"STARS" project: Using satellite communication to combat blackouts

How can LEO satellite communications support the grid restoration process? As part of the “STARS” project at the University of Passau, a team led by Professor Hermann de Meer is investigating how to create communication and power grid co-simulation models to evaluate LEO-satellite communication supported grid restoration algorithms.

Restoring the electricity grid after an outage is complex and requires coordination across distributed power grid assets. Distributed generation, including renewable sources, makes it even more difficult to restart the grid. During extended outages, traditional communication systems may fail, hindering coordination between these resources.

In the project “STARS”, funded by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency FFG, the University of Passau, the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) and the Salzburg Research Forschungsgesellschaft (SRFG) research the potential of satellite communication during power outages. To this end, the researchers develop simulation models for power grid recovery after a blackout with the reliable low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellite networks.

Resilient electricity grid through satellite coordination

“It is important to investigate whether satellite communication, specifically LEO satellites, can effectively coordinate small-scale distributed generation during wide-area power outages”, says Professor Herrmann de Meer, holder of the Chair of Computer Networks and Computer Communication. He coordinates a team that investigates whether through LEO-satellite communication, critical systems can recover more quickly from power failures, preventing extended blackouts and enhancing overall security and stability.

“This research direction is crucial for national safety because a reliable electricity grid is essential for maintaining critical infrastructure, including hospitals, transportation, and emergency services,” explains Professor de Meer. In the event of a large-scale power outage, rapid and effective grid restoration ensures that essential services can function and reduces the risk of societal crisis.

Software simulation of strategies for black-start

FFG-Project "STARS" under the coordination of Salzburg Research Forschungsgesellschaft m.b.H. supports research in this direction by developing methodology to couple power grid models, LEO satellite models and black-start algorithms. The project aims for a framework, that enables software simulation of the operational strategies to restore the grid.  Such framework can help to assess the technical feasibility and benefits of using dedicated satellite-based communication systems for frequency control and black-start in power grids that rely heavily on renewable energy sources.

The Austrian Research Promotion Agency FFG (www.ffg.at) is funding the "STARS" project with the project number FO999914870 over a period of one year starting October 1st, 2024.