Smart Grids Archives - Arbin Instruments

Since the 1900s, electricity has become an integral part of our lives, determining our access to warmth, food, communication, safety, and health. The weather, however, can greatly affect our access to electricity, especially when we may need it the most. An analysis conducted by Climate Central found that there was a 67% increase in weather-related power outages since 2000 in the United States, reflecting the inability of the aging electrical grid to withstand increasingly extreme weather events. Both renewable and non-renewable energy are vulnerable to effects of the weather. How does it affect energy generation and transmission, and what can be done to improve it?

According to Climate Central, between 2003 and 2012, 80% of large-scale power outages were caused by severe weather. Out of these instances, 59% were caused by storms and severe weather such as heavy rains and thunderstorms; 20% by ice storms and cold weather; 18% by hurricanes and tropical storms; and 3% and 2% by tornadoes, and extreme heat and wildfires respectively. With a large majority of power outages caused by weather events, it is crucial to create a system that can hold up against them and recover as soon as possible.

How does weather affect the generation and distribution of electricity?

A majority of power lines in America are above ground making them vulnerable to weather and the elements. During storms and hurricanes, power line poles are susceptible to breaking and falling due to strong winds, or having branches and trees fall onto the power lines, disrupting the transmission of power. During Hurricane Sandy in 2012, 8 million people faced power outages with disruption caused by wind or flood damage, or preemptive shut downs by power companies to preserve the electrical system. In 2018, 1.7 million people faced electricity outages caused by Hurricane Michael. Oftentimes it can take a few days for power to be restored, leaving people and emergency services vulnerable during these times.

Ice storms can also cause damage to power lines as ice accumulates on them and makes them easier to break. If equipment is not designed to operate at certain temperatures, energy generation can be impeded. During the unprecedented cold weather that Texas faced, equipment at powerplants froze as they were not fortified against frigid temperatures, leaving millions without power. Extreme temperatures can also increase the demand on the electrical grid as people switch on extra heating or air conditioning to cope, putting a lot of pressure on the grid.

Renewable energy sources are not impervious to extreme weather conditions either. Some studies have shown that the electrical efficiency and power output of solar panels can also be negatively affected by higher temperatures. Not to mention when there is no sunlight at all for panels to harvest. Wind turbines can be damaged by winds stronger than what they are designed to handle.

What can be done to fortify the electrical grid against extreme weather?

With our electrical supply so greatly dependent on the weather, it is critical to have a system that can respond and withstand the pressure, especially in times of emergency.

Creating smart grids is one way to begin strengthening the grid. With the help of smart technology, there can be faster communication between the grid and power plants in detecting disruptions and allowing service providers to reroute power if necessary as soon as possible. It would also facilitate the monitoring of energy demand, so power plants can better respond to needs and make the decisions needed to meet demand while protecting the integrity of the grid.

Diversifying energy sources is also an important way to better ensure continuous availability of electricity. If one source gets affected by the weather, like a lack of sun hindering the generation of solar energy, other sources can step in and fill in the gaps.

Energy storage and localizing the grid is crucial in creating resilient systems and responding to energy needs in times of emergency. Grid storage would provide areas with a source of back up electricity when power plants and energy generators fail or are taken offline. With grids and storage controlled at a local level, areas would be able to continue to meet demand even if power lines or transmission towers are damaged. In this way, grid storage can act as a buffer, reducing the possibility or length of time people face power outages.

While people can’t control the weather, they can have control over how it affects us and our electrical systems. Creating a resilient and reliable power grid can better prepare areas to deal with extreme weather, avoid power outages, and ensure that critical services remain online during emergency situations.

Click here to find out more about how Arbin’s equipment supports the grid storage industry.

Grid Storage

What would the city of the future look like? With the advent of technology, people have been speculating for decades what a future fully integrated with technology would look like. Nowadays, a city of the future is expected to not only integrate technology and the Internet of Things into every aspect of everyday life, but be energy resilient and eco-friendly at the same time This requires not only adopting renewable energy or cleaner technologies such as electric vehicles; creating a smart city requires a comprehensive and flexible approach to energy management. This is why many places are looking into smart grids that allow for two-way communication between energy producers and consumers. When paired with grid storage, smart grids can be an effective way to regulate and monitor energy consumption, creating a grid system that is efficient overall for all parties involved.

How does a smart grid work?

Most electricity grids fall behind energy and resiliency needs. A traditional grid carries energy from a power plant through a series of interconnected power lines to the consumer. Energy is produced and delivered according to real-time demand. During peak hours, energy production is high, and off-peak it lowers. This can cause a strain on the grid, especially if demand outweighs what the power plant can produce. If there is disruption on the power lines, a blackout could occur and power would need to be rerouted manually.

A smart grid aims to address these response and resiliency issues found in traditional grids. A smart grid uses two-way communication technologies, sensors and advanced digital meters to assess grid stability and efficiency. Not only will energy producers be able to monitor energy demand and consumption, consumers themselves can also monitor their energy usage. As energy costs can also fluctuate throughout the day, consumers can schedule energy usage around the cost of energy. This would allow them to make better choices to conserve energy and reduce costs. If homes or buildings are equipped with renewable energy sources such as solar panels or wind turbines, they can also sell energy back to the grid, reducing their own costs.

Sensors on the smart grid would be used to detect any disruptions and automatically reroute power if necessary. This speedy response could reduce the occurrence of accidents and casualties in the event of a blackout.

How does having grid storage support the smart grid?

Without grid storage, a smart grid would ultimately still only act and react according to the demands on the grid. In the past, when a power plant cannot meet the needs of a grid, the solution would be to build new power plants to increase energy production. With grid storage, energy can be stored on the grid and released when necessary. During off-peak hours when demand is low, extra energy can be produced and stored on the grid. Stored energy can be released when demand is high so as not to overstrain real-time energy production. It is also a potentially cheaper and more efficient way to secure back up energy should other sources fail. Currently, backup plants and generators that come online when there is a power failure are costly to maintain. This could also help keep energy costs low by producing energy when demand is low and energy cheap.

Besides this, grid storage would facilitate the integration of multiple energy sources, as well as address the issue of inconsistent availability of renewable sources such as wind and sun. Without grid storage, energy must be produced and consumed immediately. If the demand is less than the energy production capacity, then the unused capacity is wasted. A smart grid coupled with grid storage would be able to gather multiple sources and adjust collection and release of energy with the information gathered through the different sensors and monitors.

Grid storage would also help with the decentralization of energy, allowing rural places further away from main sources of energy to store energy. Should power lines between the main grid and the remote area fail, there would still be energy available before power lines come back online.

Cities are moving towards smarter, more efficient consumption and production of energy. The flexibility and resiliency that grid storage can provide these key elements is creating stronger and safer electricity grids and greener, smarter cities.

Learn how Arbin is helping to create these smarter cities of the future.

How does weather affect the electrical grid?

The Role of Grid Storage in Smart Grids and Smart Cities

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