A smart grid is a digitized electrical grid that monitors energy generation and demand to allocate energy efficiently. It aims to provide a reliable and cost-effective source of energy while promoting energy efficiency. Smart grids can identify and address problems independently and engage consumers through meters that charge different rates. However, the concept faced opposition due to funding concerns and privacy issues.
A smart grid is an electrical grid that has been digitized so that a variety of digital measures can be used to control and operate the grid. The goal of installing a smart grid is to meet energy demand intelligently, promoting energy efficiency as well as creating a more reliable and also less expensive source of energy. Most smart grid plans revolve around overhauling existing electricity grids, rather than starting from scratch with an entirely new system.
Much like highways (or the internet), the power grid was piecemeal and piecemeal. Different power plants have been fed into the grid at different times and the construction of the transmission and distribution systems has been very irregular. As the 21st century began, a growing number of nations around the world became concerned that their power grids were old, outdated, and vulnerable to both external attack and internal failure. In response, the concept of an intelligent or intelligent grid was developed.
With a smart grid, every stage of the energy generation and transmission process is digitally monitored, as is the demand side of the equation. Digital devices within the network can decide how best to allocate energy, depending on demand, and may be able to control devices connected to the network. In a simple example, a smart grid would recognize that many people in an area are using air conditioners because it was hot and opt to transfer more energy to that part of the grid. Additionally, the smart grid could have the ability to shut down unused escalators and elevators in commercial buildings to free up energy, or to adjust thermostats used for climate control to make energy use more efficient.
Well-designed smart grids are meant to be self-healing, with various areas of the grid identifying problems and addressing them independently. They also promote consumer engagement, sometimes directly, in the form of meters that charge different rates depending on when and how energy is used. Some nations have argued that smart grid systems are also crucial for national security reasons because they can help a country resist a terrorist attack, and smart grids can be used to promote an overall reduction in energy consumption in a nation.
The smart grid concept met with considerable opposition when it was introduced. Many utilities were keen but uninterested in funding smart grid projects, especially experimental ones that could prove costly. Even national governments are reluctant to fund such projects, even though some had indeed mandated smart grid projects and some individual citizens were uncomfortable with the level of monitoring of electricity consumers involved in an effective smart grid system.
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