Smart meters have had some good coverage in the media with the big energy suppliers currently avoiding the issue whilst trying to look like they are all for it. Smart meters are a pre-curser to the smart grid which looks at the minutia details of how we use energy in an attempt to get us all to start to reduce our usage and be more energy savvy. The other end of this spectrum is the super grid.
Our UK national grid is tailored to how and when we use power. We know that between the hours of 6 am and 8 am, there is a greater call for domestic energy than at other times of the day and similarly at tea time when we all arrive home and switch on the kettle, the oven or run a bath. The generators around the country need to be fuelled up and ready for these big switch on times and being ready, or on standby, means that energy is wasted.
This is where the super gird can improve our efficiencies. By grouping together larger and larger populations, across different time zones and geographical locations the call for power becomes more and more stable, more predictable and easier to plan for. It also offers better power usage from renewables with North African solar power feeding rainy Britain and windy Britain feeding night time North Africa.
We need both the smart grid and the super grid in equal measure and we need to get behind both as future energy provision needs to be super smart.
EU’s energy union must overcome serious obstacles
As the European commission sets out its plans to harmonise the energy systems of member states, Fiona Harvey looks at the potential benefits and barriers to success
theguardian.com|By Fiona Harvey