Smart Grid Is Here Now

Here’s an article from SmartGridNews that makes some interesting and important points.  Yes, people tend to think of smart grid generally as futuristic – even though some people (like me) recognize that it’s currently available technology and believe that it is absolutely essential to the integration of renewable energy.  And yes, the speaker at the conference in Dublin made an excellent point: buildings can act as huge reservoirs for energy storage and offer enormous smart grid capability.

I’m reminded of our 2GreenEnergy webinar featuring Dr. Jim Holbery, CEO and founder of GridMobility some time back, in which he discussed his software-based solution that enables businesses and consumers to stipulate their preference for renewable energy.  Essentially, this is done by providing the user insight as to the time during the day when renewable resources are strongest, thus enabling him/her to consume energy accordingly.  Suppose, for example, you need to chill an enormous amount of water sometime between midnight and 6 AM, to cool your business campus the following day, but it doesn’t matter much exactly when you put that load on the grid.  Why not choose the time that corresponds to the least consumption of fossil fuels and the greatest consumption of renewables?