The ‘Smart Grid’ is a term that has been doing the rounds on the Internet and abroad. This term indicates that the current ‘electrical grids’ that is in use today are inadequate and use old infrastructure to maintain its life cycles.
There are four major problems with the current United States energy grids:
1. A fraction of the energy we use to produce electricity is wasted due to old distribution and generation methods.
2. Much of the electrical energy is produced from coal and natural gas, which contribute to climate change.
3. Generators at peak load are not elastic to demand. Meaning only a small fraction of its use cannot meet the current demands.
4. Storage capacity of electrical energy is very limited and outdated technology. We need to improve ‘electrical’ storage facilities to make best use of when and how energy is stored for future use.
Please visit the Department of Energy site for more information.
Also, there is an initiative in the works with several agencies to meet ‘Smart Grid’ initiatives for the year 2030.