Smart Grid. Energy Solution or Security Risk?

Why Care?

The Energy Literacy Imperative

By: Patty Durand
April 29, 2011

So where do you stand? What are the challenges we face in creating a smart energy grid? Would you be willing to use digital technologies to more actively control your energy use? Patty Durand, executive director of the Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative, thinks that connecting consumers and utilities via digital smart grid technologies will reduce costs and electricity waste. On the other side of the argument: people who think a more connected digital grid could create security risks and privacy concerns.

Our century-old power system is due for an upgrade that can help us improve efficiency and cut costs. Digital smart grid technologies — the tools behind mobile phones and the Internet — will modernize our grid, creating a two-way connection between utilities and customers. So you’ll get detailed data that can help you control how you use energy — and how much you spend. And when we’re all communicating, we can work together to manage our resources and use energy more efficiently.


Pros

• Consumers can save money by using off-peak energy. With digital grid smart technology, utilities can adjust rates based on anticipated demand to give users greater control over costs. So running your dishwasher or dryer in the evening (when demand generally goes down) could mean savings on your electric bill.
• We could reduce overall energy use. The U.S. Department of Energy says an automated electricity network could cut power consumption by up to 15 percent.
• We can use more renewable sources. Our current grid isn’t equipped to handle large amounts of wind or solar power — but grid modernization will allow us to make better use of renewables.
• Power will be more reliable. Grid improvements will help utilities pinpoint disruptions and redirect power from other locations, limiting or preventing outages.
• The smart grid will accommodate electric cars. As plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) gain popularity, they’re also putting a growing burden on the grid, particularly in cities with high PEV ownership and at popular charging times. With a smart grid, utilities can identify PEV charging spikes and adjust the flow of energy accordingly so owners can “fuel” without interruption.

Cons

• Energy could cost more when demand is high. To encourage conservation and help meet elevated demand, utilities may increase power rates for peak-time use.
• Modernization could cost up to $165 billion. That’s according to the Electric Power Research Institute, which figures major smart grid expenses will be spread out over the next 20 years.
• Some people say smart meters impact health. Some wireless digital technologies emit low-level radio waves (like those sent out by cell phones) to retrieve customer energy usage information at frequent intervals. While no one knows the long-term health risk, a few people have expressed concerns.
• A digital network creates privacy and security concerns. To help ease strain on the grid, consumers already can authorize power providers to remotely control water heaters, A/C units or other appliances during peak-use times. Participation is optional and helps consumers save money, but some see that approach as invasive. Others say it will be difficult to protect a digital grid from viruses, hackers or terrorists.
• Our energy needs may outpace smart grid development. Grid modernization is an enormous undertaking — and while regulators, utilities, technology vendors and others are updating our system as rapidly as possible, demand could grow faster.

The U.S. Department of Energy projects electricity demand will increase 30 percent by 2030. Where will all of this new energy come from? I believe that energy transformation is more important than any other issue before us. Our country needs to make a transformation from the unsustainable sources of energy we use now into a model where sustainability and efficiency are the cornerstones of how we produce and consume energy.
How will that be done? Through the smart grid. The integration of digital communication with the power grid will allow people to become energy literate and enable utilities to communicate with consumers in ways never before possible. This partnership will launch a new age of energy literacy similar to the age of computer literacy we have just experienced. One of the best aspects of a smarter grid is the ability to automate energy efficiency to help save consumers money and reduce waste.

In addition, increases in energy demand and new laws in more than 30 states requiring utilities to produce a certain percentage of electricity from renewable energy means that utilities must integrate new electricity sources into the power grid. Smart grid technology will help make this possible.

These changes — integration of more renewables into the power mix, less waste, new ways of communicating with consumers, a population that is energy literate — can only occur with the advent of new digital technology. Yet, these changes are likely to be difficult in many cases, and slow-coming in others.

First, consumers are not used to thinking about energy, and may not want to. Second, new pricing models are needed to bring electricity consumption in line with the real electricity market instead of the flat rate pricing that occurs now, which is inefficient and does not match reality. Work will have to be done to educate and engage consumers in these changes.

Every nonprofit exists for a reason, usually to address a social or public good. The reason for the Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative is to listen to consumers and find out what they know and what they want; educate consumers, utilities and regulators; and assist the smart grid industry in understanding and supporting consumer reactions to the technology upgrade. We hope to bring industry leaders and consumer advocates together to address the gap in consumer education. With a smarter grid, we can reach the goal of sustainable, affordable energy.

https://www.sheddingalight.org/smart-grid/

My Water's On Fire Tonight! (The Fracking Song)

'Green Flag' Flies Over Sustainable School

America’s First ‘Green Flag’ Flies Over Sustainable Savannah School

April 29, 2011
By: Max Greenberg



National Wildlife Federation and Eco-Schools USA Recognize Leading School

Savannah Country Day School in Georgia was named the nation’s first Green Flag Eco-School in a ceremony yesterday, signifying exceptional achievement in ‘greening’ school grounds, operations and curricula. The school achieved this honor through a combination of excellence by “green” management of its facilities and grounds, providing opportunities for outdoor education and by integrating environmental learning throughout its curricula.

The Eco-Schools USA program, which is hosted by National Wildlife Federation, counts nearly 500 schools and some 205,000 students among its participants, but none has achieved the program’s highest honor, the Green Flag, until now.

“The Green Flag is special – and only awarded to those schools who have demonstrated a commitment to environmental sustainability and increasing environmental literacy for its students, faculty, and wider school community,” said Laura Hickey, Senior Director of Eco-Schools USA, on hand for the official flag-raising.

Also in attendance for the event were the City of Savannah’s Mayor Pro Tem, Edna Jackson, and Environmental Affairs Officer Laura Walker. Jackson congratulated the school and thanked cheering students and staff for helping to make Savannah a “Green City.”

To win the first Green Flag, Savannah Country Day School, which completed a Silver LEED-certified lower school building in 2008, tackled a variety of sustainability projects, including lunchroom recycling and composting programs, a well-tended vegetable garden, environmental current events coursework and school-supported ‘outdoor classroom time.’ This was in keeping with Eco-Schools USA’s uniquely holistic approach—‘greening’ the school building, the school grounds and the student curriculum and experience.

Hickey’s official certification tour of the school included a visit to the previously-certified NWF Schoolyard Habitat and a demonstration of cistern use and garden upkeep by a student Eco-Action Team, but 'green living isn't limited to a select group---or grade---of students at Savannah Country Day.

In kindergarten, students tend to a natural herb garden, moving on to a fruit orchard in first grade. Second-graders study monarch butterfly eggs, and third-graders take care of a full organic vegetable garden. The entire school supports composting of pre-consumer waste and participates in a "green hour" program allowing children to be outside every week for instruction time (in addition to recess).

Among the more unique elements of sustainable life at Savannah Country Day School is lunchtime, which goes well beyond the usual tater-tots and milk cartons: produce from the school garden is regularly prepared and served to students in the dining hall, with dishes containing it identified with a "From Here" label. The school chef often creates a display of garden vegetables to entice youngsters to try them, and local food vendors are celebrated with "Meet the Farmer" signage. All kitchen scraps and food waste are added to the school's compost pile. The school's dining program is managed by SAGE Dining Services.

Many schools have implemented the Eco-Schools USA program, some earning Bronze- and Silver-level awards for their progress (Georgia alone boasts 14 Eco-Schools). The heretofore unclaimed Green Flag requires a rigorous combination of environmental audits, curriculum reinvention and internal and external monitoring.

The program is designed to help schools in a variety of ways, including saving money, reducing waste and improving student academic performance and environmental awareness (more benefits listed here). Once a school has registered and implemented the Seven Steps of the program, it can apply for an Eco-Schools award. A school is considered to be a permanent Eco-School once it has gained its fourth Green Flag.

The Eco-Schools program is an international network of 38,000 K-12 schools in 51 countries, started in 1994 by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) with support by the European Commission. It was named by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) as a model initiative for Education for Sustainable Development in 2003. NWF was named the stateside host in 2008, thus formally launching Eco-Schools USA.

The award came just days after the U.S. Department of Education announced the creation of the Green Ribbon Schools program, which will similarly recognize schools that have taken great strides in greening their curricula, buildings, school grounds and overall building operations. That program, which is to be modeled on the nearly 30-year-old Blue Ribbon Schools program that recognizes schools whose student bodies have displayed high academic achievement or improvement, will help establish guidelines for overall sustainability in American schools. NWF and other organizations had pushed for the implementation of that program for the past year.

“American schools already led the way on innovation,” said Kevin Coyle, Vice President for Education and Training at NWF. “Now, in addition to revamping their buildings and grounds, they are increasingly setting a high standard for sustainability education and becoming truly green.”

“Drill, Baby, Drill” Can Store Gigawatts of Renewable Energy

Renewable Energy Storage
April 23, 2011
By: Susan Kraemer

Gravity Power is testing a novel kind of energy storage with potential gigawatt-scale capacity – that uses simple mechanics and gravity underground – at a first test site in Santa Barbara. Their 'Gravity Power Modules' would marry traditional heavy rig drilling technology with renewable energy storage.

At utility-scale, the pumped storage would begin with drilling thousands of feet underground, large enough to accommodate an 18 foot diameter storage shaft and a 6 foot diameter return pipe.

Here’s how it works, in the elegant words of Powermag:

“At the bottom of the shaft is a large concrete piston fitted to the shaft, called the “weight stack.” Also bored into the ground is a parallel but smaller-diameter “return pipe” that is connected to the main shaft at the top and bottom.

Finally, the entire volume is filled with water and tightly sealed—air is compressible and its presence reduces the system effectiveness. In essence, the position of the weight stack in the shaft determines the amount of energy stored.

During the energy storage process, off-peak electricity is used to power a pump that pushes water down the return pipe that will raise the weight stack from the bottom of the deep storage shaft.

During a peak electricity demand period, the weight stack is released, which pushes the water up the return pipe, reversing the direction of rotation of the pump-turbine and producing electricity, much as in a typical pumped storage hydroelectric plant.”

CEO Jim Fiske envisions that his Gravity Power Modules would be installed in clusters to produce the amount of energy desired. The storage capacity of a 7 acre site could amount to more than 2 GW (2,000 MW) depending on the depth and diameter of the shafts.

The Gravity Power Module has a conversion efficiency that looks likely to be in the 75% to 80% range once it is tested at full scale, at installation costs a little higher pumped hydro, around $150/kWh for a system capable of storing about 200 MWh.

Pumped hydro installation has installation costs of around $100/kwh. But it can be controversial because, like hydro-electricity itself, pumped hydro can impact a natural habitat for fish. More than half the states that have renewable energy standards do not allow hydro to qualify as renewable because of the ecological damage.

New pumped hydro projects face formidable permitting obstacles, despite the need to add more energy storage as we move to a clean power economy. The Gravity Power Module could be one of the solutions.

AWEA'S Denise Bode Takes on FOX News

AWEA'S CEO Denise Bode Takes on FOX News

April 24, 2011
By: Zachary Shahan
                                                                               http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=21R8pxVgw0M

This is an awesome video that a loyal reader just shared with me, clearly not what FOX News wanted it to become.
Of course, the playing field is not even. They start the segment with a bunch of typical anti-wind statements and as soon as AWEA’s CEO, Denise Bode, starts to reply to them (or answer questions throughout the interview), the hosts bully her and speak above her to make her stop.

The host continues to try to do so throughout. However, eventually Denise takes over and slams them on the issue of subsidies and wind’s cost-competitiveness.

One criticism is that Denise uses a little too much technical language at the beginning.

But continually repeating the fact that fossil fuels and nuclear have gotten totally unbalanced subsidies is a great feature of Denise’s response (though, could have been a little more). Her repetition on wind energy’s cost-competitiveness is also great.

Why do I have the feeling they won’t bring her back or if they do, they’ll let her speak even less.

Unfortunately, they’ll continue to spout the one-sided propaganda and this is, of course, one key reason why China is kicking our a** in the clean energy race. As our reader wrote, when sharing this with me, “If you give it a listen I think you’ll understand why so many people in the US don’t "get it". If one uses Fox as their information source, they’re screwed….”

Texas Gets First Wind-Powered Cars

Texas Gets First Wind-Powered Cars in the U.S.
April 23, 2011
By: Tina Casey

By now it’s common knowledge that Texas is poised to transition from the fossil fuel economy into wind power (to say nothing of solar power), so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that wind powered cars are making their first U.S. appearance in the Lone Star State, courtesy of the alternative energy leader Green Mountain Energy. The company has just introduced a new “electricity product” for residential use, which makes wind power available to anyone who pays a home electricity bill and owns an electric vehicle.


Wind Power without a Home Wind Turbine

Of course, a wind-powered car could be available to anyone with a micro wind turbine and an electric vehicle, but that is a rather limited field at least for now. Green Mountain opens up the wind-powered car market to far more consumers. If you’re familiar with home electricity plans that let you designate wind power or other clean energy as your sources (often for a small surcharge), that’s the basic idea. You don’t get a special transmission line from the nearest wind farm straight to your home – your electricity is still coming from whatever mix your grid supplies - but by designating this kind of plan you draw more clean energy into the market, and you can sign up for enough clean energy to cover your average usage. In this regard EVs are just like any other home appliance, so if you factor them into your clean energy plan then you’ve got an instant wind-powered car (or solar, or whatever).


The Pollution Free Electric Vehicle

Green Mountain calls its plan Pollution Free EV, and it has partnered with an EV charging station company called eVgo to provide the wind-powered car service. Customers of Pollution Free EV get a home charging station installed by eVgo, and Green Mountain provides electricity generated from 100 percent wind power. Customers also get to use eVgo’s charging station network for a monthly rate.


The Beginning of the End of Nuclear Powered Cars

In the same sense that Pollution Free EV enables you to have a wind-powered car, then you could also have a car powered by any other source that feeds your grid. Well that’s possible in theory, but in reality it’s hard to imagine anyone wanting to pay a small surcharge just so they can say that their EV is powered by nuclear energy. Speaking of nuclear energy, in an interesting twist the parent company of eVgo is the energy giant NRG, which has just dropped out of a deal to build two new nuclear reactors in Texas. The company cites the chief reason as regulatory uncertainty following the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, but a Texas-sized surplus of wind power in Texas may have also played a role in NRG’s sudden disinterest in nuclear energy.

Survey: In Celebration of Earth Day

In celebration of Earth Day:

What are you doing to help improve our environment?



Take this brief survey and maybe even win a cool shirt! ;)

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MRP7H2T