Smart Grid as a Climate Change Technology System Response

An integrated system like Smart Grid, as defined by the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA), backs up and links intermittent renewables like solar and wind with highly reliable distributed energy networked with information technology. These IT services send usage, efficiency and production data to the larger grid system and its users. 24-hour Smart Grid systems that include stationary fuel cells are different than just a renewable energy solution (a wind farm) augmenting the grid. A PublicGen Smart Grid Distributed Energy and Efficiency Program (Smart Grid DEEP) will help generate community buy-in, educate public officials as well as utility-level corporate stakeholders and investors, and generate CleanTech provider sales.

A wide set of climate change and energy efficiency technologies (CleanTech) are now available, with new choices constantly emerging. Where should investments go and what technology deployments are the best suited for an organization or region? What technologies are most likely to become redundant or obsolete too early? Wind and solar are intermittent power generation sources with few widely available CleanTech 24/7 all-weather back up systems. Geothermal electrical production is not widely available, though passive geothermal is a universally available efficiency moderating the heating and cooling of homes and facilities using the steady 45-50F (8-10C) ambient temperature of the Earth. A wider definition of distributed energy to include large batteries, fuel cells, CHP, opportunity fuels and Smart Gird IT can have a dramatic efficiency impact to the grid and thereby carbon and other greenhouse gases. Smart Grid DEEP organizes CleanTech options and creates a uniform, reliable regional solution to these highly complex systems choices.
Distributed energy (DE) systems—like fuel cells and other combined heat and power oriented systems including gas turbines and reciprocating engines—are tested uninterruptible systems impervious to power line disruptions that efficiently use natural gas and other hydrogen-rich opportunity fuels onsite. Beyond combined cooling, heat, and power systems (CHP/CCHP) like fuel cells—with heat represented by capturing generator heat waste and the cooling aspect generally categorized by absorption chiller technology—large 1 Megawatt (MW) sodium sulfur batteries are also efficiently augmenting grid power today.

Smart Grid is a new global framework for increasing efficiency and reliability of grid power systems. It has yet to be measured significantly as a systems approach to climate change technology issues. In Western North Carolina, imported grid electricity contracts are ending between Progress Energy and American Electrical Power. This contract represents up to 30% of peak demand electrical supply for Western North Carolina (west of Charlotte). Public interest seeking higher efficiency solutions also addressing greenhouse gases (GHG) linked to climate change has negated traditional large, centralized peak power production systems. New legislative definitions of energy production, energy industry innovation and public demand create a menu of valid options to business as usual.

Smart Grid solutions provided for upgrades to the grid system at substation and production nodes, along with modern information technologies including Advanced Distribution Automation and demand-side management (DSM) systems. The first DSM—or the first climate change and energy modernization technology—is behavior modification and efficiency measures like suing LED (light-emitting diode) and CFL (compact florescent lighting), turning off unused electrical load (lights, computers, etc.). Smart Grid also measure load use and rewards consumers who use high load systems from washing machines to factory equipment during off peal high-demand periods.

An important aspect of a system-wide Smart Gird and DSM solution includes distributed energy (EISA). DE solutions have included small residential solar and medium solar and wind installations in urban and remote locations. DE should also included full-time all-weather solutions like fuel cells, reciprocating engines and other combined cooling, heat and power systems functionally serving as onsite power plants for hospitals, schools, factories, shopping centers and other large energy users including urban districts and residential neighborhoods.

While the ‘green’ construction of more efficient homes and business represents advanced DSM programming; Smart Gird, DSM and DE electrical power systems represent technologies suitable for retrofitting the vast majority of preexisting infrastructure not qualified for LEED or other ‘green’ certification programs or otherwise built to be ‘green’ as originally designed. This international retrofit requirement of preexisting infrastructure represents the majority of our GHG point sources. Rebuilding entirely new ‘green’ infrastructure is not possible. Smart Grid DEEP is the project management of relevant planning tools and technology applications coordinated to reach organization or government regional GHG reduction and energy modernization goals.

Project Purpose & Objectives
Smart Grid—with other renewable energy—not only augments the grid that is now reaching capacity and is growing dangerously obsolete, but eventually will replace the old electrical grid we all depend on. Adding hydrogen refueling stations to a fuel cell powered DE plant for future transportation needs is a value-added aspect to PublicGen’s systems integration approach. In the future, PublicGen will develop projects that provide both electricity and the energy supply (feedstock) for localized DE.

Smart Grid means information technology linking the existing grid with new DE sites. Communicating the technology and increasing the rate of consumer and utility-level stakeholder buy-in will be critical. PublicGen supports utility-level Smart Grid programs and projects while assisting technology providers in bringing their products to market with Smart Grid DEEP™.

• Motion pictures with visualizations


• Technical communications


• Project Management Offices


• Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) program support