"Wisdom begins in wonder" – Socrates
Tag: The Grid
Peaker Plants
03/27/18
“What were the predecessors of battery storage systems?”
Although battery storage is all the rage nowadays, there is an older predecessor to handle extra demand on the grid. These machines were like power plants, except that they only came on in times of need! They were called peaker plants, and their electricity tends to be more expensive due to their off-cycle nature.
Grid Flexibility
03/01/18
“How can we quantify how flexible the grid is?”
The electric grid is currently in a state of transition. With the advent of renewable energy, electricity is transitioning from its old-fashioned monodirectional centralized power generation paradigm to a transactive distributive one. As such, the grid will have to wrap around this new dynamics system and increase its own flexibility
Grid Defection
02/28/18
“Can Solar Plus Storage make the grid obsolete?”
In the 20th century, back when we were reliant on massive power plants to produce energy, if you wanted to have electricity in your home then you had to sign up an electrical utility. But with the advent of Solar Plus Storage Systems, this might become a thing of the past. Now that people can not only generate but store their own electricity at their home, there is no longer a need to be attached to the grid. In some cases, it’s actually cheaper to become off-grid! As a result, many people are undergoing grid defection and turning to generate their own electricity.
Solar Plus Storage Systems
02/26/18
“What is the next phase of standalone solar systems?”
Until recently, solar energy was thought to be a simple, stand-alone product. However, with the global proliferation of PV, the frontier of sustainability has been expanded. With the advent of distributed energy resources, it is no longer sufficient to simply generate electricity from renewables but also storage. Here, a very interesting technology called Solar Plus Storage Systems comes into play. Solar Plus Storage Systems are the combination of solar panels and battery storage systems communicating with one another to allow for optimal use of energy generation, whether it be in demand-side response, microgrids, or energy back up.
Grid Modernization
02/25/18
“What does grid modernization entail?”
Around the developed world, the electric grid is collapsing. As such, there are now many new efforts to modernize the electric grid. This entails creating a grid that has a greater resilience to hazards of all types, improved reliability, enhanced security, additional affordability, superior flexibility, and increased sustainability.
Voltage Reduction for the Duck Curve
02/24/18
“How can we use voltage reduction to help the duck curve?”
The duck curve is one of the most pressing issues in renewable energy integration. However, most methods to ameliorate this are usually quite complicated. But how can we use our engineering mindsets to solve this problem? Well, we know that if we were to reduce the voltage that an appliance uses, then its power dissipation will go down. So what if we were to have an automated system where this will occur during peak energy use times? This is the idea behind Voltage Reduction for the Duck Curve and holds a promising future for demand response regulation.
Energy Storage as a Service
02/22/18
“How can we turn energy storage into a business?”
Traditionally, facilities had only two options for receiving electricity, generating their own or purchasing from a utility. But with the advent of renewable energy and advanced energy storage, this picture is starting to change. Facilities can now enter contracts with organizations to receive energy from energy storage systems. This venture known as Energy Storage as a Service has the potential to generate revenue, create savings, and improve electricity resiliency by providing clean energy at affordable rates
How Distributed Energy Resources Help National Security
02/10/18
“Does implementing distributed energy resources and national security go hand in hand?”
It is usually thought that renewable energy sources such as solar and wind cause danger onto communities due to their lack of centralization. However, can this feature actually be a security advantage? Well, it turns out that by having energy generation be distributed instead of in a centralized location like a power plant, the grid becomes less prone to attacks and can recuperate much faster in case of such an event. Therefore, Distributed Energy Resources actually help national security!
Electric Sub-Panels
12/15/17
“How can we distribute electricity in a larger building?”
Electrical service panels are ubiquitous in integrating an edifice to the grid. However, sometimes a building unit can become too large for just one subpanel. However, what if instead we were to just hook up a smaller panel to the larger one? Think of it like attaching a multi-plug to an outlet. These Electric Sub-Panels can now be found in built environments all over the world.
Isaac's Science Blog 