Power system resilience and strategies for a sustainable infrastructure: A review

Abstract

The increasing occurrence of severe vulnerabilities, such as natural catastrophes and man-made attacks, has resulted in a corresponding rise in power outages on a global scale. Given the growing recognition of such exceptional occurrences, there is a pressing need to examine the matters pertaining to resilience and the mitigation of risks. This study presents a comprehensive overview of the current state-of-the-art in power system resiliency, as well as an exploration of the measures required to ensure a sustainable environment.These instances of measures include resilience by enabling localized generation and distribution of electricity,diversification of energy resources, withstanding of severe weather conditions, cyberattacks and enabling communities to proactively address the consequences of power outages. There are multiple approaches to bolstering resiliency, which aim to facilitate recovery from unforeseen circumstances and promote stability in the face of uncertain events. These measures also serve to mitigate the impact of unexpected incidents such as power outages. Integrating unpredictable renewable energy sources like solar and wind power into energy networks is difficult, especially in terms of resilience. Renewable energy output fluctuates owing to weather and time of day, requiring sophisticated grid management, energy storage, and demand-response mechanisms to maintain system balance and resilience. This study elucidates the enhanced principles of power system dependability and resilience, in addition to several ways for establishing a sustainable power ecosystem. It examines the complex dynamics of risk assessment, including equipment failures, natural disasters, and human errors, to determine their likelihood and implications. Moreover, the study thoroughly examines the critical moments that occur after accidents, emphasizing the need of prompt reaction and recovery measures in reducing downtime and restoring regular operations to impacted power networks. This involves determining the fundamental reasons behind the incidents, such as whether they arise from equipment malfunctions, human mistakes, external influences like natural calamities, or cyber assaults. In addition, the report examines the efficacy of current response protocols and emergency procedures in reducing the impact of accidents and restoring regular operations to impacted electrical systems.