Building enough new solar and wind capacity to meet California’s 33 percent renewables by 2020 mandate will not be easy — but reliably getting the electricity generated by those resources to the places where it will be consumed may be even tougher. That is the responsibility of the California Independent System Operator Corporation (ISO). The Continue reading →
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San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) has completed a new Energy Innovation Center that began construction in December of 2010. The center provides businesses and residential customers with the tools and resources they need to make smart energy decisions to reach a more sustainable energy future. Not surprisingly, the 27,000-square-foot center incorporated the latest sustainable Continue reading →
With enabling technology and supporting standards maturing, the potential applications of microgrids are growing more powerful and their interconnection with the electricity grid simpler. These trends make microgrid deployment an increasingly compelling opportunity for utilities amid Smart Grid transformation. Microgrids are distributed resources in which energy is generated, connected to substations or feeder networks and Continue reading →
When it comes to developing offshore renewable energy resources effectively, geography dictates that Ireland and the United Kingdom have to collaborate. But when it comes to integrating these resources into domestic energy portfolios, each country is on its own. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), Ireland‘s national energy authority, has released three “energy roadmaps,” Continue reading →
Energy storage systems are considered a crucial component of the future energy system, enabling the widespread adoption of everything from renewable energy, smart grid technologies and backup power, to electric vehicles (EVs) and portable devices. New analysis from Frost & Sullivan finds that the development of electric energy storage technologies is currently being driven by factors such as grid Continue reading →
A 7.0 earthquake rocks the west coast. A category 5 hurricane hits the south. A sweltering record heat wave melts the plains states. Paralyzing snowstorms slam the northeast. During the recovery, electricity is down, natural gas stops flowing, and the nation’s energy system is severely strained. Rapid reallocation of energy resources is critical in these Continue reading →
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the release of a DOE-funded report to help better integrate wind energy into the electrical grid. The report, “Strategies and Decision Support Systems for Integrating Variable Energy Resources in Control Centers for Reliable Grid Operations: Global Best Practices, Examples of Excellence and Lessons Learned”, provides first-hand perspectives on Continue reading →
The details of how much, how soon, and which particular energy resources will be emphasized vary from market to market. One of the clear, common themes across the global Smart Grid movement is increased integration of renewable energy sources. A transition is definitively under way, with governments around the world issuing aggressive mandates around renewables. Continue reading →
MIT researchers have released a report titled The Future of the Electric Grid which examines the current state of the nation’s electric power infrastructure and the challenges faced by the industry as it evolves over the next two decades. Of particular concern is the ability to protect these critical resources as they are converted to Continue reading →
In November 2011 Pike Research (Boulder, Colorado, US) has released a “Virtual Power Plants” report that provides an in-depth assessment of the market opportunity for virtual power plants (VPPs). According to the report, VPP capacity will increase by 65% between 2011 and 2017, rising from 55.6 GW to 91.7 GW worldwide during that period. A Continue reading →
As we are all aware, China is growing into a superpower nation and while they have the ability to produce or import energy, they are initiating the huge deployment of the smart grid, not for ecological reasons, but for two key benefits; health and scarcity of resources. According to a recent In-Stat report, China is Continue reading →
Americans are unhappy with where the country is headed when it comes to energy issues. The University of Texas at Austin’s inaugural Energy Poll, which surveyed 3,400 consumers in September, reports that 84 percent of Americans are worried about U.S. consumption of foreign oil, and 76 percent are concerned about what they see as a lack Continue reading →
Itron has been contracted to supply 400,000 water smart meters by the Hong Kong Water Supplies Department (Hong Kong WSD). Hong Kong has significant water challenges due to its geographical situation and high-densely populated urban area as well as increasing demand. Hong Kong WSD hopes to address these challenges by closely monitoring and managing its Continue reading →
IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional association, has launched the IEEE Smart Grid Web Portal, an integrated gateway to Smart Grid intelligence, education, and news from IEEE and other expert sources. The portal is designed for manufacturers, policymakers, educators, academics, governments, engineers, computer scientists, researchers, and other stakeholders in the power and energy, information technology, Continue reading →
