‘Smart Grid’: The Future of Power Supply
In the days to come, smart grid will play a very important role in power supply and distribution. The current conventional electrical grid only works in a one-way way. The current grid is responsible for delivering electricity from the power station to the customer.
Electricity Future
A smart grid, on the other hand, uses a variety of automated smart devices, such as “controllers” built into modern technology. And with the help of these devices power supply can be ensured on both sides.
With this two-way system of smart grid, the level of power consumption, power source and how the power is being used can be controlled more efficiently from the power plant to the customers.
Technologies such as solar panels or wind turbines are now generating electricity in a way that is not connected to the central grid. Also many new electric cars are coming in the market. Tasks like decentralized and variable renewable energy control and charging of these new generation electric cars cannot be done effectively with the help of conventional grids. As a result, smart grids are being created in many countries to meet the demand for the use of such electrical energy in new ways.
Smart grid technology can handle all the complex electrical currents associated with modern power generation systems. This allows consumers to be directly connected to the main power distribution system. Smart grids can also be used to control any system of power generation and storage. With the help of smart grid it is possible to create new products, services and markets.
The smart grid will build advanced and modern power systems to build the future of the digital economy. At the same time it will ensure efficient use of resources and increase the efficiency of the whole process. It will also be able to predict in case of any kind of disruption in the power system and will be able to control the power system efficiently in case of any kind of disaster or natural calamity.
The advantages of a smart grid system include:
- The advantage of controlling the power system more efficiently
- Measures to activate the power system quickly after the accident
- Opportunity to reduce the cost of power generation
- The state of reducing the price of electricity at the consumer level
- Advantages of power adjustment from renewable energy sources
- Improved security measures
Smart grid implementation
Some of the world’s leading power regulators will soon launch large-scale smart-grid systems. For this, various plans have been adopted. However, it will take at least a decade or two to implement these plans. It is envisaged that the most advanced projects will be able to control electricity in full effect by 2040 and 2050. At that time, most of the other grid operators or power control companies will be connected to the smart grid.
Developing countries that have energy-efficient buildings and locally large-scale power generation systems will not make much difference to existing power systems. Rather the number of microgrids will increase. This will give consumers more control over the supply and production of electricity. It will also benefit consumers who use a lot of energy, such as large educational institutions, hospitals and large-scale industries.
In other words, the competition is increasing to improve the control of the power system around the world. At the same time, efforts are being made to produce environmentally friendly fuels. And this means that there is a huge potential for efficient use of energy and complete decentralization of the power system. These will actually work on many levels. This will be a big change in the smart power generation and control system. We probably won’t see this technology in full swing before 2040. But before that it will set foot in some limited areas.
The next two decades will see influential and large grid operators in developed economies implement their plans on a large scale.
In developing countries and islands where energy consumption rates are higher, microgrid installation rates will increase. As a result, conventional methods of power generation and supply will be threatened. At the same time, the smart grid of the future will be created anew.
