The electric grid is headed toward a tipping point. From growing adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and other large loads to increasing concentrations of rooftop photovoltaic (PV) panels and other intermittent renewable generation in communities, the challenges facing our aging infrastructure are certain to be compounded in the coming years. Consumers’ preference for green energy technologies will become even stronger as they realize the paybacks from EVs, PVs, and other innovations. Consequently, our grid will be strained to the breaking point from peak loads and variable resources, driving utilities to change the way they operate on a fundamental level.
To manage the burgeoning loads and unpredictability accompanying these “disruptive technologies,” utilities can disperse energy storage devices at key points throughout the grid, enabling them to manage evolving consumption patterns and dynamic resources, while deferring or even eliminating traditional capital expenditures into the future.
S&C’s Mike Edmonds and Troy Miller discuss these issues in a new article published in NEMA Electroindustry magazine. You can download the article here. The complete NEMA Electroindustry issue is available online.