Architecture

The Architecture of the COMPILE project is as follows:

The three tools (GridRule, HomeRule and ComPilot) share the same architecture in terms of data ingestion, storage, and access, as well as the environment where they are deployed.

The GUIs of the tools are developed in Meteor [169], with some back-end services created using alternate technologies (e.g. Python [170], Scala [171]). All these different applications are deployed into a Linux [172] machine using Docker [173]. The tools rely on two repositories for data: MongoDB [174] for real-time and status data, and InfluxDB [175] for historical data. Both databases are nourished with information coming from field devices (SLAMs [176], smart meters, sensors, etc.) that generally use MQTT [177] to report their information, while other services (such as forecasts) send their results via AMQP [178]. In both cases, RabbitMQ [179] is the messaging platform used to enhance the communication between elements.

The deployment of the different elements of the system is orchestrated by ETRA in a virtual machine in the cloud with the following settings (as of March 2020):

• CPU: 4 cores,
• 8 GB RAM,
• 50 GB HD,
• Linux Ubuntu 18.04.1 LTS

The different settings of the virtual machine will be upgraded as required by the necessities of the project.

What is HomeRule?

COMPILE’s HomeRule is an energy building management application enhanced with new algorithms for co-optimization of different technologies and energy vectors to better manage consumption, production, stored energy, etc. of users. The tool contains the sections described below.

Check also the HomeRule subpage.

Dashboard

The user can view here all the monitored buildings with their name, description, address and some KPIs based on information from the last 30 days: total demand, production, percentages of self-consumption, and self-sufficiency. You can click to see the details of each one (the view is further explained in the Buildings section).

Buildings

Map

The buildings are displayed as markers on a map. When you click on a building with the zoom off, it will zoom in and centre on the map. By clicking again, the building will split into the different monitored elements it contains. Finally, a new click on one of these elements will display a pop-up window with its details and measurements.

Overview

This section contains three tabs to show a summary of data in the last 48 hours and 30 days for each building and their sensors, focusing on energy consumption, energy production, and electrical measurements.

Analytics

This section provides detailed information of each building managed in the portfolio. Selecting one of the buildings in the tree on the left, an overview of the metrics for the current month are displayed, including information on energy demand, production, and price, and a calendar with the energy demand distribution during a week.

Monitoring

This section allows the user to display a very customizable chart by selecting the desired monitored assets, metrics, and date range.

Calendar

The user can add events to this calendar by selecting the applicable assets and dates, as well as edit or delete existing ones. Two types of event are considered by the application:

• Use: Registers the use of an element of the building (e.g. the lighting in a room) to be considered when calculating the flexibility of the different actuators in the building.
• Action: Schedules a command to be sent at a specific time to the selected actuator (e.g. set the HVAC to 23 °C).

Tariffs

Periods

In this section, the user can create period rules selecting the desired time or date range and adding exceptions such as weekends, holidays, etc. These rules may be used in the following section.

Tariffs

Here a tariff can be created. A tariff consists of assigning a price to each period defined in a rule.

Optimization

Tariff

Based on energy measurements coming from the buildings, the present section allows comparing these measurements to all the tariffs defined in the application, in order to assess whether the one selected associated with the building is the most optimal one or if choosing a different one would present better economical results.

Notifications

In this section, all historical notifications from the application are presented in the queryable form.

What is GridRule?

COMPILE’s GridRule helps actors that aim to operate, control and manage a microgrid in a way to improve its flexibility, stability and security. It includes functionalities specific for EnC needs, taking into consideration users’ preferences, detailed prediction of their consumption, as well as the interaction with different actors in the community. The tool contains seven sections.

Check also the GridRule subpage.

Dashboard

This section displays some general data regarding the current status of the grid.

• Measurements of the grid: three charts with information from the last 24 hours, including:
  • Header substation power flow, where you can identify the overall energy demand from the grid,
  • RES production, with the exact production of renewable energy injected into the grid and
  • Local energy mix, where you can identify the amount of imported energy to the grid that corresponds to renewable or non-renewable sources.
• Forecasted congestions: a list of identified congestion problems in the grid in the near future, which will require actions in order to be mitigated.
• Weather: this subsection displays current weather data such as temperature, wind speed, cloud coverage…

Map

By expanding the dropdown menu at the top right, you can select and see the following items on the map:

• Elements: lines, substations, usage points locations, renewables.
• Maintenance: active phone calls, active incidents, field crew.

By clicking on any item, you will navigate to the detail screen of that element.

An alternate view of the substations and lines is available, which provides a colour-based association of these two types of elements, to identify which LV lines are connected to which substation.

MV network

In this section, different representations of the topology of the grid are available. You can use the tabs to switch between e.g. a synoptic diagram of the grid, a detailed single-line diagram, etc. For some diagrams, the status of the different elements shown on it is represented with a colour scheme.

RT monitoring

In this section, real time measurements (P and Q per substation) read from the SCADA system are represented graphically in a grid topology schematic. A colour gradient from “cold” (blue) to “hot” (red) is used to represent the status of each substation. When clicking on a specific substation, the actual values are shown on the left.

Power flows

The representation in this section is similar to the one in RT monitoring, but using as inputs the results of the 3-phase power flow calculation. In this case, the graphical representation involves the buses, whose load is represented based on their technical restriction data. When clicking on a specific bus, the results of the 3-phase power flow for the element are shown on the left.

Grid elements

Tree map

This section presents the topology of the network in a hierarchical (“tree”) visualization. Using the definition of the topology as defined in Common Information Language (CIM), all elements of the grid (lines, segments, terminals, substations, transformers, etc.), their properties, and their restrictions are accessible in a relational view. Additionally, those elements that can be represented geographically will be shown in the accompanying map when clicked on the tree.

Assets

As a complement to the previous visualization, all elements of the grid defined in the CIM topology and their properties can be queried in the current section.

Usage points locations

A split screen is displayed with a map on the left side and a table on the right side, where the locations of the buildings of end users connected to the grid are listed.

By clicking on any row of the table or an element in the map, the details of the selected location are displayed, with the possibility of accessing the data of each individual usage point, included real-time data of the meter if it has been integrated into GridRule and associated to the usage point.

Meters

All smart meters integrated into the application, as well as other sources of real-time data (e.g. SCADA signals) are listed in the current section.

By clicking on one of the displayed rows, the detailed information on the meter is presented in a series of tabs, including:

• General information: static information of the meter, including its type, model, rated current and voltage, etc.

• Associated element: Element of the grid that the meter is reading measurements from, e.g. substation transformer, usage point, RES, etc. When the meter is associated to an element, the details of the element are shown in the subsection; otherwise, an interface to create the association is shown.

• Configuration: Shows the parameters of the meter, related to its manufacturing, installation, and other activities related to the lifecycle of the device.

• Measures: Shows in graphical representation the real-time and historical measurements received from the meter. Depending on the type of device, the list of metrics represented may vary.

Grid maintenance

This section is divided into different subsections. Note that while Incidents, Calls, and Works are elements with their own entity, they can be related to each other so that an incident can have multiple associated calls or works.

Summary

Two tables are displayed with the active incidents and work being carried out.

Phone calls

The registered calls are shown. You can add new calls and edit existing ones (to change any field or mark it as completed).

Incidents

A table with registered incidents is displayed and it is possible to add and edit them. In the details page, you can also associate existing calls and works, and add related hazards.

Works

A table with current and past works required to mitigate the registered incidents. The details of each of the works and its associated tasks can be accessed, as well as the assigned workers.

Field crew

The list of workers is shown in a table. The details of each employee can be queried, as well as their list of assigned works and their current location (when available).

Ancillary services

A list of active and finished demand response campaigns is presented. The details of each campaign, including the required flexibility, associated cost, and negotiation details is available.

What is ComPilot?

COMPILE’s ComPilot is a digital platform that allows the creation of Virtual Social Energy Communities in order to help cooperatives or other communities manage their operation. With the help of ComPilot we aim at showing innovative approaches to activating more members of EnC through various functionalities of this socio-technological platform. The tool contains seven sections.

Check also the ComPilot subpage.

Dashboard

This section provides a quick overview of community energy demand and production, both overall and per group of users.

Monitoring

This section allows the user to display a very customizable chart by selecting the desired customer, metrics, and date range.

Map

A heat map is shown to easily see the areas of highest energy demand or production. Additionally, by clicking on a member, all the detailed information on their contract is provided.

Analytics

Group analytics

This section provides useful metrics from a subset of members that belong to the same group, have the same tags, or have been classified in the same cluster with previously defined criteria. Based on this group of members and a selected period, information on their performance as a whole is provided, including energy demand and production, CO₂ emissions, and energy cost.

Individual analytics

In this section, the information provided compares the performance of an individual member with regards to the group they belong to.

Clusters

Here the application creates a number of clusters from a given criteria (e.g. energy demand at specific times of the day). This provides very useful information about the Energy Community and they can also be used for the generation of a group and individual analytics.

Market

Energy trade

Some information is provided regarding market price, energy mix, and the forecast and actual energy demand and production in the selected period.

Ancillary services market

In this section, a list of active and historical demand response campaigns, where part or the whole portfolio have participated in, can be queried and access to their details.

Contracts

In this section, the users of the Energy Community can be managed, including data such as their associated smart meter, a secondary one to control its production or a battery when applicable, the tariff applied to their consumption, the group they belong to, etc.

Tariffs

Periods

In this section, the user can create period rules selecting the desired time or date range and adding exceptions such as weekends, holidays, etc. These rules may be used in the following section.

Tariffs

Here a tariff can be created. A tariff consists of assigning a price to each period defined in a rule. Tariffs managed by the application can be assigned to the members in order to calculate their economical information.

What is ValueTool?

Coming soon!

ValueTool is one of the COMPILE project tools that help the consumers to obtain the costs and benefits of installing PV panels to their building and so to simulate the investment.

The return of investment can be obtained in just a few steps and with the data provided on your latest electricity bill.

What is EVrule?

Coming soon!

EVrule is a EV management platform that will be enhanced with the algorithms for prediction of EV user behaviour and household’s consumption and upgraded to enable communication with GridRule. The development of charging algorithms for EnC will include fair redistribution of power available for charging to all EV users and other different charging options, like asking for a priority charge in case of network constraints.