Get smart: Delivering electricity using a smart grid could save energy and the Earth

ANDREW KOMAR

Published on March 7, 2011

Read more: http://www.mcgilldaily.com/2011/03/get-smart/

For life in the 21st century, it is impossible to put a dollar value on the necessity of reliable electrical power. Electricity underlies every aspect of our modern lives, and yet the grid used to deliver this crucial commodity has not substantially changed since the 1890s, after its invention by Nikola “Electric Jesus” Tesla.

The current electricity delivery model is a source-sink one, meaning that a few giant power plants passively monitor the demand for electricity caused by net usage, and turn generators on or off accordingly. From a consumer perspective, your personal “sink” is monitored with a metre that is checked a couple of times a month and you are charged accordingly with a flat rate.

But the real cost of producing electricity is far from a flat rate. Over the day, as people go about their business, the net amount of electricity used rises relative to times when everybody is asleep, resulting in “peak power” consumption, such as when consumers begin making dinner as they collectively return home from work. This peak power is particularly noticeable during hot summers, when millions of people turn on their energy-intensive air conditioners.

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A smart grid would cheaper, more robust, more reliable, and greener than the one we have today. The smart grid Telegestore project in Italy, which consists of 27 million connected metres, provides annual net savings of 500 million euros (around $680 million) every year. Based on an estimate published by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the present value of a smart grid can been conservatively estimated to be $7.5 billion to Canadians – not including the cultural, environmental or societal benefits included with radically rethinking how we consume power. Electrical demand will only increase in a growing, developing and heating world, and the very least we can do is provide it in a way that isn’t prone to catastrophic failure. It’s what Electric Jesus would have wanted.

Making people happy about the smart grid: There’s (probably) an app for that

"Smart grid investment will total $200 billion worldwide by 2015, according to a forecast by Pike Research. This represents billion-dollar opportunities for startups and major companies in everything from home energy management to building controls to lighting systems to demand response. Companies like Siemens, GE, Schneider Electric, LG and Intel are expanding their business to include  offerings in home energy management and electric car charging. As the smart, tech-savvy home becomes an increasingly important part of energy and technology companies’ products, Pecan Street is right on one thing: Getting homeowners to like the smart grid will be key."

read More: http://venturebeat.com/2011/03/04/smart-grid-consumers-apps/

Ambient Corporation applications are available on America’s largest and most reliable 3G network: Verizon Wireless.

THE NETWORK MATTERS.
Ambient Corporation applications are
available on America’s largest and most
reliable 3G network: Verizon Wireless.

http://opennetwork.verizonwireless.com/pdfs/VWR60521_Ambient_V3c_chi.pdf

SMART GRID: Duke Energy Selects Verizon Wireless as Telecommunications Partner for Envision: Charlotte

Press Release Source: Duke Energy On Thursday March 3, 2011, 8:21 am EST

CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy today announced that Verizon Wireless will provide the telecommunications network that will connect the digital meters, signs and media players that will be used in Envision: Charlotte, a first-of-its-kind, public-private collaboration to make the commercial buildings in Charlotte's urban core more energy efficient.

Using digital energy technologies connected by Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE network, Duke Energy will gather and aggregate energy usage data from about 70 participating buildings in Charlotte's 1.94 square mile I-277 inner-belt loop. The information will then be streamed to large interactive lobby-level screens provided by Cisco.

Building tenants will see the nearly real-time commercial energy consumption data for the community and suggested actions they can take to reduce their personal energy usage in the office.

"We are pleased that Verizon Wireless has joined along with Cisco in making this very important initiative possible," said Vincent Davis, Duke Energy's director of smart energy community projects. "Having near real-time energy usage information -- that's not available today with analog technology -- is the first step toward awareness and proactive human engagement to reduce the amount of energy that's wasted in commercial buildings."

"The Envision: Charlotte project is important not only because of what it provides the community but because it uses the latest 4G technology in a manner that could have only been imagined a few years ago," said Mark Bartolomeo, vice president, global enterprise sales, Verizon Wireless. "Verizon Wireless is excited to be a part of such a cutting edge project that will surely become a benchmark for others who need the high speeds, low latency and reliability of LTE network in the future. This is a real-life example of how machine-to-machine (M2M) technology is an effective way to empower people as they become stewards for energy savings."

To date, business and local government leaders controlling more than 12 million square feet of space have expressed a commitment to participate in Envision: Charlotte in an effort to reduce energy use by up to 20 percent and avoid approximately 220,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases by 2016. The organizations include:

• Bank of America, which is headquartered in Charlotte, and controls approximately 7 million square feet  
• Wells Fargo, which has its eastern bank headquarters in Charlotte, and controls approximately 3 million square feet
• The city of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, which controls approximately 1.4 million square feet
• Duke Energy, which is headquartered in Charlotte, and controls 1.3 million square feet

According to the 2010 census, Charlotte has a population of more than 750,000, making it the 18th largest city in the U.S. The city's high concentration of commercial office buildings also facilitates smart grid connectivity and consumer education on ways to reduce energy that is wasted in commercial buildings.

Announced by former President Bill Clinton last fall at the Clinton Global Initiative, Envision: Charlotte builds on the Charlotte region's economic development "energy capital USA" initiative that was announced by North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue, city and business leaders in April 2009. Today, the region is home to more than 175 energy companies, employing more than 13,000 people.

Welcome to Strong Smart Grid Week 2011 April 11 -15 , Beijing, China.

We are very excited that the Strong Smart Grid Week 2011 will be held in April 11 -15 , Beijing, China.

Entering the 21st century, it has been a consensus to develop low-carbon economy, build ecological civilization and realize sustainable development. The world energy structure is going through remarkable changes. New energy revolution is unveiling.

The core of this energy revolution is to develop clean energy, ensure energy security, solve environmental protection issues, and address climate change. As an important part in energy supply, the power grid is crucial to the development of clean energy and its development pattern is facing significant challenges. In recent year, international and domestic industries and research institutions are undertaking a series of innovative exploration and practice. The concept of smart grid is taking shape, which has been a common choice to deal with future challenges in power industry.

With the increasing demand of energy consumption and desperate need of carbon emission cut targets, smart grid is a must-be option for China’s sustainable development. Nearly two-thirds of energy supply in China has been fed by coal, making the country one of the biggest greenhouse gas emitters in the world. According to a long-term outline for renewable energy development issued in 2007, China planned to increase the renewable energy proportion to 10 percent of the total energy use by 2010, and 15 percent by 2020. Meanwhile, a "unified strong and smart grid" system is to be built nationwide by 2020 to incorporate thermal power, hydroelectric power, nuclear power and other renewable ones.

Strong Smart Grid Week – World Leadership Forum will be held on 11-15th April, 2011 in Beijing, China. This solution-oriented conference brings together the brightest brains from multiple sector including power utilities, telecom operators, leading technology providers, investment banks, international medias, government and standard regulators to provide in-depth insights into China’s electrical power industry. Strong Smart Grid Week 2011 will focus on the leading advancement for smart grid in China and globally including long-distance UHV system, advanced grid operation, integration of renewable energy, energy storage, asset management, cyber security, EV charging infrastructure, eco-city, etc.

SMART GRID: Where Warren Buffett Will Aim His Acquisition ‘Elephant Gun’ Next

By Kirsten Korosec | March 1, 2011

"Berkshire’s future acquisitions, meanwhile, will focus not so much on transportation, but power generation and anything related to the electrical transmission grid. These days, that means investing in the smart grid, a wide-ranging industry that involves anything to do with upgrading the electrical grid and allowing for two-way communication between the utility and home or business. The opportunities in this sector are boundless, which haven’t been lost on companies like IBM,Cisco, Echelon and Honeywell."

NOVA scienceNOW Smart Grid ... video

Our electric grid is inefficient and shows signs of strain. Can a "smart grid" help?


http://video.pbs.org/video/1801235533


More: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/toward-smart-electric-grid.html