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Coming Attractions

Smart Grids

Last century’s electric grid was not designed for this century’s shift to clean, renewable energy. Accommodating the fluctuations of wind and solar power necessitates a more nimble, adaptive grid. The emerging “smart grid” is a digital retooling of the traditional grid with the needs of a clean energy economy in mind.

A smart grid is smart in the sense that it engages in two-way communication between suppliers and consumers to predict, adjust, and sync power supply and demand. Today, the balancing act between producers and users takes place within utilities’ operations centers. Internet connectivity, intelligent software, and responsive technologies can assist and even automate the management of electricity flow.

To smooth out peaks in demand and absorb variable supply, smart grids need:

  1. High-voltage power lines with sensors
  2. Advanced meters that communicate wirelessly
  3. Responsive appliances, plugs, and thermostats

The current grid has been called the largest and most interconnected machine on earth. Making it smarter is a massive undertaking that will occur in phases over the coming decades. Studies show the investment required will be well worth it, as smart grids improve grid stability and overall efficiency while facilitating the shift away from fossil fuels.

References

smart grids [potential] emissions reductions: IEA. Technology Roadmap: Smart Grids, Paris: International Energy Agency, 2011.

pioneers such as South Korea: Bulkin, Bernie. “South Koreans are Leading the Way in Their Vision for ‘Smart Grid.” The Guardian. May 2, 2014.

both utilities and users [can] save money: Gellings, Clark, et al. Estimating the Costs and Benefits of the Smart Grid. Palo Alto, CA: Electric Power Research Institute, 2011.

[descriptions of] current grid: Bakke, Gretchen. The Grid: The Fraying Wires Between Americans and Our Energy Future. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 2016; Weeks, Jennifer. “U.S. Electrical Grid Undergoes Massive Transition to Connect to Renewables.” Scientific American. April 28, 2010.

United States…investment [and return]: Gellings et al, Smart Grid.

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Methodology and Results

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Smart Highways
The world’s first sustainable highway is being pioneered south of Atlanta, Georgia, emphasizing electric vehicle infrastructure and solar power to reduce carbon emissions.
Coming Attractions
Direct Air Capture
Direct air capture systems are a nascent sequestration technology. Functioning like a chemical sieve and sponge, they capture carbon dioxide from air and release it in purified form.
Electricity Generation
Energy Storage (Distributed)
Standalone batteries and electric vehicles make it possible to store energy at home or work. They ensure supply even when variable renewables are not producing.
Electricity Generation
Microgrids
A microgrid is a localized grouping of distributed energy sources, like solar and wind, together with energy storage or backup generation and load management tools.
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