Understanding Balance Authority Approval
Large demand reductions on the distribution network can cause imbalances in the transmission network. Therefore, events may be subject to an additional level of approval if the total system reduction exceeds the Balance Authority threshold.
An event’s strategy type determines whether it is subject to Balance Authority checks. If the event is subject to these checks, then at the time the event is submitted, its demand reduction is compared to any other open events that are also subject to the checks. If the total reduction at any point in time exceeds the Balance Authority threshold, the event will require Balance Authority approval in addition to the normal approval process.
Balance Authority Parameters
The following parameters in the DERMS Configuration tool are used to configure Balance Authority checks.
• The BA_BREACH_APPROVAL_SUBSCRIPTION is a comma separated list of email addresses. If an event is deemed to exceed the Balance Authority threshold, then an email will be sent to this distribution list to notify that an event requires Balance Authority approval.
• The BA_BREACH_MESSAGE parameter defines the contents of the email sent to the Balance Authority approvers.
• The BA_BREACH_MESSAGE_SUBJECT parameter defines the subject of the email sent to the Balance Authority approvers.
• The BA_LOAD_IMPACT_THRESHOLD parameter defines the Balance Authority threshold in MW. This value is compared against the demand reduction of the events to determine whether the threshold has been breached.
Strategy Types
The following columns in the DERMS Configuration's Strategy Types tab defines whether an event is subject to Balance Authority checks.
• The Balance Authority Approval Required column determines whether the event should be subject to Balance Authority approval checks or not.
• The Balance Authority Notification Required column determines whether the event should trigger an email to the Balance Authority approvers if the threshold is exceeded when the event is submitted.
Note: It is possible to configure an event so that it does not require approval but will still send an email notification to the approvers.
Permissions
The following permissions in the DERMS Configuration tool's Permissions tab controls what user types can approve or deny Balance Authority approval.
• The Allow DERMS State:BA_APPROVED permission grants the ability to give Balance Authority approval.
• The Allow DERMS State:BA_DENIED permission grants the ability to deny Balance Authority approval.
Understanding the Balance Authority Load Threshold Exceeded Dialog Box
If the event is subject to checks and the total system demand reduction exceeds the Balance Authority threshold then a warning dialog box is invoked at the time the event is submitted indicating that the event exceeds the threshold.
The dialog box contains a table that indicates the total system demand reduction per hour.
The following buttons are available:
• Yes: Closes the dialog box and submits the event for approval.
• No: Closes the dialog box without submitting the event. You can modify the event to bring it under the threshold before re-submitting.
Approval
If the event is submitted and exceeds the threshold, then the Balance Authority Approval column in the Events tool for the event will be set to Required. In the Event Details' State Tracking tab, two state transitions will be available for the event.
• The Balance Authority Approved state allows the event to be scheduled.
• The Balance Authority Denied state denies approval and moves the event to the Denied state. The event can be modified and resubmitted for approval.
Note: An event will only be moved to the Approved state when all required approvals have been given.