Virtualized Services in Smart Grids
How can the technological implementation of scalable and flexible services in smart grids be achieved at the substation level?
The energy transition and the increasing decentralization of power generation necessitate the involvement of distribution networks in addressing the challenges of planning and controlling the electricity system. This requires the adoption of suitable monitoring and control mechanisms and is closely linked to the ongoing digitalization of the energy sector. The integration of information and communication technologies (ICT) has led to a cyber-physical energy systems (CPES).
A CPES combines the physical components of the energy system with computational technologies and networks. Within such a system, sensors, actuators, and control systems are deployed to capture, transmit, and analyse data regarding the state and operation of the energy system. This data serves as the foundation for providing functionalities and services at the distribution network level, which contribute to improved system management and enhanced ancillary services. These services, often referred to as grid service, include, for instance, state estimation, protection functions, voltage regulation, and redispatch measures.
Traditional local substations within distribution networks require manual interventions and offer limited data and control capabilities. In contrast, modern digital substations enable more precise and automated system management through real-time data transmission and remote monitoring. The increased flexibility and adaptability of digital technologies support more efficient operations and the optimization of grid services. Paradigms such as edge, cloud, and fog computing have become integral components of modern digital systems. These paradigms address the required flexibility and adaptability through concepts such as virtualization, orchestration, and process management. Figure 1 provides a schematic representation of a CPES with virtualized Services (VF) at the edge of the energy system.
Flagship Projects
i-Automate and i-Autonomous
The projects i-Automate and i-Autonomous addresses the virtualized provision, orchestration, and management of services at the substation level. The project used core technologies such as containerization using Docker or CRI-O, along with Kubernetes as orchestration software, and tests these on industrial hardware within a "hardware-in-the-loop" approach.
Additionally, applications of existing engineering processes, such as IEC 61850, challenged to perform automated approaches to them. This includes extending the IEC 61850 standard description language with new elements and experimenting with automated approaches for fully automated service selection, configuration, parameterization, and execution on distributed devices.
The overarching goal is to enhance transparency, controllability, and resilience in smart grids through the flexible deployment of virtualized services. Current and future work focuses on adapting digital paradigms to the needs of smart grids.
Contact
Selected Publications
- Virtualisation and management technologies of smart substations
- A novel software applications rollout and monitoring strategy for enabling the transition to electromobility in future smart grids
- Automated integration process of future automation and monitoring systems in distribution grids
- A comprehensive analysis of threats and countermeasures in virtualized cyber-physical energy systems
- Real-time Test Platform for Enabling Grid Service Virtualisation in Cyber Physical Energy System
Persons 
A
Sharaf Aldin Alsharif
E-Mail: sharaf.aldin.alsharif(at)offis.de, Phone: +49 441 9722-748, Room: Flx-E
K
Dr.-Ing. Jirapa Kamsamrong
E-Mail: jirapa.kamsamrong(at)offis.de, Phone: +49 441 9722-233, Room: E85
O
S
Publications
2025
Load-shifting for cost, carbon, and grid benefits: A model-driven adaptive survey with German and Swiss households
Matteo Barsanti and Jan Sören Schwarz and Faten Ghali and Selin Yilmaz and Sebastian Lehnhoff and Claudia R. Binder; Energy Research & Social Science; 01 / 2025
2024
How can Aggregators Improve the TSO-DSO-Customer Coordination in Digitalised Power Systems?
Otte, Marcel and Kamsamrong, Jirapa and Lehnhoff, Sebastian; ISGAN 2024; July / 2024
A Toolbox for Design of Experiments for Energy Systems in Co-Simulation and Hardware Tests
Schwarz, Jan Sören and Perez, Leonard Enrique Ramos and Pham, Minh Cong and Heussen, Kai and Tran, Quoc Tuan; 2024 Open Source Modelling and Simulation of Energy Systems (OSMSES); 09 / 2024
Challenges in Transitioning from Co-simulation to Practical Application: A Case Study on Economic Emission Dispatch in a Greenhouse Compartment
Clausen, Christian Skafte Beck and Lehnhoff, Sebastian and Schwarz, Jan Sören and Jørgensen, Bo Nørregaard and Ma, Zheng Grace; Energy Informatics; 2024
Enhancing Smart Grid Resilience: An Educational Approach to Smart Grid Cybersecurity Skill Gap Mitigation
Pirta-Dreimane, Rūta, Andrejs Romanovs, Jana Bikovska, Jānis Pekša, Tero Vartiainen, Maria Valliou, Jirapa Kamsamrong, and Bahaa Eltahawy; Energies; April / 2024
Hardware-in-The-Loop-Based Validation of Distribution System Control Applications with Grid Operators, Customer and Market Participants
Otte, Marcel and Krüger, Carsten and Das, Pratyush and Rohjans, Sebastian and Lehnhoff, Sebastian; Energy Informatics Academy Conference; October / 2024
Poster Abstract: Coordinating the Heterogeneity of Aggregators in Digitalised Power Systems
Otte, Marcel; DACH+ Conference on Energy Informatics 2024; October / 2024
Poster Abstract: Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation Environment for Validating Distribution System Control Applications
Otte, Marcel and Krüger, Carsten and Das, Pratyush and Rohjans, Sebastian and Lehnhoff, Sebastian; DACH+ Conference on Energy Informatics 2024; October / 2024
Scaling Analysis in a Multi-Energy System
Schwarz, Jan Soeren and Pham, Minh Cong and Tran, Quoc Tuan and Heussen, Kai; 2023 Asia Meeting on Environment and Electrical Engineering (EEE-AM); 01 / 2024
2023
Automated integration process of future automation and monitoring systems in distribution grids
Raczka, Sebastian and Puhe, Frederik and Krueger, Carsten and Arph, Jan and Rehtanz, Christian; ETG Congress 2023; Juli / 2023
