Posts Tagged ‘smart grid’

Smart Grid - Can we Trust it?

November 10th, 2009

News reached us two weeks ago that many South Dakotans are going to get a first peak at smart grid technology. That opportunity became a reality through stimulus money being awarded to several South Dakota utilities, enabling them to purchase smart meters for residential homes. 

The goal for the smart meters, which track electric consumption on a real time basis, is to provide customers and utilities with the information needed to better manage electricity usage. 

Today, however, we learn that some individuals fear this technology will be an intrusion into their personal lives and won’t help achieve the goal of saving money through conservation.  That observation comes from a Sioux Falls Argus Leader story titled “Smart meters touted for ability to help conserve, but critics are skeptical.“  

I understand the privacy concerns, and I do think more thought needs to go into the rules governing how the information is stored and used.  But as SD Public Utilities Commission Chairman Dusty Johnson states in the Argus Leader story, it’s the job of the PUC to protect consumers, and I trust them in this regard.

Other reasons to support Smart Grid

In addition to the argument that smart meters will help reduce consumption, I’d like to offer a few other reasons I think the benefits of smart grid technology outweigh the concerns over privacy. 

First, I hope that putting smart meters in people’s homes will help people better understand how our electric system works.  Generally, the system is a mystery to Americans.  How is the energy that reaches our home produced? Why is energy during peak demand more expensive?  What can be done to increase the amount of renewable energy in production? 

Second, I believe that investing in smart grid technology will help rebuild an archaic grid system.  As one energy expert writes “Basically, we’re talking about a 19th century system from the days of Edison and Westinghouse that uses 20th century equipment in an effort to keep up with a 21st century economy.” (See “Electronomics: Why We Need Smart Grid Technology and Infrastructure Today”)  That just a recipe for disaster.

Third, I see increased development of renewable energy sources (like wind energy) because of smart grid technology. We know that the intermittency of wind energy creates a barrier for the industry.  With better management software being developed as a part of smart grid technology, we should expect to see renewable energy sources becoming a bigger part of the energy mix. 

And finally, I hope that this initial investment in smart meters will be the first step in producing a microgrid system that turns consumers into producers by using smart grid technology to produce more energy locally.  Back in July, Fast Company published a great article on this subject titled “Why the Microgrid Could be the Answer to our Energy Crisis.”  The vision in the article may be a bit utopian, but I believe it’s a vision worth reaching for.   

So, what’s the connection here to rural communities?  Obviously, rural communities stand to benefit from increased renewable energy production.  And all consumers, will benefit from reduced electricial usage.  I’m sure there are other benefits, as well as risks.   I would invite others to share their thoughts as I continue to learn about this subject. 

Photo Credit:  Beige Alert - Flickr

 

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