Our national power grid is inadequate and inefficient. It suffers from transmission and distribution losses, is vulnerable to power outages, lacks strong data collection, does not communicate with the consumer, and is unlikely to meet the growing demand for electricity in its current state. By looking at these issues, we can better understand the need to bring the grid into the 21st century with the application of digital “smart” technology–the “smart grid“.
Transmission and distribution (T&D) are a concern, as the web-like expansion of the grid from centralized power plants to end users often results in up to 10 percent power loss. Such losses demonstrate the grid’s inadequacy, while transmission bottlenecks illustrate the age of the grid. As more people flip the switch to power economies and lifestyles that are increasingly dependent upon energy consumption, old transmission and distribution lines are increasingly incapable of handling this demand and become congested. While new lines could be added to alleviate the problem, bringing such a solution to fruition is not as easy as it sounds. Building out new lines is expensive and faces political tension between state and federal governments over jurisdiction and funding.
Another common criticism of the grid is the system’s overall vulnerability, particularly with regard to service interruptions. Nothing better highlights this issue than the great power outage that occurred on August 14, 2003. A transmission line, compromised by contact with tree limbs, was identified as the root cause that left fifty million people up and down the Eastern seaboard without electricity. Although power interruptions of this magnitude are rare, they are dangerous and come with a high economic price tag.
via The Smart Grid, Part II: Why We Need It | GetSolar.com Blog.
Related posts:
- ‘Smart Grid,’ Advanced Cables Can Provide Efficient Energy Options – Roll Call
- China’s State Grid Corp Plans To Build ‘Smart Grid’ By 2020
- World’s Largest Concentration of Smart Grid Voltage Compensation Equipment Placed in Service by Oncor
- U.S. to spend $3.9 billion on smart power grid: Chu | Green Business | Reuters
- Night with a Futurist: Smart Grid = No Grid? | On the Radar…
