Tips for successful smart grid applications

With energy consumption continuing to rise, detailed smart grid implementation plans are key as states and utilities work to reduce energy consumption and upgrade grid operation and capabilities.

"We can't operate the system at 33 percent renewables without smart grid technology," said Heather Sanders, director of smart grid at the California ISO.

Speaking at a GridWeek 2011 panel in Washington, DC, Sanders said she measures her success by her ability to increase familiarity with the concept of the smart grid.

"It's really about giving everybody that shared vision of where we are trying to go."

The California ISO revisits its smart grid roadmap each year to include emerging and maturing technologies that will help maximize the use of California's transmission system and enhance safe and reliable grid operation, according to Sanders.

The California ISO identified five use cases to help build its smart grid roadmap, which include: Advanced forecasting, synchrophasors (which provide real-time measurement of electrical quantities from across a power system), advanced applications, cyber security, enabling demand response, and storage and distribution of energy resources.

According to Gary Rackliffe, Vice President of smart grid at ABB America, electricity consumption is growing at three times the growth rate of overall energy. He also said that data shows 68 percent of North American's have never heard of the term "smart grid", which speaks to the education challenge facing utilities.

Rackliffe said that the consumer and infrastructure benefits of a detailed smart grid plan will be wide-reaching. These include what Rackliffe said would be significant reductions in the number of people effected by sustained power outages.

More specifically, Rackliffe said smart grid plans should consider five main drivers: Capacity, Reliability, Efficiency, Sustainability and Customer Enablement. These drivers should be coupled with basic technologies including advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), distribution and grid management, asset health and transmission grid management.

Integrating and developing these technologies is the key to developing a comprehensive and effective smart grid.

"You don't achieve benefit necessary by putting a smart meter on a house," Rackliffe said. "The next wave of smart grid investment is going to be connecting the dots."

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