Achieving Energy Efficiency & a lot more through the Smart Grid

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Meeting electricity needs in a cost-effective way has always remained a challenge. In other words, it has continuously been an unachieved target to generate carbon free and efficient power, distribute safer electricity, and attain economies as well.

While some innovative and environmental friendly ways of generating electricity have been discovered, the world still needed a smart grid solution to achieve reliable energy supply; a solution that is capable of meeting higher electricity demand in low costs and achieving reduced CO2 emissions.

Since our lives, and industrial and business processes depend greatly on constant supply of electricity, the global society looks up to the smart grid for a better, efficient, sustainable and reliable future.

Smart Grid – A Multifaceted Concept

We need electricity to run home appliances, electronic devices, and to charge batteries, etc. This implies greater need of electricity. Smart Grid carries the potential to support increased demand since it adds communication and computer intelligence to the electricity distribution network and everything that is connected to it be it smart appliances, plug-in cars or solar panels. In short, just like other smart technologies, this invention also offers great benefits and serves the needs in versatile ways.

Empowered Energy Use & Saving

Unlike other grids and power distribution systems that do not provide any control to the users over energy usage, smart grids and smart meters enable people to feel empowered. They allow you to track your usage and determine ways to waste less energy. When you have control over power usage, you are definitely able to save energy and costs.

Simply put, it can provide real-time pricing information helping customers to use electricity in reduced rates. Moreover, unlike other meters and electric systems that are unable to provide broad-scale charging to vehicles or other devices, the smart grid allows both, charging and recharging, anytime.

Control over Climate Footprint

Carbon emissions and fossil fuels have always been a threat to the environment. Smart grid aims to deliver environmentally friendly energy to users and businesses. This is possible because this technology allows integration of renewable energy sources such as wind farms, hydro stations and solar plants whenever and wherever it is required.

Minimum Blackouts and Outages

Power outages and surges had been unpredictable until the concept of the smart grid. This smart technology facilitates smooth, uninterrupted and constant flow of electricity and even if brownouts occur, smart grid applications are capable of managing them quickly.

Easier Collection of Data

With common power system, a utility worker needs to be at the location to see and identify the problem, but the smart grid allows real-time troubleshooting by enabling one to retrieve the event in the form of digital information. In other words, smart grids are independent of time and location and enable problem solving immediately.

The Future

Developed countries have begun to made the switch to smart grids. While this advanced power system is greatly benefiting the Americans and developed nations, they expect more from this system. Some of the expectations are that these grids will develop and enhance the ecosystem, give support to more applications, and handle voluminous data.

The smart grid is a giant leap in the field of power generation and supply. One of the significant yet less talked about advantages of this technology is it is benefiting power suppliers as well. Where the users achieve flexibility in terms of cost savings and constant power supply, distributors and suppliers find it easier to handle too.

Contributor:

Steward Hudson is a researcher/blogger with experience writing for multiple industries including health, energy, finance, and more. He currently writes for Currentsolutionspc.com.