You are on page 1of 5

%ffiffitrW ffiwgffi%ffiThe

6Y JOgt GORDES

Vhen Edison energized the first grid


{rrom his famous Pearl Streer station in

:-""-+.

:+.., ; 7u,. volved as professionals


,

lthough most of us are in-

lower Manhattan in 1882, it

r,r.as,

in many

in en-

respects, what might be considered a

.;

i:ii.

ergy and/or building science in one way or another, there

are few who have a complete grasp

of

forerunner of what today we call a "microgrid," which is a forerunner of the Smart Grid. A microgrid by one

technical factor oflarge size and attendant cost reductions that led to the regulated monopolies rather than the commonly thought redundancy of wires. As a result of those economic factors, the electric grid has grown and:
7he electicdl power

the entire field. Occasionally, important new developments may be lost in the static ofincreased activity in these
disciplines.

definition

is:

grid, a

massiuely

complex machine, the /argest on earth,

...an agregate of small loads and distributed energt resources which operate
as a single rystem

was recently acclaimed by the National Acddemy of Engineering ds 'the most


s

Two years ago, the term "Smart

th/tt prouides both

Grid" was hardiy known outside

a small

power and heat.'

ignif cant engineering ac h ieuement of the 20rh century'."'

circle of people who have actually been

working on it for quite some time. Only with it being featured in some popular, widely disrribured prinr and digital
publications has it gained recognition by a much broader audience and more recently in NESEAs BE09 and BE10 conference sessions. Its importance to NESEA members is still diltrcult to gauge, but, sulice it to say, it may be immense and so cannot be ignored. If the touted capabilities come even to partial Fruition it will have immense impacts for the implementation of energy eliciency for zero net energy building, renewable energy and other allied aspecrs of what we think of as the "built environment."
As

In Edison's case, it was developed primarily in order to market his prize product, the electric light bulb. It was powered

with direct current (DC), which had a


limited range of operability measured in blocks rather than miles. Earliest generations often partly conformed to this model, but the need to iower the cost
of power led to abandonment of this small DC grid concept in order to obtain economies of scale needed to lower cost then only available through larger, centralized power rransmitted over an AC system. In actuality, it was largely this

Todal', industry has come full circle. The technologies that in the past have driven the electric industry by economies ofrscale dependent upon size are giving way to the lesser known economies of
scope. Based on these economies of scope, "mass production in factories with qualiry

control was able to bring price decreases to make up for loss of economies of scale found in larger units..." This also became possible through higher elficiency, or-rce only afforded by large steam plants,

now in relativeiy small generators that could be economically located for on-site

TABLE I

Disfribuled Generotion Chqrqcterislics

with any new technologies,

lot
Custom Built

of promises have been made on how the Smart Grid will revolutionize the way we think about electricity. Some of these claims may be overhyped, lack a thorough understanding of the technological challenges involved, and may even mask some of the negative effects such new technology introduction often brings. In reality, the Smart Grid has not just appeared out of nowhere. Like most other technologies, it comes as an evolution from what has come before-going all the way back to Thomas Edison.

Cookie Cutter" Uniformity


Smoll, Modulor
Relotively High Efficiency

Long Leod Times Significoni Losses Vulnerobility of T&D Vulneroble Fossil/Nucleor Finonciol Risk per Proiecl
Less

Vulneroble

Optimol Fuel Environmeni

Low Fuel Cost Environmenl

High Fuel Environment

za I xoRrHEASr SuN I Fer-r- 2010

Promise and the Peri [s


r.rsc.

[)r. Carl \Teinbers, firrnrer head of

(.ontran' to popular prcconception,

Rc\l) .rt Pacilic Gas and F.lectric, r.vhose group coined the term "clistribured generrrtion," (DG) proviclecl rl're barsic attribtrtcs of this change fiorr "constructed

[)('
e

is not s\llonvlnolls rvitl-r renelvable


re

ners\', as it does inclucle fbssil ftrels, but


nevn',rbles

eveu some prominent

cannot

be classified as DG. For rnsr;rrrcc, mosr

enerqrj to "rnanuircturecl energr'." The


basic characteristics of eech crrn be sumnrariz.ccl

u,inci energl. farms irre located in remote

in the table on the opposite paee.'

locations, distant fronr elcctric loads, ancl thus do not confirrn-r to or-re of the

lf fhe fouled copobilifies [of Smort Grids] come even to porfiol fruition it will hsve immense impocts for lhe implementofion of energy efficiency for zero nef energy building, renewoble energy ond olher sllied ospecls of whcl we lhink of ss the "buih environmenf."
L-nvirotrmental concerns provide pori'e rfirl dlir.ers for thosc sources that tuse renervable energl'. :rs clo other shorttct'nr .lrgumerrtr $ hi.h .trt ce oltolttictrasecl, such as reliabilitl,, porver qualirv
rrnc{ gene

rnajor defining aspects of clistribr-rted rirtioni namelr', being located near the point ofend use. Nor is DG sl.nonvrlotts lvith
"clecerrtralization," althoush DG is

cnergv securin'. rvhich are also in the

firrefl'ont. Distributecl generirrion is the builclins block fbr the ree mergence of "r.nicrogrids." Here again, D(' is a term that hrrs been frequer.rth' rlislrsed but a
conrl.rosite definition derivecl from six

-lhc
r.rse

one important building block of it.

creclible sources describes rr as:


D
t t t

i s n i /t u

ted

Gett era tl

ort'

e t

np lo.1,s

tt r//o r stori(t located near tltc poittt oJ'trse titltcr on tlte demattd or srrpp/1, side.

or/

t r

/a

t' e lectri c gertert ti

ot

t t

rcqtrlrr. centralizc.l qlitl e.rrr m.rke of distributed generators that are tiecl tiehtlv to it but do not har.e the firlI resilieno' offerecl by decentralization. Amor1. and L. Htrnte r Lovir.rs, nvo of the earliest pior.reers in this area, specih' the fbllorvine attribtrtes of decentralizatior.r. u4rich pro'"'ide that extrir layer of resiliencv to the svstem.
De cenrralizatior.r:

. . . .

Consists of manv snrall units of sup-

DG

and rcttttt,tb/e energt getter//tion and cdn


includes fte/-diuersc lossil

eithcr be grid-cortrtet'ted or opernte


i
t

tdtp

ct t det t t/y,.

istri b t r ttd

reso t trces

rnngef'o1t tgtdcr ,t kilou,att t/p to 50 MW In cott,jtntctlort tuith tmditional grid pou,er, DG is capabb oJ' lt i glt rali a b ili t-y ( 99. 9999% ) and ltiglt pou,e r qnrtlitl' reqtrircd b.1, a r/igital soclet1,.'
t.1,pinl11,

ply and distlibution u'itl.r redundar.rcv to back each other upr Ilr,olves ur.rits th:rt are geographicallr' clis;lersed but close to den'r,rt'rd centersi Clonnotes interconnection r'"'ith manv rrnirs arrd nor t{epcrrrlcrtL\ on just a
ferv critical lir.rks ancl nocles; Allor.r's continued operation

if in

isolated modes, so f,rilures tend to be less u'idespread:

F,rr-r. 2010 lNon'r'HF.ASr SuN 129

SMART GRIDS

. . .

Provides storage as a buffer so rhar failures tend to be gradual rather

Enler The Smqrt

Grid-Giving

Possibly a more descriptive definition


b,v

than abrupt;
Involves short links at the distribution

Dislribufed Generoiion o Broin The "Smart Grid", or portions of lvhat comprised it, were first envisioned in
auromared nrerer reading. Since thar time, a tremendous body of information has come out peltaining to the plethora oftechnologies that can be developed to fr-rrther refir.re it. It combines aspects of disrributed generariorr bur overlal s ir lvith interactive communications and
provides a tighrlv knir cornmurricarions
s).stem

the National Electrical Manufacturers

Association (NEVA) is more appropriare:


7he godl is to use adudnced,

informdtiott-

Employs qualities conducive to user-controllabiliq', comprehensibiliry and user independence. One real-world example of decentralization (or lack thereof) involves the installation of dual brake lines in automobiles to provide redundanor tWhile this redundancy appears to add an extra measllre of resiliencl', because the lines are often run in close proximitv to each other for much of the length of the auto, they are not truly "decentralized" and

based technologies to increttse power

grid eficiency,

reliab iliry, and flexibility,

and reduce the rate dt uthich additional


electric uti/ity infrastructure needs to
be

built.

Some of the major goals for a smart

with digital control

technolog1..

grid include:-

The E,nergv Independence and SerrrrirV A,'r {FISA) ,)f 1007 de{inet
the smart grid
as:('

. .

still more vulnerable than thev might


have been if thel'rvere more physicallv
separated.

A moderniztttion of the ndtizn's

electricitry

transmission and distribution slstem t0

maiiltdin a re/idb/e and secure electricitl infrastrutcture that can meet future
demand gowtlt.

Improved reliabilitl,, security and elficier.rcy through digital control; Optimizarion ofrgrid operrtion including ease of interconnectlolr and real rirne translcrive pricing to promote demand responsei Provision for Storage Techr-rologv including plug-in hvbrid and electric
vehicles.

'''E'
t:

iJ

..:. ,,,,, j

..

|",

ffi
30 INoRTHEAST SuN

lFall

2010

|-

FIGURE

Smqrl Grid Diogrom


SMART GRID
A vision for the future - a network of integrated microgrids that can monitor and heal ltself.
a:n <h i froatoarv in rocnnnco ^ff I |,.t,,:l ^h< in

Use can be shifted to off peak times to save money

Execute special protection schemes in microseconds. areas to be isol

lso ated microgrid

Wind farm
Energy from small generators and solar panels can reduce overa I demand on the grid

Centra power
p ant

Reprinied by permission {rom Mocmillon Pub ishers Ltd: Not'ure, vo

.454, pp.570 5/3,

copyrlght 2008

Standards and security provisions

for inter-operability of all devices connected to the smart grid. More important, the industry began to articulate what the emergence of a smart grid might mean for the consumer and came to the conclusion that it should offer these services:8 . Enable active participation by

cerning power.e This allows consumers with a Home Area Network (HAN) to reduce the usage of power to their
appliances during high cost peak periods

. . . . . .

consumers.

Accommodate all generation and storage options. Enable new products and services. Provide high power qualiry required

in the digital economy.


Optimize
asset

utilization and

operating efficiency.

Anticipate needs in response to system services in a selfcorrecting


manner.
Be resilient against physical and

cyber attacks or natural disasters. Some observers believe that the most valuable feature of the new grid will be the abiliry ro lower transaction cosr con-

and resume operations when the price has dropped. It also allows a consumer who might have an on-site renewable energy system or a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle to provide power to the grid during peak periods and receive a bill credit for acting as a peaking generator. In this one example of Smart Grid operation, it produces a win-win situation that benefits all players, be they producers, consumers or those who do both at different times. The power providers also win in that they may not have to build dedicated peaking generation, which may only be used a few hundred hours per year, and may produce a disproportionately high price as well as emit greater levels of toxic air emissions and CO2. The diagram above depicrs one conception ofhow the architecture ofa Smart Grid might look and what rypes

of"transactions" can be taken on it.r0 One other factor that differentiates a Smart Grid from a microgrid or DG faciliry is that it has a sophisticated digital communications and control system embedded in all of its componenrs, right down to the appliance level. The very
attributes that provide it this "transactive" advantage can. under certain circumstances, also open up a new dimension of vulnerabilities not possible in the main electric grid or mere microgrids. This has presented challenges to Smart Grid planners and particularly those rasked with ensuring security aspects. \While microgrids in general can enhance resiliency of power, when the Smart Grid makes use of widely commercial software architecture it has the capacity to greatly enlarge the number of new entry points to the grid to would-be intruders.
Unless safeguards can be built into the system, this could work to the detriment of cybersecurity. One suggestion includes

development of software so when

Ferr 2010 | Xonrr-rEASr

SuN I Ot

SMART GRIDS

utiliry computer
assumes

makes a decision,

it

that some portion of the meters are compromised and employs firmware that can be upgraded and easily reset to a "normal" state. Another, while not yet available, would involve the abiliry to quarantine meters.ll Some of these options may need advanced encryption
as an

without securiry controls smart grid architecture could be impacted with


because a few malicious keystrokes.

This definition is derived from six definitions including rwo from the US Department of

wo lrom the Electric Power Research Institute, one lrom the American Gas Association and one from the California Energy
Energy,

Joel Gordes has worhed in passiue and actiue solar RdD, design and sales. He is a long-time

Commission.

6 ISO-NE. Overview
17

of the Smart Grid

MSEA

member and serues on

Policies, Initiatives, and Needs. February

NESEA\ BE Planning Committee and the

, 2009. p.

1,

additional safeguard.t'
these protections and others,

Editorial Committee for this magazine. Endnotes

Without

7 ISO-NE pp. 2-3 B ISO-NE p. 5 9 A Smart Grid is a Ty'ansitiue

we could be exposing ourselves to massive

intrusions into the critical infrastructure that controls the operations ofour electric grid with unintended consequences. Cybersecurity expert John Bumgarner says rhar rhe electric industry is engineering vulnerabilities into the grid instead of engineering them out. He suggests that the current deployments of smart grid technology are making us more vulnerable to cyber attacks than ever before. Bumgarnert warnings should be heeded

Science Applications International Corpo-

ration (SAIC), San Diego Smart Grid Studl Final Report (San Diego: October 2006).

Grid, Part 2 of 5 parts, Lynne Kiesling. Knowledge Problem. March 3, 2009. htry://hnoruledge p ro b lem. co m/2 009 /03 /03 /atmart-gri d- is -

(sArc-1)

Itt the Grid: Blueprint for the Future EnergyBiz M-A 2008 p. 23.
Steven G. Hauser.

Also

see
h

http://wwunationalacademies. org/
ieuemenx/ List. P D F

greatac

3 4

'Weinberg, Carl. 1995 NARUC Conference. Madison tW|I 'W'hen energy efficiency and load management are included, it is often referred to as

/1 - t ra nt d c t i u e -gri d-P a rt - 2 - oJ: 5 10 Overview of the Smart Grid Policies, Initiatives, and Needs ISO New England Inc., February 17,2009 11 Thompson, Nicholas. China and Russia us. US Grid!-Wired-Epicenter. April B, 2009

12 Discussion with John Bumgarner, Research Director for Securiry Technology, US Cvber Consequences Unit. June 9, 2010

"distributed resources."

DIRECT SALES . TO: . .


. UTILITIIS
BUILDERS

. AGENCTES

CONTRACTORS

. ESCOS
,-.-,gar-*

TRADES

s trt

:*r

EFI distributes Ventilotion Equipment,

Air Seoling Products, Energy Efficient Lighting ond other products

needed for building ond remodeling comfortoble, energy efficient homes. New product lines include LED Lights, Photovoltoic Ponels ond Infro-red Comeros. Pleose coll or e-moil io receive o coiolog.

32 INoRTHEAST SuN lFer-r- 2010

You might also like