smart grid Archives – The Green Optimistic

Powerwall – The Tesla Home Battery We’ve Been Waiting For

Ovidiu Sandru — Fri, 01 May 2015 07:53:17 +0000

The Tesla Powerwall, also known as “Tesla home battery,” has been unveiled today by Tesla Motors at their Hawthorne studio. The main idea behind the Powerwall is closely connected to the smart grid concept and solar panels. For those who don’t know, Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk is also on the board of Solar City, which […]

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Vanadium Flow Batteries Offer Advanced Renewable Energy Storage

Benji Jerew — Thu, 10 Jul 2014 21:03:25 +0000

Renewable energy sources, while free of emissions, also has environmental limitations, meaning energy storage is more important. Renewable energy generation continues to expand, from residential solar power installations to off-shore wind power, to the point where some locations could even eliminate their dependency on fossil fuels, if not for one little problem. Of course, I’m […]

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Power Efficiency and Smart Grids the Only Step Forward

Benji Jerew — Wed, 29 Jan 2014 17:31:38 +0000

Smart grids have the potential to reduce our energy needs and reduce emissions and, indeed, could be the only way forward. For years, we’ve talked about improving energy efficiency. Reducing energy consumption reduces utility costs and strain on the power grid, as well as reduces emissions. Energy efficiency is only part of the story, though, […]

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Everything from Smart Grids to Electric Vehicles Improved by Self-Powered Sensors

Benji Jerew — Tue, 28 Jan 2014 19:22:45 +0000

In everything from electric vehicles to smart grids, including your laptop, smartphone, television, and house, sensors keep track of changing conditions, but they have a couple of limitations. For the most part, sensors require their own network and power supply, which limits their utilization and capabilities. Implementing smart grids, for example, requires high-speed and high-resolution […]

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ChargeIQ EV Charger Could Save You Money by “Talking” to Smart Meters

Benji Jerew — Thu, 30 May 2013 18:33:45 +0000

Electric vehicles are just like any other electrical device, that is, they consume energy when they are plugged in. Power companies spend of lot of time and effort balancing the supply of electricity with the demand for it. A typical commute that ends with millions of people arriving at home at about 5:30PM also generates […]

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New Simpler Flow Battery for Grid Storage Developed at Stanford University

Benji Jerew — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 16:45:45 +0000

The development of grid storage solutions is critical if the power grid is to switch to entirely renewable energy sources. The problem is that renewable energy is largely weather-dependent, so we need backup power sources to take up the slack when demand outstrips the supply of renewable energy. This often means that conventional fossil fuel […]

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Energy Storage on the Grid to Expand by 56GW in Next Decade

Benji Jerew — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 18:03:48 +0000

Renewable energy sometimes fluctuates, which is why Pike Research is forecasting that energy storage on the grid [ESG] will expand by 56GW in the next ten years. The weather plays a big part in renewable energy production. Rainfall dictates how much hydroelectric energy is produced, cloudy days reduce the amount of solar energy produced, and […]

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Smart Wire Grid’s Low-Cost Devices Deployed in Georgia

Benji Jerew — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 21:43:15 +0000

The nation’s power grid isn’t something that is easily changed. Millions of miles of infrastructure can’t just be swapped out overnight or even for the GDP of a small country. Increasing power supply and demand puts more stress on the aging power grid, and storm damage even more so. Repair and replacement can help, but […]

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Toyota Recycles Hybrid Batteries for Micro-Grid Applications

Benji Jerew — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 06:32:41 +0000

The power grid, for the most part, wasn’t designed with too many fail-safes, and the aging infrastructure shows this weakness every time there is a storm or excessive demand. Blackouts and brownouts, though, can be at least minimized or mitigated with the addition of smart-grid technology. By combining smart switching and backup power supplies, even […]

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Indian EV, Mahindra E2O – Can the Power Grid Handle It?

Benji Jerew — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 17:27:56 +0000

In a recent press release, Mahindra REVA announced the release of a new electric vehicle [EV] to be called the E2O. The new mini-car expects to have a 62-mile range, the perfect combination of size and range for city driving. Additionally, it can charge on any 15A standard socket in the country, as well as, […]

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Smart Grid Now Live in Faroe Islands

Benji Jerew — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 20:52:36 +0000

The Faroe Islands, about midway between the island nations of Iceland and the United Kingdom, cover about 540 square miles over eighteen islands. Power production is mainly hydro-electric and wind-powered, which means that power supply isn’t always constant to meet with demand. The Faroe Islands are now the first real-world users of a full smart […]

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World’s First Smart Grid EV Charger Shown in Australia

Mila Luleva — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 15:21:04 +0000

The World’s first ever certified smart grid integrated EV charger was presented at the 10th Annual Australia and New Zealand Smart Utilities Conference last week. The proud makers are the Australian technology company- DiUS Computing’s subsidiary Percepscion. The charger, called Charge IQ, can communicate with smart meters within a network from utilities, by sending signals […]

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Semiconductor CEOs Think Smart Grids are a Smart Idea

Janina Lazo-Cruz — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 07:27:38 +0000

At the recent Electronica exhibition held in Munich, Germany, the CEO panel discussion that comprised of four bosses of the semiconductor industry focused on one essential topic – the smart grid challenge, a vision that aims to provide improvements in reliability, security, economy, efficiency, environmental impact, and safety in power distribution. STMicroelectronics’ Carlo Bozotti, NXP […]

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Antiquated Electric Grid Needs a Reboot

Leigh Hutchens — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 18:46:01 +0000

Electric companies played soothsayer to customers days before Hurricane Sandy’s arrival. They warned of extensive power failure and potential widespread outages. Their predictions were accurate and Sandy affected an immense number of customers in New York and New Jersey. Sadly, none of the power outages resulting from Sandy should be surprising. The hurricane only served […]

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Supergrids One Step Closer with High Power Circuit Breakers

Benji Jerew — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 07:41:48 +0000

As more countries turn toward renewable energy, the prospects of larger power grids becomes possible, especially as renewable-rich countries start sharing with renewable-poor countries. Thoughts of a supergrid in Europe might pull together Scandinavian hydroelectric dams, German wind farms, Spanish and even African solar farms. One of the problems though, that over long distances, alternating […]

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Toyota Prius is Now an Emergency Backup Generator

Benji Jerew — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 18:00:38 +0000

Power inverters have been available for years now, and they make it possible to provide power to equipment and devices on a regular 120 volt circuit. In a typical vehicle, the inverter takes 12 V DC current input, and provides 120 V AC current. Laptops, radios, and even televisions can run off this kind of […]

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Smart Grid Tech Saved Chattanooga $1.4 million

Benji Jerew — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 19:56:06 +0000

Power grids are fragile things, utility poles and wires susceptible to damage by storms, falling trees, even animal activity. Add to this the increasing strain put on the aging infrastructure by modern technology, especially during the hot summer months, and you’ve got a recipe for power failures. Restoring power can be an expensive and time-consuming […]

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GELI to Unveil Operating System That Will Manage Future Smart Grids

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 07 May 2012 14:37:53 +0000

In the years to come, the electric grid is to change radically. What is now produced by coal-fired plants and consumed instantly, will then be produced by wind turbines and solar panels, and stored inside batteries or other forms of energy storage. The worldwide network of energy grids will be interconnected and will need software […]

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Ex-Apple Chief Architect Designs Nest, The World's Smartest Thermostat

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 19:10:01 +0000

Tony Fadell, once Apple’s chief architect, the one who was in charge of developing the iPod and the first three versions of iPhone, now has his own company and does only one little thing: a thermostat. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But Nest, the world’s maybe most expensive and complex thermostat is not at all something […]

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New Low-Speed Wi-Fi Technology Could Help Smart Grids Evolve Faster

Ovidiu Sandru — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 14:23:29 +0000

A company called On-Ramp Wireless invented a technology that uses the same frequencies Wi-Fi network cards use, but modulates the signal in such a manner that it doesn't get distorted by noise, such as the surrounding networks. On the contrary, the Ultra-Link Processing technology can send signals to up to 45 miles and even uses much less power to do that, enabling savings in what concerns both energy and equipment deployed on the field by utilities.

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Germany's Solar Power Will Soon Overload The Grid

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 17:37:31 +0000

Germany could soon be confronted with a problem: they will have too much solar power, unadapted to their lifestyle. The electric grid, designed for times that had far less consumers and producers than they are now, will ultimately come to an overload, says Stephan KÃƒÆ’¶hler, head of DENA, Germany's energy agency, to the Berliner Zeitung on Oct. 17.

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Fulvalene Diruthenium Studied As Alternative To Molten Salts For Renewable Energy Storage

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 17:43:04 +0000

Storing energy is almost as important as producing it, because wind and solar have the property of being intermittent sources - either they produce in excess or lack completely. Molten salts are currently the most used solution for storing energy in the form of heat, but they sometimes tend to be expensive and not so efficient.

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Philadelphia To Recover Subway Trains' Brake Forces In Huge Battery For Reuse/Resale

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 11:39:53 +0000

Having a battery could someday be compared to having gold mine. Take Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, for example. They' going to use a huge battery and charge it from the subway's braking trains. The energy recovered thus will either be sold back to the grid or reused for acceleration.

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China's Biggest Renewable Energy Project to be Launched Soon

Mike Sandru — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:46:15 +0000

China is planning to reduce its carbon footprint by 40-45% from the 2005 level and until 2020 to generate 15% of its electricity from low-carbon technologies. According to Zhang Guobao, head of the National Energy Administration, a national program consisting of billions of dollars of investments in solar, wind and nuclear energy would be launched very soon.

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ComEd's New Solar Energy Project for Chicago Homes Proposes Smarter Grid

Mike Sandru — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:02:41 +0000

ComEd, a Chicago-based utility company has come up with a new solar energy pilot that will outfit about 100 Chicago-area homes with solar panels and ÃƒÂ¢€Ã…â€œat least 50 of those with battery backup, 'smart' meters, net metering and a grid-tied status that enables them to send unused electric energy from their solar energy systems back to the grid.ÃƒÂ¢€

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