Concept and principles of smart grid configuration management

The reliability of power supply to consumers directly depends on the configuration of the power supply network and the efficiency of its management. At the same time, under the configuration, different authors understand the scheme of the electric network, the location of elements in conjunction with their technical characteristics, and other parameters of the electric network. There is no single interpretation of this concept, and therefore there is no single classification of electric networks by their configuration. Therefore, the article offers an interpretation of the concepts "configuration of the electric network", "configuration management of the electric network". The possibilities of controlling the configuration of electric networks and the effects obtained from the control are considered. The basic principles of configuration management of 0.4 kV electric networks implemented within the framework of the concept of intelligent electric networks based on the use of multi-contact switching systems are presented. Among the principles are ensuring observability, network manageability, configuration flexibility, network segmentation, as well as network equipment intellectualization and integration into the economy. The application of the proposed configuration management principles can improve the efficiency of power supply systems for consumers, reduce the damage caused by undersupply of electricity by reducing the number and duration of interruptions in power supply, deviations in power quality indicators, and by increasing the availability of energy infrastructure.