Smart Wire Demonstration Project

That's why TVA has been an early supporter and now hosts a demonstration of Smart Wire Grid Inc. technology, which is designed to provide congestion relief by redistributing power flow.

TVA has installed 99 Smart Wire units covering 17 tower spans on a 161-kV transmission line near Knoxville, Tenn. These units convert the existing transmission system into a smart asset that can bring extensive monitoring capability, regulate power flow and effectively shift overloads to underused portions of the network.

The units can be installed or redeployed to meet changing demands and contain a high-performance control, sensing and communications module.

The demonstration project is sponsored by the National Electric Energy Testing, Research and Applications Center (NEETRAC) and includes the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency—Electric (ARPA-E) and Smart Wire Grid Inc.

This demonstration project will give the team performance data that should support widespread Smart Wire technology deployment, allowing TVA's grid to carry more power, reduce potential overloads, support the integration of renewable generation, lower maintenance costs and possibly defer line upgrades.