The Smart Grid
What is a Smart Grid?
“If you look at the grid today, it’s still running on technology that was put in this field four or five decades ago.”…Ron Pernick, co-Founder & Principal, Clean Edge, Inc.
The electric power industry is undergoing a profound and revolutionary transition. The existing transmission and distribution systems in both the United States and most other “developed” countries are using outdated technologies and strategies that are typically decades old, archaic and offer very limited use of any state-of-the-art monitoring, control or digital communication technologies.
To address this aging infrastructure and to create a power system that meets the growing and evolving needs of their customers and stakeholders (e.g., investors, governments, regulators and partners) utilities are moving to engineer a truly modern “Smart Grid.” In general terms, this Smart Grid model uses advanced sensing, communications, measurements and controls tools/technologies and processes that generate and distribute electricity more effectively, economically and securely.
Investments in technologies and sophisticated processes that improve the reliability and efficiency of the U.S. power distribution grid are gaining both momentum and favor, especially with the recent strong thrust in the direction of promoting a “greener” world economy.
On a technical level, the Smart Grid strategy also includes real-time metering of electric power used by consumers and promotes technologies that reduce and/or shift power use to off-peak periods to maximize a given utility’s capacity to generate and transmit power in a much more timely and efficient manner. A few examples of how modernized Smart Grids will deploy digital energy systems and tools include:
The electric power industry is undergoing a profound and revolutionary transition. The existing transmission and distribution systems in both the United States and most other “developed” countries are using outdated technologies and strategies that are typically decades old, archaic and offer very limited use of any state-of-the-art monitoring, control or digital communication technologies.
To address this aging infrastructure and to create a power system that meets the growing and evolving needs of their customers and stakeholders (e.g., investors, governments, regulators and partners) utilities are moving to engineer a truly modern “Smart Grid.” In general terms, this Smart Grid model uses advanced sensing, communications, measurements and controls tools/technologies and processes that generate and distribute electricity more effectively, economically and securely.
Investments in technologies and sophisticated processes that improve the reliability and efficiency of the U.S. power distribution grid are gaining both momentum and favor, especially with the recent strong thrust in the direction of promoting a “greener” world economy.
On a technical level, the Smart Grid strategy also includes real-time metering of electric power used by consumers and promotes technologies that reduce and/or shift power use to off-peak periods to maximize a given utility’s capacity to generate and transmit power in a much more timely and efficient manner. A few examples of how modernized Smart Grids will deploy digital energy systems and tools include:
- Provide real time energy usage and price signals to consumer and utility
- Early detection and problem-resolution within the system before any potential glitches affect service or result in costly system-wide failures;
- Rapid response to local and system-wide issues and timely information exchanges about broader system problems;
- Incorporation of extensive state-of-the-art measurements, communications devices, and centralized advanced diagnostics and feedback controls that quickly return systems to stable states after service interruptions or disturbances; and
- Integration of modern preventive and protective systems using tools and processes that will secure the grid against risks and potential threats.