Feature: Power
innovative energy initiatives as a result of these disruptive environmental, geopolitical and cyber events.
Global Trends Toward Grid Modernisation Faced with the reality of increasingly unreliable centralised power grids, both public and private sector entities have implemented an array of modern energy approaches that differ significantly around the world. In Europe, for instance, countries like
Germany have embraced the concept of the ‘all-electric society,’ with the intent to phase out traditional power sources and implement fully renewable energy systems. However, the European approach toward a renewable energy future poses unique challenges to infrastructure. For example, in the summer of 2023, electricity prices in many European countries fell into negative territory due to a high amount of solar power being fed back into the grid, while traditional sources were unable to significantly reduce their output, resulting in a power surplus. Moving forward, the challenge and opportunity will be to store this energy for use in the darker winter months. In the United States to date, renewable
energy has been identified as an approach to supplement and support the traditional power grid during periods of high use or critical failure. Tis helps alleviate the strain of spikes in demand, protect critical infrastructure during downtime and simply minimise potential disruptions. Trough energy independence, the U.S. hopes to diversify its energy sources and integrate more reliable backup solutions. And in Asia, grid modernisation is highly
varied. In China, government initiatives have accelerated efforts to update and replace aging grid infrastructure, relying heavily on traditional power sources like coal, while installing large solar and wind farms. Te Philippines is emphasising national energy security while Tailand’s focus centres around renewable energy and carbon capture mechanisms. Tese global examples illustrate that
while motivations and methodologies may differ, there is universal consensus on the importance of grid modernisation.
Smart Grid Technology Offers a Reliable Path Forward Smart grid technology, which encompasses a broad category of products and systems that work in tandem to modernise power infrastructure, aims to make the power grid more reliable and resilient. Along with replacing aging infrastructure, deploying emerging smart grid technology can provide efficiencies through greater awareness of energy use and allocation and more protection from downtime. Here’s how: Smart meters replace traditional gas
and electricity meters outside homes and provide greater visibility to usage. Many smart meters can send data to an in-home display, offering consumers the opportunity to save money by minimising use at peak hours. Te same data is securely sent to the energy company, enabling providers to better anticipate usage and both prevent and detect power outages. In the Asia-Pacific region, the number
of installed smart metering devices is projected to reach one billion in 2026 which will deliver benefits to consumers and the power grid. Distributed energy resources (DERs)
are like miniature power plants in your backyard. A DER is any small-scale, decentralised energy source that can generate or store electricity. Examples include photovoltaic (or solar power) systems, wind turbines, heat pumps and battery energy storage systems (BESSs). DERs help reduce energy waste by
generating electricity near the location where it will be used. Tey subsequently
14 November 2024
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improve power grid reliability by acting as backup power sources during outages and relieving the grid during peak operation. Microgrids are localised electric grids
that operate independently of a centralised grid. A series of DERs can make up a microgrid, allowing an area to maintain electricity during an outage of the larger, centralised grid. Microgrids aim to keep critical infrastructure like hospitals and communication networks running during periods of disruption or even to replace traditional energy sources altogether. A good example of a microgrid
community is Borrego Springs, California, USA. Tis remote town has one 60-mile power line connecting it to the centralised power grid. When severe weather occurs, residents are easily cut off from the main grid; but with its localised smart grid, Borrego Springs can keep the lights on. Other success cases for community microgrids can be found in places like Olst, Netherlands, and in Shuanghu, the Tibet Autonomous Region of China.
Molex: Creating a Smarter Energy Future Many smart grid technologies are the last line of defence to a larger failure or outage, requiring superior reliability. But the increasing complexity of these technologies and devices pose design challenges. A recent Molex survey of more than 750 electronics design engineers and system architects highlighted that reliability is top of mind for engineers and customers alike. In fact, the vast majority of respondents (96 per cent) have concerns about overall reliability in electronics products. Molex’s engineering expertise and broad
portfolio of high-power solutions ensure smart grid technologies operate reliably when they are needed most. Our global engineering and supply chain resources are ready to help propel energy distribution forward at the earliest stages of product design.
Interested in learning more about reliability at Molex? Explore our latest resources and view the complete Reliability and Hardware Design Survey Report.
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