Energy distribution system and method for operating same

An energy distribution system, comprising:

• a plurality of substations each configured to supply a subsystem of the energy distribution system with energy;
• a central device superordinate to said substations;
• at least one of said substations being configured for operation in an optimization mode for potentially optimizing an operation of the entire energy distribution system by examining an effect which a modification action, to be performed by said at least one substation in a respective said subsystem associated therewith, would have on the operating state of the whole energy distribution system, said at least one of said substations being configured to:
• send to all of said substations, or at least to said substations affected by the modification action, an enquiry signal that defines the modification action;
• receive from all of said substations, or at least from said substations affected by the modification action, a respective substation-individual sensitivity value that indicates a change in a local operating state in said subsystem associated with the respective other substation if the modification action were to be executed in the subsystem of said at least one substation being operated in the optimization mode;
• and check whether the modification action would lead to an improvement in the operating state of the whole energy distribution system, based upon the sensitivity values thus received and a sensitivity value of the least one substation operated in optimization mode, which describes the influence of the modification on the subsystem associated with said substation operated in optimization mode;
• wherein said check comprises at least one of:
• summing the substation-individual sensitivity values with the sensitivity value of the at least one substation operated in optimization mode;
• and
• forming a total state value that describes the operating state of the entire energy distribution system based on the substation-individual sensitivity values and the sensitivity value of the at least one substation operated in optimization mode.

A substation for an energy distribution system with a plurality of substations and subsystems associated with said substations, the substation comprising:

• a computation device programmed for operating the substation in an optimization mode, wherein the substation optimizes an operation of the energy distribution system by examining a modification action, to be performed by the substation in a subsystem associated therewith, for an effect thereof on an operating state of the whole energy distribution system by:
• sending to all substations, or at least to one or more substations affected by the modification action, an enquiry signal that defines the modification action;
• receiving from all substations, or at least from one or more substations affected by the modification action, a respective substation-individual sensitivity value that indicates a change in a local operating state in the subsystem associated with the respective other substation if the modification action were to be executed in the subsystem of the at least one substation being operated in optimization mode;
• and checking whether the modification action would lead to an improvement in the operating state for the whole energy distribution system, based upon the received sensitivity values;
• wherein said checking comprises at least one of:
• summing the substation-individual sensitivity values with a sensitivity value of the at least one substation operated in optimization mode;
• and
• forming a total state value that describes the operating state of the entire energy distribution system based on the substation-individual sensitivity values and the sensitivity value of the at least one substation operated in optimization mode.