This week, the U.S. government announced that $3.4 billion would be granted under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act to spur the transition to the smart energy grid.
The “smart grid” is a catch-all term used to describe a massive effort to modernize the existing power grid with intelligent network technology that monitors and controls the flow of electricity. This also helps with power grid load balancing, reducing the need for maintaining unnecessary reserves at power stations. Another feature of the grid is that customers will now be able to continually monitor their power use and manage it accordingly (see: Power (Control) to the People).
At the heart of the smart grid is the smart meter. The smart meter is the central piece of equipment that allows communication between the customer and the utility. Unlike traditional mechanical meters, the smart meter is essentially a simple computer, quantifying energy use by time of day, and, where the technology exists, by where energy is spent (see: The Smart Grid Inspires Smarter Appliances).
The new grant awards are divided into six categories:
- Advanced Metering Infrastructure
- Customer Systems
- Electric Distributions Systems
- Electric Transmission Systems
- Equipment Manufacturing
- Integrated and/or Crosscutting Systems
As a line item, smart meters are featured prominently in categories 1 and 6. Going through each of the award grants, I counted that close to 20 million new units will be funded under the act.
With the lifetime of a smart meter being approximately 15 years, and with 20 million new units coming on the scene, it’s important that meter designs are reliable and highly efficient. Since meters are the key element in the smart grid, quality products are absolutely essential for supporting the integrity of the network.
Post a Comment