A Weather Aided State Estimator for power systems with integrated variable energy resources

In recent years, the penetration of renewable energy sources has increased, thus coupling the power grid to the variability of weather patterns. These variable energy resources (VERs) have the potential to raise the vulnerability of the power grid after sudden changes of weather. Given these new power grid behaviors, the goal becomes to provide the operator with a greater level of situational awareness. This work proposes a methodology to enhance the core of the Energy Management system - the state estimator. Traditional state estimation (SE) is combined with weather forecast data to provide the operator with an understanding of the system behavior a step into the future. This 'Weather-Aided State Estimator' can enhance the system operator's reaction to weather events with advanced notice and forewarning; enabling greater reliability of power grids with a high penetration of VERs. The paper outlines the methodology to implement the WASE along with results to illustrate the information which can be provided to the operator.