Smart Grids are About to Get a Whole Lot Smarter

Hello everybody,

Here is the next part of my insights into the future of energy from an interview given for TheEnergyBlog.(link to https://blogs.siemens.com/theenergyblog/ )

I’m looking forward to your comments and ideas.

Best,

Michael

What would power plants be without grids?  “Grids are the glue that holds it all together,” said Dr. Weinhold. “They are a highly efficient means of transportation, and efficiency in transmission is obviously critical in terms of cost and practical delivery.”

Dr. Weinhold predicts significant advances ahead for grids: “I see a very wide span of development. I see super-grids where we tap into attractive renewable resources like wind, hydro and, in the southern Europe, solar. The grids will be critical in ensuring this renewable energy gets to the right place at the right time. The consumption density is so high in cities that you cannot produce enough electricity there. Smart grids will help ensure that their needs are always met in the most efficient manner possible.”

He believes rapid advances in software will continue to make grids ever more efficient and, of course, smarter. This, in conjunction with Big Data, means they will have the potential to anticipate and smoothly meet the rapidly changing needs of different load centers distributed around the grid. The smart grid of the future will intelligently source and allocate energy, drawing from both renewable and non-renewable sources, as required to ensure smooth and reliable delivery.

“There is also something happening in end usage that will impact on grid development,” said Dr. Weinhold.

“Here I refer to LED lighting and other low voltage gadgets we use. They make local DC conversion and on-site usage a practical option, which will change the way grids distribute DC. This is not science fiction, it is happening already.”

Prof. Dr Weinhold discusses the future of Energy Storage in the next post in this series.

More about the future of energy:

The rapidly accelerating future of energy

Conventional and Renewable Energy Will Dance Even More Closely Together

Photo Credit: Smart Grid Innovation/shutterstock

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Authored by:

Michael Weinhold

Born in Rüsselsheim, Germany, Mr. Weinhold completed his studies at the Ruhr-University Bochum in 1993 with a Dr. Ing. degree in Electrical Engineering. He began his professional career that same year at Siemens PowerTransmission and Distribution (PTD). After holding several management-level positions in the Network Planning Department, he joined the High Voltage Division as technical ...

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