Smart Grids and electric energy
Smart grids represent a significant evolution in the management of electric energy by integrating advanced digital technologies into the electricity network. These technologies enhance the efficiency, reliability, and security of energy distribution and consumption. By transitioning from traditional electric grids to smart grids, countries worldwide, including the United States, Brazil, and Germany, have begun to harness data-driven insights for strategic investments in energy infrastructure. Smart grids offer numerous advantages, such as real-time monitoring of electricity use, dynamic pricing options that encourage energy consumption during off-peak hours, and improved responses to utility failures without requiring consumer intervention.
Moreover, the growth of electric vehicles (EVs) relies heavily on intelligent electric networks, which facilitate efficient charging and have the potential to transform EVs into microgenerators that contribute energy back to the grid. However, the increased digitalization of these systems also raises significant cybersecurity concerns, as the protection of consumer data and the integrity of the electricity supply must be prioritized. Overall, smart grids are set to revolutionize how energy is produced, managed, and consumed, benefiting both current and future generations while addressing urgent environmental concerns.
Subject Terms
Smart Grids and electric energy
Summary: Smart-grid technologies are revolutionizing the ways nations produce, transport, and consume electric energy.
A smart grid can be described as an electricity network that integrates modern digital technologies for measuring, sensing, communicating, controlling, and otherwise managing both the functioning of and information about electricity usage in order to improve energy efficiency, reliability, and security. Smart grids not only facilitate more intelligent use of electricity but are also creating new applications, solutions, and services related to electric energy.
Traditional electric grids are being upgraded to smart grids in many nations, including the United States, Canada, Brazil, Chile, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and China. These countries have perceived the potential of smart grids as strategic for the future and have already begun to depend on the data they provide to plan the investment of billions of dollars over the coming years. From big cities, such as New York and London, to small ones, such as Parintins in the middle of Brazil’s rain forest, smart grids are promising to benefit both present and future generations.
Taking advantage of newer digital technologies, smart grids will ensure greater security for the functioning of electric power networks, making them less vulnerable to disruptions and consequently reducing the billions of dollars in losses that can be caused by these failures. In addition, smart grids are able to sense and communicate directly about the utility failures of certain elements of the network, eliminating the archaic need for consumers to call the utility company during power disruptions. In many cases, smart grids are also able to troubleshoot such problems, initiating the self-recovery of the system.
Smart Metering
Although part of the smart grid and one of its most important technologies, smart metering is not the same as the smart grid. Today, the replacement of analog meters with digital ones is occurring throughout the world as a first step toward the implementation of smart grids. These meters provide utilities with online and real-time access to information regarding electric energy consumption, allowing better management of networks by the utilities and permitting them to charge at rates tailored to the time of consumption (dynamic pricing). Such pricing structures tend to reward use at low-demand times with lower rates, which in turn helps alleviate the problem of overloads during peak hours, improving the safety of the operational system and avoiding or postponing the need to build new power plants. By the same token, dynamic pricing gives consumers the option to decide when to use appliances and other equipment in order to save money and conserve energy.
Electric Transportation
The automotive industry has been developing electric cars, so-called plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), whose batteries can be charged with a connection to the electric network. For such vehicles to be used on a large scale, however, they need an intelligent electric network that informs the driver when and where the car can be recharged; otherwise, the system could be overloaded and thus damaged. Through localization and communication tools, smart grids will allow drivers to plan a safe recharge. Moreover, smart-grid technologies make it possible for PEVs to generate energy that can be uploaded to the network—essentially turning these vehicles into microgenerators. Thus, the smart grid, through PEV technology, can dramatically reduce carbon emissions and, hence, countries’ dependency on imported oil.
Cybersecurity
In view of the increasing complexity of digital and remotely controlled electric networks, it is imperative that they be made operationally secure in order to prevent not only hackers but also terrorist attacks, natural disasters, equipment failures, and operational errors. The huge amount of data about consumers and utility companies that is stored via smart grids makes cybersecurity even more important. Utility companies must therefore be held accountable for the confidentiality and integrity of the data collected by the network. It is already clear that smart grids are revolutionizing the way countries will produce and consume electric energy in the years to come.
Bibliography
“Grid Modernization and the Smart Grid.” Energy.gov, 2024, www.energy.gov/oe/grid-modernization-and-smart-grid. Accessed 7 Aug. 2024.
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Office of the National Coordinator for Smart Grid Interoperability. NIST Framework and Roadmap for Smart Grid Interoperability Standards. Washington, DC: National Institute of Standards and Technology, 2010. www.nist.gov/public‗affairs/releases/upload/smartgrid‗interoperability‗final.pdf. Accessed 7 Aug. 2024.
“Smart Grids.” International Energy Agency, 11 July 2023, www.iea.org/energy-system/electricity/smart-grids. Accessed 7 Aug. 2024.