Moving from the Electric Grid to the Smart Grid: What You Need to Know Now
Posted: Wednesday, October 07, 2009
by Carol McClelland
http://www.transitiondynamics.com
Our current electrical supply system is a collection of regional networks that were built to generate, transmit, and distribute power from fossil fuels and river dams. As more and more power comes from renewable energy sources, the grid must be updated to transmit and distribute power from different areas in the country and different kinds of power generation systems.
- Power generation. Power is generated through several means: from coal, oil and nuclear, to wind, solar, hydroelectric and geothermal.
- Power transmission. Power is then transmitted throughout the country using high voltage lines.
- Power distribution. The next step in the chain is to distribute the electricity from the substations to commercial, industrial, and residential users.
As the smart grid evolves, two components will become more evident to all users.
- Energy storage. Although utilities have always used energy storage systems to manage power, a wider range of users will use energy storage systems to store power from more variable sources of energy.
- User consumption management. A new component to the system is software that enables residential, commercial, and industrial customers manage their own power consumption in real time.
As more hi tech elements are added to the grid throughout the electrical supply chain, we'll all be able to fine tune our use of power in real time. Experts indicate this transformation to the smart grid will touch everyone in multiple ways. In the near future, we'll be highlighting some new developments in the smart grid sector.
Current Electric Grid
Before you start exploring the range of developments in smart grid, take some time familiarizing yourself with our current electric grid. Thanks to a recent series by NPR, you can get a good visual overview of the current electric grid, and some indications of potential enhancements to the grid with the help of a few maps. (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=110997398)
When you open the map, click on each of the tabs, to find a visual representation of the following five topics.
The Grid:
This first map shows the current electric grid (blue lines) and the proposed grid and linkages (orange lines and the link symbols through the middle of the country.)
Please note: You can click on various parts of the key area to turn on and off various features of each map. By turning off various features you can see the elements you want to focus on.
Sources of Power:
The second map provides an interactive map that allows you to explore how various states are powered. For example, move your mouse over various states to access a pop up note with the mix of power sources for that state.
If you want an overview of how many states use a particular power source, select the power source in the drop down menu. Seeing the pattern of power sources used by various states provides insights into the political climate throughout the country.
Power Plants:
This map uses various sized dots to indicate the amount of power generated by power plants throughout the country. If you want to learn more about a particular plant, hover over the dot for the details.
If you want to see where the power plants are for a particular kind of power, use the drop down menu to make your selection.
Adding Renewables to the Grid
Solar Power:
The color in this map shows where the most solar energy hits the United States. At a glance you can see the Southwest is a key location for solar.
The gold lines indicate proposed transmission lines to get solar power to the grid. (Remember you can click on the key to turn elements of a given map off to help you see the details better.)
Wind Power:
The dark gray color in this map shows where the wind blows faster. You'll notice a number of these locations are off the coast. Offshore wind turbines are a bit tricky and expensive to install, so we'll have to see how that industry develops.
As with the solar map, moving power generated from wind farms into the electric grid is going to take some additional transmission lines. Although these lines don't represent where the lines will exist, they do indicate the size of the transmission lines required to do the job. There is one set that will need to be installed before 2030 and another set after 2030.
For more detailed information about the grid, check out NPR's series of stories on this topic. (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103281114)
Key organizations
These organizations provided information for these maps.
- American Electric Power (www.aep.com)
- American Wind Energy Association (www.awea.org)
- Center for American Progress (www.americanprogress.org)
- Department of Energy (www.energy.gov)
- Edison Electric Institute (www.eei.org)
- Energy Information Administration (www.eia.doe.gov)
- Electric Power Research Institute (www.epri.com)
- Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (www.ferc.gov)
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (www.nrel.gov)
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (www.epa.gov)
- Western Resource Advocates (www.westernresourceadvocates.org)
Actions You Can Take
- Familiarize yourself with the overall structure of this sector. It's going to be a big influence on every industry as the specifics of the smart grid unfold. You must have a general understanding of this sector, at a minimum.
- Dig a bit deeper. Choose a couple of the associations and governmental agencies to explore. In my experience, these websites are a treasure trove of information. Bookmark these websites, visit often, take your time, learn as much as you can.
- Look at what's happening in your geographic area. Understanding the mix of power in your region gives you insights about the challenges your state faces in going green and becoming more sustainable.
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Green Career Expert Carol McClelland, PhD, is the author of the forthcoming book, Green Careers For Dummies and founder of Green Career Central, a membership website with useful programs, 500+ pages of effective, targeted information to help you identify your green niche, find a green job, start a business or further your education. Visit http://www.GreenCareerCentral.com to request our free report - "Six Strategies to Find Your Green Career"
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