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Our current Spotlight series has been looking at national initiatives relevant to the Smart Grid. Previously, we’ve examined research programsand standards efforts. But neither R&D nor industry standards will matter unless we put technology to work in the field. Which brings us to this month’s Spotlight, a look at some of the ongoing efforts to test Smart Grid technologies in real-world situations.
High-tech industries often talk about the “valley of death,” the chasm that separates laboratory prototypes from mainstream products. Demonstration projects are a bridge across that gulf. They are particularly important to utilities. First, utilities correctly believe reliability must come first. They cannot roll out new technology until they are certain it will stay up and running without adverse “side effects.” Second, utilities are parochial. For the most part, they avoid off-the-shelf products in favor of custom-tailored versions.
Sadly, many of these demonstration are taking place at individual utilities or small coalitions. If the past is any guide, the rest of the industry will not be privy to the lessons learned, forcing those that come after to go over similar ground. This lack of connection and communication points to the need for national-scale coordination of grid research, development, demonstrations and deployment – a subject for a future discussion, perhaps.
In the meantime, we hope the project descriptions shown on the next page will prove useful in several ways. Vendors may find sales opportunities. Utilities may find projects that can provide best practices for their own tests, or even make some testing unnecessary. Policymakers may find the proof-of-concept they need to promote smart energy for their own region. Researchers may discover that some of the testing they want to see is already underway. Although our descriptions are of necessity quite brief, we have included links to further information.
For those interested in small projects, a database from the Western Area Power Administration lists many utility-tested approaches to load management, distributed generation, energy efficiency, renewable energy, new services, and other programs relevant to the Smart Grid. And members of EPRI’s Market Driven Demand Response program can use its Demand Response and Load Management Database, a repository of information about demand response programs, market trends, technology breakthroughs and delivery strategies. Western Area Power Administration Database EPRI Demand Response Program Description
Turn to Page 2 for a table of representative Smart Grid projects <!--page--> Representative Grid-Relevant Demonstration Projects The U.S. undoubtedly has hundreds of small projects underway with some relation to the modernization of the T&D infrastructure. We’ve chosen nine examples that, in our estimation, are big enough and “smart” enough to serve as good examples. We welcome information about other programs. You can help keep our database up to date by emailing comments, changes, and additions to editor@smartgridnews.com.
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