Building a low-voltage SCADA system

Why traditional practices are no longer enough for operating low-voltage grids

As the energy transition moves forward, low-voltage grids operate closer and closer to capacity, requiring a new approach to low-voltage grid operation. That is why greater transparency and digitization in low-voltage grid operation are not just desirable, but indispensable.

Especially considering that low-voltage grids have around a hundred times more assets than medium-voltage grids. This is why low-voltage grid operation requires mass processes: Vast volumes of data must be processed and evaluated continuously, and then translated into concrete actions.

All of this leads to clear requirements for a future-proof low-voltage SCADA system:

Scalability: Integration of rapidly changing, high-volume data from different sources
Selectivity: Selection of relevant information from large volumes of data depending on the situation
Automation: A high degree of automation and fallback strategies for deviations from the standard process (e. g., when measurement data is unavailable)
Fault detection and resolution: Detection and analysis of faults, grid issues, and outages

In addition, the energy transition is creating various regulatory requirements around the observability and controllability of grid-connected assets:

Distribution grid operators might need to be able to adjust consumption when grid conditions require intervention.
Certain generation assets might need to be observable and remotely controllable so that their output can be adjusted when necessary.
Grid operators might need to be able to verify regularly that relevant generation and storage assets can actually be reached and controlled when required.

Meeting these requirements calls for a consistent data foundation, reliable interfaces and automated processes. However, the existing infrastructure does not provide the level of transparency and flexibility required to implement these requirements in a structured way.

Without a new approach, low-voltage grid operation will become increasingly inefficient and, in extreme cases, even unsafe. Meeting these growing operational requirements takes more than piecemeal technical upgrades. What is needed is a fundamentally new approach to a control system specifically designed for the challenges of low-voltage grid operation.

One of the central goals is ensuring security of supply. Real-time data is essential for detecting potential disturbances early and resolving them quickly. This allows grid operators to work more efficiently while maintaining a stable power supply.

Only a control system that can meet these requirements can support the complex operation of low-voltage grids efficiently while also ensuring compliance with regulatory and operational requirements.

What is low-voltage SCADA?

Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems are a type of control system that form the backbone of modern medium- and high-voltage grid operation. They are essential for operating power grids, enabling remote monitoring, data acquisition, and control of various processes. However, these systems cannot simply be applied to low-voltage grids without adaptation, as the focus and modes of operation differ significantly between voltage levels.

While traditional SCADA systems are designed for real-time control and monitoring of individual assets in medium- and high-voltage grids, what counts in low-voltage grid operation is quantity and quality, as the low-voltage level is characterized by severely fragmented grids and a large number of secondary substations and other assets. Manual monitoring is neither practical nor economically viable — especially given increasing staff shortages.

In a SCADA context, high- and low-voltage grids also differ significantly with regard to technical, organizational, and process-related factors. For example, individual measures are far more critical in high-voltage grids than they are in low-voltage grids. In addition, the volume and dynamics of processed data are relatively low in high-voltage grids, whereas the opposite is true in low-voltage grids.

The fragmented data landscape increases the complexity of a low-voltage SCADA system even further: Different systems, data formats, and few standardized interfaces make it challenging to establish a consistent grid model. At the same time, new PV systems, heat pumps, and charging stations continuously impact grid infrastructure, driving greater decentralization and increasing grid dynamics — resulting in a rapidly changing grid state. Consequently, data originates from a wide range of sources and changes quickly, yet still needs to be tracked and processed in a logical way.

The solution: a digital twin of the grid infrastructure. The digital twin serves as a consistent, digital grid model and is therefore a key requirement for building an intelligent SCADA system for low-voltage grid operation. Automated grid operation is only possible if data can be merged, located, and assessed based on its relevance to the grid. Achieving this requires more than simply applying medium- and high-voltage control system concepts to low-voltage grids. A low-voltage SCADA system requires its own dedicated approach.

Scalable and intelligent LV SCADA in response to new requirements

This is exactly where a smart solution comes into play: With a digital twin of the grid, the Intelligent Grid Platform (IGP) provides the required transparency and enables intelligent control of distributed energy resources. As the central element of a low-voltage SCADA system, the digital twin not only represents the current grid state but also enables real-time, data-driven decision-making.

Thanks to its modular app architecture, the IGP serves as the key component of decision-making processes at the interface between planning and operations. It provides the necessary tools that make up a modern and, above all, scalable low-voltage SCADA system.

Integrating the IGP into existing operational processes establishes a true platform approach with a high degree of automation, an intelligent operating concept, and a strong focus on operational scalability.

Connecting PlanOps and LV SCADA – synergies and benefits

Low-voltage grids require more than just a control system. The real breakthrough comes from fully linking it with automated processes and consistent grid models. And this is exactly where envelio's PlanOps approach comes into play:

While the low-voltage SCADA system provides the necessary data foundation and automation, PlanOps ensures that grid planning and operation are fully integrated. This creates seamless, continuous digital workflows — from connection assessment and grid capacity evaluation to strategic grid planning and day-to-day operations.
A low-voltage SCADA system supports not only day-to-day control, but also recurring verification processes. This includes systematically recording controllability checks, asset responses and relevant master data, documenting the results transparently and integrating them into existing operational workflows. A shared data foundation also makes it easier to evaluate larger portfolios of generation and storage assets.
Real-time data from the control system is directly integrated into the digital twin, enabling grid operators to continuously align their planning decisions with actual grid conditions. This allows grid operators to identify congestion and operational needs early and to prioritize and implement appropriate measures in a targeted way. As a result, decision-making becomes faster and more data-driven, process efficiency improves significantly, and grid operation becomes more agile overall.

Less grid expansion, more grid security

A low-voltage SCADA system forms the foundation for flexible, secure, and efficient grid operations at the low-voltage level.

The key benefits at a glance:

Detect congestion early and address it effectively: State estimation identifies critical grid conditions at an early stage and supports the selection and implementation of appropriate control and remedial actions.
Expand the grid where it is actually needed: State estimation provides recommendations for prioritizing grid expansion measures.
Increase security of supply: Real-time data enables grid operators to respond to incidents quickly.
Integrate regulatory processes: Support congestion-based control of flexible loads and distributed generation, as well as monitoring, verification, and documentation requirements for controllable generation and storage assets.
Create scalable processes: High levels of automation and clear interfaces make it easier to scale operational processes across the grid area.

Conclusion: The transformation in low-voltage grid operation calls for new systems and new ways of thinking

Today, the common statement "I know my grids" is only partially true at the low-voltage level. Increasing volumes of data and high dynamics in grid utilization require new ways of thinking. The key lies in integrated processes that connect planning and operations, as envelio's PlanOps approach demonstrates. In low-voltage grids, grid operations increasingly rely on mass processes that are nearly impossible to manage without a high degree of automation. Treating planning and operations as separate concepts overlooks important interdependencies, especially when evaluating and using measurement data.

This is where the PlanOps approach comes into play, seamlessly integrating processes and consistently linking planning and operations. In this way, a modern and scalable low-voltage SCADA system shifts the perspective on grid operations — away from simple monitoring and toward integrated grid operations, where state estimation, control, controllability checks, and documentation are closely interconnected.

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