Smart Grids: Planning the Green Utilities: Smart Grid Technology Articles: Eco20/20

Smart Grids: Planning the Green Utilities

Electricity is supplied through a system of grids. The conventional grid was developed by Nicola Tesla, the father of modern electricity, in 1896. However this system is outdated and over powered. As a result many cities and regions have experienced wide spread power outages.

With recent developments of technology a smarter and greener solution is available. Smart grids are the best option for delivering the energy needed while reducing pollutants and improving the environment. These new grids can help reduce the need of nonrenewable resources such as oil and coal by using renewable resources like wind, sunlight, and water. Some of the ideas are not novel but have been used for years on a relatively small scale. With the new innovations more options are available on a wide spectrum.

Solar power has been used for the last few years. Most people know that energy from sunlight can be used to power lights. However recent developments in technology can convert, store, and use this energy to power the entire home. Other ways are being introduced such as operating the air conditioning unit to reduce the amount of electricity needed to cool the homes in warmer climates. People have also begun to install skylights in the designs of the home. These units have two purposes: it allows natural light in the room, and it naturally warms the room even in winter.

Wind power is being introduced as an alternative to the current nonrenewable resources. Giant wind turbines are used to produce and store energy from wind. Companies then transmit the energy to power a consumer's home. The most notable use of this energy is in West Texas. This concept is fairly new for electricity but not for other uses. Before electricity many settlers of early America had windmills to pump water from deep under the ground. Other industries used windmills throughout history such as saw mills and corn millers.

Hydropower, or water power, is probably one of the oldest green utility uses. This simply means to use energy from water to power that is applied to needed use. The first such form was the water wheel. This device was used by boats to navigate the rivers in the old days of America. Saw mills and other early industrial plants used water to generate the machinery used. Hoover dam near Las Vegas, Nevada, is the most familiar use of hydropower. The dam was completed in 1936 and supplies electricity to residents in Nevada, Arizona, and California.

Smart grids are the next generation in providing consumers with energy. Alternative resources like wind and water are the best option to help protect the planet while providing the power the world needs. The smart grids help transmit this power to the consumers. Traditional ways of producing power through using fossil fuels will eventually run out of supplies; these nonrenewable resources also have huge harsh effects on the environment. As technology improves and develops so will the smart grids. This is smart and green, and it is here to stay.