Adaptive Resilience Metrics for DER-Rich Electric Distribution Systems

Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) offer a diverse and adaptable set of capabilities to address energy demands in a resilient, economical and environmentally sustainable manner. Further, the adoption of DERs enables the integration of advanced technologies, including smart meters, energy storage, and demand response systems, which contribute to a more practical and adaptive approach to electricity distribution. However, the integration of DERs poses challenges such as grid stability and voltage regulation issues, following the addition of diverse generation sources and advanced technologies. Additionally, the increase in frequency of extreme events, such as cyberattacks, presents a risk to DER-rich systems, and this emphasizes the need for resilience. One major challenge with resilience is interdisciplinary aspects, and no standardized methodology for assessing resilience. Without established guidelines, researchers may take divergent approaches, making it difficult to compare findings and draw practical conclusions. Additionally, current approaches to resilience rely heavily on historical data and fail to capture the broader dimensions of resilience, rendering them insufficient and less adaptive to the dynamic and evolving nature of threats. This work (a) develops a resilience taxonomy and categorizes resilience metrics for distribution systems to highlight the limits of current resilience evaluation methodologies. (b) proposes adaptive resilience metrics, with use cases, to assess and improve system resilience to evolving operational conditions and potential threats, (c) discusses use case results and key considerations for practical resilience metrics.