Unified Digital Twin Approach for Energy Grid Condition and Cybersecurity Monitoring

As renewable energy technologies continue to advance, there are two primary threats to renewable energy assets: physical system failures and cybersecurity threats. Although the monitoring of physical system failures through condition monitoring is well-established, cyberattacks continue to evolve and create new avenues for physical system failures. As the objective of an attacker is to have an impact on the physical performance of operational technologies, improving cybersecurity is closely coupled with monitoring the physical condition of devices and should not be handled in isolation. This paper presents the development of a digital twin system for monitoring and managing renewable energy infrastructure. The proposed system integrates condition monitoring and cybersecurity, providing a comprehensive framework to ensure the reliability, efficiency, and security of renewable energy resources. By allowing analysts to detect and respond to both physical faults and cyberattacks in a timely manner, the system improves the resilience of renewable energy assets. A case study demonstrates the effectiveness of the system in raising alerts for both condition and cybersecurity monitoring, highlighting its potential for broader application across various operational technologies.