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Blog posts tagged with 'Grid Week'
Friday, December 18
Tom Bowles and Phillip Mezey discuss smart grid technology in New Mexico and California at Gridweek.
Wednesday, December 16
Matt Rogers, Senior Advisor at the United States Department of Energy, talks about the role of broadband in job creation and economic revitalization.
Thursday, November 12
At last month’s Grid Week event, U.S. Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra spoke about broadband and making America’s grid “smart,” the need to encourage private investment to make the change happen, and the Obama administration’s “innovation strategy.”
Wednesday, September 23
Day two of Grid Week brought more heavy hitters, including Undersecretary of Energy Dr. Kristina Johnson, Matthew C. Rogers of the U.S. Department of Energy, and Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra.
Noting that attendance to Grid Week has skyrocketed in recent years, Undersecretary Johnson told attendees that America’s goal of an 83% reduction in emissions will only be attainable through the investment in smart grids, which can serve as an integrator for a mix of carbon and renewable power, and that a single watt of energy saved translates to two less watts that needs to be generated.
Regarding stimulus funding, Rogers of the U.S. Department of Energy talked about how the $4.5 billion earmarked for smart grids is only a down-payment, and that over-subscription for stimulus grants shows that there is a huge interest and need for funding. He also said many projects receiving funding will help demonstrate the real benefits of smart grid technology.
On the business side, Tom Casey, CEO of Current Group — which is focusing on grid infrastructure development — talked about how 85% of the benefits from applying smart grids comes from actually applying the grids themselves. And Tendril CEO Adrian Tuck spoke to the challenge of getting customers involved in energy management. Part of surmounting that challenge, he said, is to find ways to make the implementation and adoption of smart grid technologies non-disruptive. He also noted that in the future people will buy appliances that naturally communicate with the grid, and that using smart grid technology to give users more information about their usage can help spur adoption of smarter, and more environmentally friendly, technology.
That last idea was echoed by Andrew Roeher of Capgemini, who stated that “green” doesn’t just happen. Green is a choice, and that the benefits of smart grids can help users make that choice.
Stay tuned for more from Grid Week throughout the week.
Dr. Christina Johnson of the U.S. Department of Energy Industry
Tuesday, September 22
This week, various experts and organizations are meeting in Washington D.C. for Grid Week in order to discuss the present and future of smart electric grids.
Among yesterday’s speakers was Secretary of Energy Stephen Chu, who spoke to the effects of the Recovery Act on clean energy. Calling the Act a “downpayment” on a clean energy economy, Chu nonetheless warned that although the Recovery Act will double America’s non-hydroelectric renewable energy, we are still falling behind in the green energy race. Chu also emphasized that America can’t wait for price signals to change consumer behavior when it comes to consuming electricty, and that the government needs to make it easier for consumers to use less.
Also speaking was Bjorn Stigson of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, who noted that within 40 years at least 70% of the world’s population will live in cities. Because of this, world governments must build energy and communications infrastructure that can meet the demands of an increasingly dense and urban population.
Included in yesterday’s proceedings was a “Smart Grid Bootcamp,” which laid out just what makes smart grids smart. And that begins with using broadband. Between energy sources and distribution points, there must be a communication core that controls, protects, and monitors the systems. This communication also reaches to devices such as smart meters, which will better connect homes to energy providers and allow households to monitor peak consumption times and adjust consumption based on the current rates of utility companies.
We’ll have more from Grid Week as it continues.
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