Green Weenie Newz: Smart-Grid 101
Recently, you may have asked yourself (or not), "What in the heck is Smart-Grid?" No, it’s not a new toothpaste that makes your teeth whiter than Arnold Swarzenegger’s unnaturally gleaming choppers. No, it’s not a new technology by Victoria’s Secret to hoist your breasts even higher off your chest. It’s about energy use, and electricity demand. Barak Obama and Hillary Clinton talk about it briefly in their energy plans. Barak’s take on it is informed whilst Hillary’s is quite odd and obviously naiive. (This was discovered by me, before I decided who I would vote for in next week’s primary). You, the consumer, need to know what it is, because it is coming your way in the near future. Smart-Grid 101 What’s in a name? Smart-grid is a nickname for system of utility applications that enhance and automate the monitoring and control of electrical distribution networks for added Its goal is to add reliability, efficiency and cost effectiveness to the process of distribution of electricity. Which countries are using or testing smart-grids? ("on" means, onwards from that year) Denmark Norway (2007 on with compulsive implementation by 2013) Italy (2000 on, 27 million on smart-grid by 2005) Ireland (2005 on, compulsive in all homes by 2012) America (2006, legislation approved in California to develop) Australia (2004 on) Turkey (gas/water/elec meters; 500,000 pre paid meters employed…pre-paid means people are very much aware of their usage, spot on) The Netherlands (2005 on, compulsive by 2013) Finland Sweden (2004 on, compulsive by 2009) New Zealand (2005 on) Canada (2007 on) What is happening with it right now? Pacific Northwest National lab has joined up with local utility companies to develop a smart-grid test project with area homes. They are partnered with the Gridwise Architecture Council, an org that arose out of the US Energy Dept (well, I do declare, they did something progressive for once!). Xcel Energy Company out of Boulder Colorado has plans in the works for a hundred mil sunk into its smart-grid project. Roy Palmer, head of regulatory affairs at Xcel says, "We just can't keep building more coal plants." (Smart dude.) In Baltimore, Maryland, households using smart-grid get a lower rate at off-peak times. In a suburb of Milton, Ontario, 200 test homes were implanted with a little box hooked up to their home computer, that enables them to use smart-grid technology by deciding if they apply it to items in their household when other homes are at peak use. It can be overridden by household members, if they think the thermostat is not high or low enough for comfort. They can also set it to lower the temp in the house during cold weather at night like at midnight when everyone is asleep, or turn off the porch light at a certain time. Groovy cool (sorry). In the future: Appliances would be designed to interact with smart-grid. The implementation of such technology will save us on energy usage, and over 20 years, to prevent the building of 90 more coal fired plants, says John Wellinghoff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Smart-grid will prevent rolling blackouts in areas like southern California where at peak times power plants are sucked as dry as an iced latte on a hot summer day. What can you do: Get involved. For info on attending meetings of the Gridwise Architecture Council, go to http://www.gridwiseac.org/getinvolved/ Read. http://www.smartgridnews.com/
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