nuclear-news

Electricity utilities need to understand Smart Grids and Renewable Energy

the technology enables utilities to integrate renewable energies, such as wind, water and solar, into the grid…… Smart grids enable the power gathered from the solar source to be retained in energy storage systems which can then feed into the grid during periods of peak demand, or when other renewable energy sources are low….the vast majority of utilities do not realise the full capabilities it delivers……

The Last Word: Developing the Smart Grid | Renewable Energy World, Bastian Fischer, December 29, 2010 “……….There is undoubtedly increasing pressure on organisations and countries to become greener. One of the biggest contributors to CO² emissions is the electric utility industry, accounting for a quarter of all carbon dioxide emissions worldwide, the largest share amongst all industries.

For this reason, utilities are faced with the added pressure of curbing both their own and their customers’ energy use. One way this can be achieved is through the successful implementation of smart grid infrastructures.

Smart grids deliver a series of benefits to utilities which can help in the reduction of carbon emissions, including the capability of managing distribution grids more effectively in order to create fewer emissions. What is more, the technology enables utilities to integrate renewable energies, such as wind, water and solar, into the grid. This means that sources of power from high carbon emitting energy sources, such as fossil fuels, can more effectively be substituted with renewable energies in an effort to reduce emissions, and consequently help meet EU targets.

However, despite the many benefits of the smart grid, a recent study conducted by Oracle Utilities, titled ‘The EMEA Smart Grid Rollout’, found that, while over a third of utilities across the region have made progress towards the adoption of smart grids and smart meters, the vast majority of utilities do not realise the full capabilities it delivers……

While many countries may not currently consider the smart grid’s capabilities to integrate renewable energy into the grid as one of their top priorities, what is promising, as found in the report, is that two thirds of utilities surveyed do have plans to evolve their grids in order to support the technology and the subsequent level of renewable generation………

In fact, four fifths of German utilities surveyed have already started, or have plans to evolve their systems so that they are capable of supporting the smart grid. This is not only good news for utilities across Germany, but also for those across Europe. According to DENA, the German Energy Agency and adviser to the German government, Germany is faced with a unique problem in that it is currently producing too much solar power during the summer months. Feeding too much solar power into the grid could cause instability within the current infrastructure and lead to further problems.

However, the implementation of smart grids can help tackle this problem. Smart grids enable the power gathered from the solar source to be retained in energy storage systems which can then feed into the grid during periods of peak demand, or when other renewable energy sources are low….

One criticism of renewable power has always been that due to unpredictable weather patterns it is unreliable. However, with a supergrid in place, Germany could distribute the excess solar power it generates to members of the supergrid who are not generating enough solar power during the summer months, while during the winter months, when solar energy is low, it could source its renewable energy from wind turbines off the Scottish coast.

It is clear to see that the smart grid provides many benefits in regards to renewable energy, yet ‘The EMEA Smart Grid Rollout’ found that only half of utilities surveyed across the region have a system in place to educate their customers on the environmental benefits of the technology. ….
Smartening up

As pressure grows on various organisations and countries around the world it is increasingly important that utilities begin to realise the full benefits of the smart grid, especially its capabilities to integrate renewable sources. Similarly, as alternative sources of energy begin to run low, it will be crucial for utilities to have in place a system that enables them to input renewable energy into the grid.

Smart grids will be critical in helping utilities meet the various regulatory demands placed on them in an effort to reduce carbon emissions and integrate renewable sources, as well as helping them cope with the increasing power demands of growing populations and improved infrastructures across the globe. Renewable energy can play a crucial role in helping utilities meet these demands, and the smart grid can play a vital role in making it a reality.

The Last Word: Developing the Smart Grid | Renewable Energy World Magazine Article

December 30, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | EUROPE, renewable, technology