“WHAT IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF SMART GRID TECHNOLOGY?” -MACDONALD

Dennis Okang

Ryan Mohammed

OBJECTIVE

• What is a smart grid?

• Smart meters

• Function of Smart meter

• Comparison of Grid and Smart Grid

• Interview : Professor A. Goykadosh

• Economic benefits

• Environment benefits

• Disadvantages

• Future of Smart Grid

WHAT IS A SMART GRID

• A network created through the combination of information technology, communication technology and electrical power system.

• A way to do more with less.

• Present two-way electrical transmission system.

• Modern updated and smart transmission system.

• It simply means a smarter power grid

SMART METERS• A smart meter is an

electrical meter that records consumption of electric energy in intervals of an hour or less.

• It then sends that information at least once a day back to the utility for monitoring and billing .

• Smart meters enable two way communication between the meter and the central system.

HOW SMART METERS WORK

1) Tracks your

hourly usage

2) Meters

read data is

then sent to

the

neighborho

od

collectors

3) Control Computers receive

data from collectors and

transmit it to the Smart Meter

Repository

4) Time-of-use

billing quantity

data is sent

back to the

local

distribution

company

5) You are

then

provided

with your bill.

GRID AND SMART GRID COMPARISON

INTERVIEW : PROFESSOR A. GOYKADOSH

•P.E. in New York State•M.S.E.E. in Electrical Engineering, Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn•B.E.E in Electrical Engineering, City University of New York

1. What are some not so obvious benefits of smart grid technology?

Smart grid technology not only creates a new market for the materials and

resources necessary to build and implement smart grids, it also creates a market

for smart appliances. All everyday, and many luxury, appliances that run on

todays traditional electrical infrastructure would need to be re-created so they

are compatible with the smart grid. These appliances can range from coffee

machines to high-end TVs, rejuvenating the already well established markets

and creating new markets for new appliances.

2. What are some major disadvantages of smart grids?

A major disadvantage of smart grids are that, being largely telecommunications

based, they are susceptible to viruses. All of the appliances connected to the

grid would be at risk of corruption, allowing hacker to have full rein of your home

and technology attached to it.

3. What has been the environmental impact, so far, of using the smart grid?

Smart grids have been shown to be able to cut down on unnecessary energy

use and green house gas emissions in areas where smart grids are setup but

being that the technology is so new there’s not much data on its effect on the

environment, however, smart grids use of different forms of renewable energy

sources will surely have positive effects on the environment and communities

they are implemented in.

4. Are there any ways/plans to make smart grids more efficient, economically or environmentally?

As a new and emerging technology, smart grids are constantly being worked on and improved to be more

efficient, both cost and energy wise.

5. What are the cost factors behind developing and implementing smart grids?

Once again, being a newer technology, smart grids are very expensive to make and install. This, along with the

extra cost of having to replace all of your appliances with smart grid compatible ones will make smart grids a every

expensive investment but over times you will be able to save, and even make, money with the use of the renewable

resources and the smart grid.

ADVANTAGES

• Improves distribution management and decision support software

• Automated control for distribution

• Proactive management of electrical network during emergency situation

• Increased efficiency

• Better demand supply/ demand response management

• Better power quality

ECONOMIC BENEFITS

• Electricity Supplier Benefits• New market opportunities for distributed generation and storage of

energy will be created.• A more study transmission grid will accommodate larger increases in

wind and solar generation.• The demand for low cost, environmentally friendly distributed

generation and storage will give energy suppliers new option for DER (Distributed Energy Resources) businesses.

• Residential Consumer Benefits• Lower pressure on energy prices and total customer bills• Creation of new jobs - “KEMA ( Private company that offers

management consulting, technology consulting & services to business and technical consultancy) reported in 2008 that implementation of the smart grid could create 280,000 new jobs and that 140,000 of those jobs would persist following implementation to support its ongoing operation and maintenance.”

• Increases capability, opportunity, and motivation to reduce consumption

• Opportunity to interact with the electricity markets through home area network and smart meter connectivity

• Opportunity to reduce transportation cost using electric vehicles instead of typical vehicles

ENVIRONMENT BENEFITS

• Delivery Company Benefits• Increased capability to integrate irregular renewable resources

• Reduction in emissions as a result of more efficient operation, reduced system losses, and energy conservation

• Reduction in frequency of transformer fires and oil spills through the use of advanced equipment failure

• Residential Consumer Benefits• Increased capability, opportunity, and motivation to shift to

electric vehicle transportation

• Increased opportunity to purchase energy from clean resources, further creating a demand for the shift from a carbon-based to a “green economy”

DISADVANTAGES

• Privacy and Security

• Smart appliances can be hacked

• Much more exposure to RF radiation

• all appliances will transmit wireless data with peak power bursts far above current safety standards (917 MHz and 3.65 GHz in the ultra-high frequency/microwave ranges)

• Will be costly and time consuming to implement

FUTURE OF SMART GRID

• Will take time and money to implement the smart grid

• Smart appliances will become more and more available

FUTURE OF SMART GRID

CONCLUSION

• Smart grid will enable for a more efficient way to distribute energy

• Smart grid will make energy consumption more cost effective down the line

• Smart grid will reduce down times due to equipment malfunctions