grid area, compare different measures transparently and prioritize sets of measures according to technical, regulatory and economic criteria.
Creation & management of long-term grids at the medium-voltage level
Your workflow starts in a central overview of all long-term grid projects. Using filters (e.g., by year, grid area or editing status) or the search feature, projects can be found quickly. Your most recently edited long-term grids can be accessed right away.
The process of creating a new long-term grid begins with selecting the current grid state, defining the target year and, optionally, importing a supply scenario from an existing grid study.
The scenario can be created manually in the IGP or automatically via an API. In both cases, users can apply automated distribution methods and assign new consumers or generators to specific nodes. All saved planning states are versioned, including the history and documentation of decision processes.
AI-based algorithm for creating optimal long-term grid variants
To evaluate possible long-term grid variants efficiently, heuristic methods are combined with technical simulations. The AI-based algorithm continuously learns from each planning scenario: It systematically analyzes successful grid expansion strategies, recognizes patterns and dependencies between different expansion measures and uses these insights to generate increasingly precise solutions with each iteration.
A learning-based probability distribution ensures that only the most technically and economically promising options are simulated and validated. This way, there is a solid balance between the required computational effort and the quality of the results, which is especially relevant when dealing with large grid areas and complex planning scenarios.
Easy and flexible study year analysis (e.g., 2030, 2035, 2045)
With the Strategic Grid Planning app, study year analyses can be based on one another in order to methodically develop long-term expansion paths. The result is a consistent picture of the grid's development across different time horizons — from the early identification of future expansion needs and the evaluation of alternative development paths to deriving sound investment decisions in line with regulatory requirements.
Best- and worst-case scenarios can be simulated by flexibly switching between different supply tasks for defined study years. New insights can also be integrated into the underlying supply scenarios at any time. This way, the study year analysis becomes an integral part of a strategic grid planning approach that is scalable, transparent and compliant with all relevant regulations.
Transparent analysis, evaluation, and manual fine-tuning of automated measures
Suggested measures that are automatically created by the algorithm are visualized in the result view. There, they can be used for structural analyses. Individual measures or entire groups of measures can be flexibly adjusted, grouped or reprioritized within the planning timeline.
In addition, you can compare different long-term grid variants and seamlessly include them in downstream planning or decision processes. The result: An efficient combination of automation and planning expertise.
Already convinced? Then contact us for more information and a live walk-through:
Here's how the Strategic Grid Planning app supports you in your work:
Automation of complex planning processes
Efficient and transparent grid optimization thanks to algorithmic analysis and automated variant creation.
Cost-effective and robust expansion decisions
Systematic evaluations that prioritize grid optimization before reinforcement and expansion. Technically validated and economically viable sets of measures.
Auditability and regulatory compliance
Versioning, documentation and standardized exports make it easier to meet regulatory requirements.
Free Live-Demo
Whether it’s grid connection checks, grid planning, or monitoring – experience in a personalized live demo how our platform helps you actively tackle the challenges of the energy transition.
Simply fill out the form and choose your preferred time slot – you’ll receive an instant confirmation email. Please note that we will check the availability of our team and may follow up with an alternative if no sales manager is available at the selected time.
