Power to the smart grid

03 October 2011 - 03:03 By JACQUELINE MACKENZIE, I-Net Bridge
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Powerlines. File photo.
Powerlines. File photo.
Image: Mark Wessels

Smart-grid technology could do much to lessen the frequency of power cuts , says a specialist in the field .

John Dorn, smart-grid chief architect at Accenture, said South Africa's demand for power was expected to double by 2030.

He said the government faced the challenge of finding ways of ensuring energy cost-efficiency with minimal adverse effects on climate and the environment.

South Africa would require a big investment in smart-grid technologies to meet its growing energy demands, he said.

Dorn said smart-grid technology would help the authorities to better understand power outages and enable them to deploy crews to the right locations much more quickly.

"You would know where, what kind and the extent of the outages, and be able to react, thus shortening the time that people will be without power."

Another benefit would be that the electricity load could be shifted to avoid outages.

"Smart grid" refers to the technology that industry is using to bring electricity delivery systems into the 21st century through computer control and automation. The new capabilities are being introduced to electricity supply networks - from conventional power plants to wind farms, homes and businesses.

The government is committed to spending more than R800-billion in the next few years to beef up the power grid to help plug an energy supply shortfall. It has warned that the country faces rolling blackouts from 2011 to 2016 unless extraordinary measures are taken to generate more power.

Governments across the world regard the smart grid as the way to modernise electricity transmission and distribution systems, and maintain a reliable and secure infrastructure that can meet future energy demands.

Volatile energy costs, growing demand for energy and natural resources, and the need to reduce carbon emissions are driving the consideration of innovative solutions to make urban living and working environments more sustainable.

Smart-grid technology is essential to secure energy supplies.

It will also ensure the transition to a low-carbon economy and access to affordable energy across the world, its proponents claim.

The benefits of using smart-grid technology include improved safety and efficiency, reduced dependence on imported energy and minimising costly damage to the environment.

It also reduces the cost of interruptions in the power supply and power-quality disturbances, as well as the probability and consequences of widespread blackouts.

Dorn said one of the key benefits of smart-grid technology was that the authorities could control the grid in an optimal way for the consumer

He said there are many pilot projects for smart-grid technologies worldwide.

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