Renewable energy in smart grid Renewable energy in smart grid
renewable energy sources percent in 2025 by the House Energy and
and creating green jobs.
“A smart grid system holds high
Commerce Committee. And the Senate
By using real-time Energy and Natural Resources Committee
information from promise to revolutionize how sets a four percent target in 2012 and 20
embedded sensors and
automated controls,
electricity is generated, distributed,
percent by 2021. If enacted, the impact
on renewable energy deployment will be
power outages, power
consumed and conserved by
immense.
quality problems and
service disruptions can
automatically monitoring and
With the fervent global energy activities,
the success of the integrated smart grid
be mitigated. The ability
controlling two-way energy flow. ”
system will epitomize the United States’
to anticipate, detect commercial leadership and technological
and respond to system prowess.
problems and to isolate
bring out the best of the class across
Challenges are ahead and obstacles in
affected areas and redirect power flows
the industries in creative leadership,
sight, yet the smart grid system integrating
around damaged facilities can function as
technological innovation, operational
the renewable energy is another timely
a self-healing loop. The optimizd power
efficiency and vibrant business model. It
opportunity for the United States to lead
flows reduce waste and maximize the
will profoundly change the country’s future
the world.
use of lowest-cost generation resources.
electricity generation portfolio.
Through seamlessly interconnecting
Today, the smart grid concept is seeded.
renewable energy sources and other
Leadership is coming into play. The effort
distributed generation technologies at
in deliberating, planning, structuring and
local and regional levels, energy efficiency
supporting a well thought-out national
is maximized. The decentralized power
program is in order.
generation provided by smart grids also can
Energy is the racing game of technology
increase the fault tolerance level.
and deployment in the global competitive
Multi-front technologies are needed.
landscape. Globally, countries including
Technologies in communication, sensing,
the European Union, Canada, and China
control, monitoring, measurement
have put forth government policies to
metering, digital infrastructure and
endorse smart grid initiatives.
complex computer models are some of
Dr. Jennie S. Hwang has extensive experi-
In the United States, with the
the key elements of smart grids. And
ence in global market and international
passage of the American Recovery and
innovations in superconductivity, fault
business in her executive capacities with
Reinvestment Act of 2009, $11 billion
tolerance, storage, power electronics and
both corporate America and entrepre-
is set aside for the creation of a smart
diagnostics components constitute its
neurial businesses. She is inducted to the
grid. The Federal Energy Regulatory
foundation. On top of many facets of a
WIT International Hall of Fame, elected
Commission (FERC) is also looking at
smart grid system, the system’s security
to the National Academy of Engineering,
the growth in renewable, clean energy
is of the ultimate importance. To secure
and named an R&D-Stars-to-Watch (In-
accommodated by the evolving smart
the nation’s electrical power critical
dustry Week). Dr. Hwang is a member
grid system. In renewable energy, policy
infrastructure, “smart encryption” is
of the U.S. Commerce Department’s
proposals now before the Congress include
a necessity. This should be taken into
Export Council, and serves on university,
the House bill that requires utilities
consideration at the outset of the program.
civic and Fortune 500 NYSE company
to deliver at six percent of their power
The smart grid program, albeit
from renewable source in 2012 and 25
boards. Among others, she has served on
daunting, onerous and complex, will
National Research Council’s “Global-
ization Committee” and “ Forecasting
Emerging, Disruptive Technologies Com-
mittee”. Her education includes Ph.D.,
M.S., M.A., B.S. degrees in engineering
and sciences, respectively, and Harvard
Business School Executive Program. An
author of 300+ publications, she is also
a worldwide speaker on trade, technology,
business, education, and social issues.
Tel: (216) 839-1000;
E-mail: JennieHwang@aol.com.
www.JennieHwang.com
Towers image by Ian Muttoo on flickr
under the Creative Commons license.
LS3 solar collector assembly at Kramer
Junction image by Mrshaba.
www.globalsolartechnology.com
Global Solar Technology – May/June 2009 – 19
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