Changing People's Way of Living – Smart Grid : Forthcoming of Electricity

" In the epoch time of mobiles and touchscreen devices , our nation’s century-traditional power grid is mature to be upgraded."

The smart grid gears many of the similar digital tools and techniques that have modernized internet-based commutations. Latest technology sensors, cordless technology and “set and go” energy management tool sets—along with growing access to energy data—fosters customers to save more energy and governs more command over their electricity usage and costing.

Existing grid system working pattern has not been revolutionized with the upcoming tech , they are indulged in outlining the same outdated working patterns and principles that co-exist prior half-century. In the contrary Electronic grid network designs and its powerful deliverance infrastructure suffers the hardships due to these responsible Factors: Old Equipment's , Obscures system, Outdated Working pattern and Lack of proper planning .

Let's weigh the outdated Grid and the newness in smart grid

Issues Faced in Existing Grid

Electricity grid of U.S. is produced by a centralized power plant and is scattered amongst individual level of customers with the help of transmitting lines as per Figure . The voltage is put high range from developing stations situated in the middle for transmission through 10,000 + transmission stations, fallen down for utility division in over 2,000 substations, may be further degraded at points in a way with utility distribution lines. Although it provides huge % of reliability still it is facing some issues :

(1) Limited delivery system:

The current system uses SCADA ( supervisory control and data acquisition system) that endures limited bandwidths and quite slow data transmission rates that requires just few seconds for transmission.

(2) High costage of power outage and power quality interruption:

Costing of power outage and interruption is around $150 billion each year for Americans and the power goes around 2.5 hrs every year leading high economy loss .

(3) Inefficiency at managing peak load:

Though high Electricity changes are demanded over the time cost to meet such changes varies frequently. From the described issues, the current grid has to modernize to meet the demand proposed by this emerging society.

Technologies that has made Working of Grid Smarter

1) Smart Meters

 

 

Here Digital meters have replaced analog meters in point consumption that can redirect readings more accurately and on regular basis excluding manual intervention. Digital meters fosters to get idea about the pattern of consumption and moreover it provides hours billing giving customers economic bonus shifting load to night usage.

2) Sensors on Grid

 

The way grid carries electricity to consumers is completely sensor based with appropriate settings. Smarter sensors helps to acquire data re-back to working stations without human interference allowing analytics to easily identify mismatched caused in electricity transfer and working pattern of grid.

3) Smart transmission

It allows two-way communication that reminds power station to understand the amount of electricity needed in the particular area with quite closer approximation.
 

4)Grid market management

Spot Markets for the electricity where electricity competitors drive out the price of electricity in wholesale amount at its height. This is impossible without computerized management.

5) Billing systems

With the help of modernized and customized computers consumers can get the very right amount of bills quickly and inexpensively with these billing systems.

6) Analytic

As smarter grid produces tons of data it becomes easy to analyse as with the constantly changing data computers are constantly engaged in hunting the recent most data for more insights.
 

Let's catch out the Leading arguments of the Smart Grid

 

 

 

Smart grid is not a solitary technology, but rather a combo of numerous technologies. And through rational usage of these varieties we can enjoy several economic and potential benefits as under:

1)Advanced Reliability

2)Increased in asset utilization

3)Better binding of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and of-course the renewable energy

4)Reduction in operating costs for utilities

5)Growth in efficiency and conservation

6)Reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) and other different emissions.

The Key features on which Smart Grid Foundation has been initiated are:

1) Sensing and Measurement

 

 

 

It constructs two-way communication between customers and the power companies.

Img sensing & measurement
 

2) Information management system

 

 

Information gathering and working on the same reduces complexities and include brief real-time data gathering system, distributed data collection services, dynamic resource sharing, high-capacity access and backup of intelligent electronic device(IED), etc.

3) Transmission and Distribution Technology

 

$1 Trillion in Savings

 

The potential advantages of a highly -efficient, more-elastic, smarter grid are too huge, both for the electricity spectrum and for society a piece. The Electric Power Research Institute, an industrial flock, estimated that a fully delivered smart grid would cart $1 trillion + in savings, economies, and other perks over 20 years.

Future Hindrances for Development

1) upfront customer Express

According to the survey about more than 95% people showed their level of interest in getting brief detailing about their energy usage and however only 1 out of 10 are showing their commitment in paying upfront amount to receive the same info.

2) Lacking Standardization

As Smart Grid is a new model it requires widely installation monitoring devices communicating with the other elements and development of such kind of system take years for the same.

Capsuling the Session

So from today's discussion we can see that though it has tempting perks but somehow it is facing hindrances too . Now , let's see where this newly fresh technology make its way along with the Indian App developers to make such application worth operating. Even a surety cannot be assumed that whether such technology can put it's idea in form of iPhone Application Development or the android one's ? Let's Wait and watch out for the future together.