Smart grid

Abstract

Smart grid holds a great promise for a cleaner, more efficient power; healthier air; and lower greenhouse gas emissions. A smart grid vastly improves energy efficiency and is already revolutionizing our energy future. A smart power grid delivers electricity from suppliers to consumers using digital technology with two-way communication to control appliances at consumers’ homes to save energy, reduce cost, and increase reliability and transparency. A smart grid includes an intelligent monitoring system that keeps track of all electricity flowing in the system. It also incorporates the capability of integrating renewable electricity, such as solar and wind, at the consumer end. For houses equipped with solar panels and/or wind turbines, the goal is for them to consume no more energy than they produce and to produce net zero carbon emissions. The future with smart grid may look like a lot of distributed “green” generation at the consumer end replacing the conventional generation and thus easing its way to more sustainable future energy needs.