Power system reliability

The power system reliability (sometimes grid reliability) is the probability of a normal operation of the electrical grid at a given time. Reliability indices characterize the ability of the electrical system to supply customers with electricity as needed[1] by measuring the frequency, duration, and scale of supply interruptions.[2] Traditionally two interdependent components of the power system reliability are considered:[1]

  • power system adequacy, a presence in the system of sufficient amounts of generation and transmission capacity;
  • power system security (also called operational reliability[3]), an ability of the system to withstand real-time contingencies (adverse events, e.g., an unexpected loss of generation capacity).[4]

Ability of the system to limit the scale and duration of a power interruption is called resiliency. The same term is also used to describe the reaction of the system to the truly catastrophic events.[4]

  1. ^ a b Heylen et al. 2018, p. 22.
  2. ^ Heylen et al. 2018, p. 21.
  3. ^ Prada 2017, p. 5.
  4. ^ a b Geocaris 2022.