Analysis of the Inclusion of Smart Grids Technology in the Colombian Electric Power

Abstract – The incorporation of Smart Grid technologies into the national electric power system involves the updating and modification of operating characteristics, legislation and regulations, among others. This article initially presents an overview of the concept of Smart Grids and its relationship with Micro-grids Then, an analysis of the available potential energy for the implementation of renewable energy systems in the country is provided, and finally of the current policies related to Smart Grids and how they promote or inhibit the consolidation and development of these technologies are discussed. Additionally, a compilation of the most important projects related to the promotion and research of these technologies in others countries and Colombia is presented as well. 1 Keywords – Energy policies, Micro-grids, Renewable energies, Smart grids, Colombian Electric Power System. I. I NTRODUCTION HE steady increase in electricity use in Colombia, mainly due to the growth of cities, is a major challenge for the national electricity system, which requires the implementation of new projects of generation, transmission and distribution to meet the required demand [1]. A key strategy to meet this challenge is the development of Smart Grids (SGs), which are in the process of rapid global consolidation. The SGs are intended to manage generation and consumption facilities for specific applications in order to supply energy maximizing available resources and integrating distributed energy resources (DER) from conventional and non-conventional generation systems [1].