Network Automation, Network Optimising Functions and Markets are on everybody’s mind today. These concepts are expected to enable network operations that are as permissive as to the use of the network as possible, in part by utilizing not only network assets, but also customer and market participants’ resources to optimally manage their operational states. What is often overlooked is how to determine the operational state. This is where the concept of State Estimation comes into play, a set of techniques aiming at estimating the most likely operational state of a monitored network from available measurement data.

On Transmission System level this is a well-proven technique and has serves as the foundation of a wide range of efficiency-driving assessment and optimisation functions, with the most visible optimisation system being the electricity market that optimises the deployment of generation units under the operational constraints of the network. Similar techniques are envisioned for the Distribution System, with concepts like a Distribution System Operator, or Network Optimising Markets being proposed. As on Transmission System level these techniques will, again, require an adequate understanding of the network operational state, which will most probably be delivered by a State Estimation system again. And these State Estimation systems are currently being developed and tested, with one of the most advanced trials currently taking place in Australia.

This presentation will discuss the strategic importance of State Estimation systems, briefly introduce the key mathematical challenges in bringing these well-understood techniques to Distribution Systems and present the project scope and preliminary results from a cooperative project between Australian universities, peak power industry bodies and three Distribution Network Service Providers implementing and integrating a prototype application of Distribution State Estimation into their real networks.