Smart-Grid Technology

Smart-Grid Technology. I’m Greg Martin as Line On Agriculture presents the Harvest Clean Energy Report.

What could be simpler than flipping on a light switch? On, there is power. Off, well you get the idea. But there is a lot of new technology behind that simple act and it is getting smarter. Ron Melton, Project Director for Pacific Northwest Smart-Grid Demonstration Project describes what smart-grid technology is.

MELTON: Well smart-grid can be thought of in one way as the convergence between the internet and the electric power system. The electric power system of today does not involve significant amounts of data communication in the control of the system, from the generation down to the end use in our homes. And it is also primarily one-way. The electrons flow from the generators, the dam’s down through the wires and end up at our houses or businesses or our factories.

Melton says that with smart-grid implementation two key things can happen.

MELTON: One is data communication is overlaid on that electrical power system enabling the flow of information through the system and secondly technology begins to be installed that allows two-way power flows. For example if you have a photovoltaic unit on the roof of your house now it’s easier for the grid to accommodate the flow of electricity from there on an end use endpoint rather from just coming from the big generators.

He also says there can be additional “intelligent devices” installed in the system like substations, transformers or smart meters in your home. The Smart-Grid Demonstration Project is being overseen by Battelle. Melton explains some of the benefits of this kind of system.

MELTON: One of the key benefits is it enables us to engage the load at the endpoint, the houses, the factories or the businesses and have the load be able to respond to the conditions on the grid. That allows better management of the grid overall. If we have a period of time where there is a peak load period.

Like happens typically in the evenings when people get home from work and start cooking dinner. The system can manage that peak and flatten it out so the limits of the system are seldom reached. That can go for electric vehicles when the technology advances more. Finally Melton says renewables are easier to manage.

MELTON: Through the responsiveness of load we can better integrate renewable energy sources such as wind which due to their intermittent nature need to have other resources in the system that balance the ups and downs.

For additional information on clean energy and the upcoming Harvesting Clean Energy Conference visit harvestcleanenergy.org. That’s today’s Line On Agriculture. I’m Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.

www.harvestcleanenergy.org