Keeping the lights on is an important objective regarding solar and wind technology. The smart grid developed in Florida was created to help identify problems with intermittent energy shortages of sunlight and wind that could create outages in the flow of electricity. Sensors were developed as part of the newest technological grids to diagnose power needs to avoid blackouts. These blackouts could occur because of some reasons. There may be storms or in the case of wind and solar energy, there could be days of no sun or no wind. Sometimes heat waves can cause an overuse of air conditioning and the loss of electricity to many people could be the result. Sometimes a different source of energy is needed when alternative energy isn’t enough to service all of the people using it.
The smart grid helps to identify the origin of the problem regarding the intermittent electrical supply as it did in Chicago recently. This new technology helped to identify and solve a problem in minutes rather than hours or days. It happened with the use of a new voltage monitor. What happened was that an entire neighborhood was receiving the incorrect voltage amount needed for the efficiency of the electricity running to homes and businesses and it was causing problems. Over time, appliances could have been destroyed. However, the new technology allowed the monitor to report in minutes where the problem was so that it could be solved before a crisis occurred.
A big need for the smart grid is that power outages may happen in smaller areas but if it isn’t diagnosed that small problem could cause an intermittent supply of electricity to a larger area. If a regular grid is employed, a large outage may be discovered while the smaller area remains without electricity. With the new grid technology sensors can detect where the problem lies and it can be fixed with things like new meters or a new power line.
The smart grid is less labor intense. While workers are still needed in the field, most problems can be diagnosed with a utility employee ever having to leave his computer monitor. Sensors can detect parts of the utility grid that are wearing out or may be about to break. This is very true regarding transformers. In older grid systems, transformers are checked about once every year, but with new technology, transformers are constantly being monitored with automatic checks taking place. The more this form of technology is used, the less power losses will occur.
Charlie Toms, a tech enthusiast and industry expert, brings a wealth of knowledge in smart sensor technology to SensorDots.org. With a background in engineering and a passion for emerging tech trends, Charlie offers insightful and engaging content that bridges the gap between complex technology and practical applications.