Debate surrounding energy usage has been constantly heard over the past few years. Solar panels and wind turbines are seen more today than before, and people are now aware of the disadvantages of gas, coal, and oil usage to generate energy. We can dramatically decrease the reduction of carbon footprints by generating energy from clean yet renewable sources. In this regard, some common renewable power technologies include biomass, the solar, wind, and geothermal.
Smart Grid Technology – Is it Worth it?
From the last 100 years, power grid technology gas has gone through several revolutions. Today, they are used worldwide to keep up with the energy demands of the 21st century. It is anticipated that the energy demand in 2030 will increase by 30 percent. But do we have enough resources to keep pace with the ever-increasing energy demands? Well, this is where Smart Grid Technology comes in handy.
In fact, smart grids could be the best way to create an ideal renewable energy system.
When talking about smart grids, our mind is filled with a generic feature to monitor energy usage. However, the overall objective of grids is to enhance the reliability, efficiency, and sustainability of devices running on electricity.
In this regard, here are 5 ways smart grid technology is truly the best option we have to promote renewable energy.
On-Demand Electricity & Reducing Consumption
The primary advantage of smart grids is that it allows the monitoring of energy consumption at any time at any energy meter. So, the end-users are aware of their real consumption. With real-time and précised consumption meters, we can better adjust the contracted power according to the needs of each consumer – saving a lot of money.
Transition to a Green Economy
Energy sustainability has become a global problem. While renewable energy is the key aspect of going green, it has some logistical problems of its own. For example, it is nearly impossible to make use of renewable energy through outdated, traditional, and aged grid systems.
Without smart grid technology, it is impossible to take renewable energy resources to their full potential. Traditional grids that were specifically made to support energy coming from coal or gas cannot support intermittent and diverse sources of energy like solar and wind. Thus, smart grid integration is necessary to push renewable energy.
Improved Grid Efficiency
As discussed earlier, traditional grid stations are nearly useless if we’re especially talking about renewable energy. But with smart grid initiatives, we have a great chance at maximizing the power efficiency, reliability, and resiliency of energy-driven from renewable sources.
The reliable sensors and reclosers used improves grid reliability and make them optimized for diverse energy sources such as wind and solar.
Distributing Smart Data
As discussed earlier, the energy crisis is on the rise and our aging electric infrastructure is having a hard time with current liabilities. However, responsible authorities have finally realized the importance of smart grids to enable the delivery of electricity reliably and efficiently. If everything goes right, we are expected to save about $36 billion annually by the end of 2025.
In the simplest words, employing smart grids to supply energy is the key step to shift towards digital energy distribution. Optimized, real-time, and smart grid devices provide adequate information to address power quality issues on time.
Reduction of Carbon Emissions
Last but not least, all the above-mentioned ways smart grids are pushing renewable energy leads to reducing energy consumption – resulting in the reduction of C02 emission. Thus, smart grid technology promotes a sustainable future. When utilities get more control over the grids, the deployment of renewable energy becomes easier.
Whether smart grid technology will lead to a green economy is not clear, but engineers are trying to revolutionize the energy crisis with the latest technology. Regardless of consequences, one thing is certain that smart grids are so far the best shot we got to push renewable energy systems – taking one step towards going green. Moreover, it is also a good step to invest in smart grid devices that help our aging infrastructure to meet the energy needs of the future.
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