With Earth Day 2013 this week, we saw renewed focus on what actions should be taken to protect the planet against the effects of climate change. Not surprisingly, increasing global use of clean energy sources ranks high on the list. It’s a pressing goal for anyone who wants to reduce carbon emissions, particularly as worldwide [...]
Tag Archives | Grid optimization
Boosting Economic Productivity with an Energy-Efficient Smart Grid
Greentech Media reported this week on a new study that found energy efficiency is a more important economic driver than energy supply. The report, from American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, found that “the productivity of our economy may be more directly tied to greater levels of energy efficiency rather than a continued mining [...]
Unlocking Energy Efficiency with Energy Storage
In recent blog entries, I discussed the role that renewables can play in improving energy efficiency. The losses typically associated with renewable energy sources are modest compared to conventional electricity generation. However, as the accompanying graphic shows, renewable energy is often wasted because the fuel supply—like strong winds—are often available when demand is low. As [...]
Accelerating Benefits from Meter Data
Advanced meters continue to draw controversy, as shown by a protest against smart meters at this year’s GridWeek conference. But apart from those who have expressed privacy or health and safety concerns about advanced meters, there’s an even bigger problem for advanced meters. Regulators and utility customers are losing patience waiting to realize the benefits [...]
The Heart of Distribution Automation? It’s the Brain
As utilities have ramped up distribution automation programs in recent years, it seems that use of the term DA has become fairly loose. EPRI has defined DA as “a set of intelligent sensors, processors, and communication technologies that enables an electric utility to remotely monitor and coordinate its distribution assets, and operate these assets in [...]
Summer Storms Make the Case for Smart Grid Interoperability
The storms that struck the U.S. mid-Atlantic region last Friday highlight not only why we need a smart grid that can reduce power outages, but also why we need smart grid interoperability. The region took two weather-related hits in a row. First, they experienced storms that caused extensive damage to utility power grids. Then, temperatures [...]
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