Smart Grid Application in Canada and How It is Going to Solve Future Energy Crisis of Canada - Coursework Example

7 August Proposal Content: Smart Grid Application in Canada and How It is going to solve future Energy Crisis of Canada The Executive Summary With the help of modern technology of power system, we can change the entire gamut of the power system into the digital format. In Smart Grid, Information Communication Technology (ICT) is being widely employed through the employment of sensors, control, computational ability and electronic communications in some guise to improve the aggregate functionality of the electric power delivery system. Under Smart Grid, the power system gets smart by communicating, sensing, applying acumen, by exerting control and through valuable opinions. Smart Grid can guarantee about the optimization and reliability of the use of energy and further it offers pollution-free environment. It also helps to save the assets, to lower the costs, to make operations easy against all perils, and it offers quality energy for the 21st century requirements. Thus, by realizing Smart Grid implementation method in Canada, this research essay will analyze how Smart Grid will act as a viable prospect to meet present and near future electrical energy requirements. Introduction Smart Grid employs latest and advanced information and communication technology (ICT) to regulate the energy system more efficiently and reliably. Smart Grid application is to offer much greater thrust to lower voltage networks and to facilitate the engagement of consumers in the operation of the power system especially through Smart Homes and Smart Meters. Consumers will derive more benefits due to Smart Meters as the power cost will go up during peak demand season and will come down when there is excess power supply (Garrity 2008:38). Further, consumers can make adjustments in shifting loads like using cloth dryers and dish washers at the night time to minimize the user costs and to lower the greenhouse- gas emissions and smog-associated emissions. Ontario in Canada is the forerunner in the Smart Grid technology as every home and small business in Ontario is equipped with a smart meter, and this facilitates the consumers to derive advantage from time-of-use pricing. As a part of the New Brunswick Power Smart Grid research project, New Brunswick is also exploring the Smart Grid opportunities in their province (Hiscock & Beauvais 3). The problem Presently , Canada , like any other nation is witnessing the loss in power during the transmission and distribution with the obsolete and present grid system which is of great magnitude both in Canada and in the global level. Further, power theft, weather-caused power outages, global warming issues due to coal powered power plants, perforation of energy and CO2 emission from power plants are the other major disadvantages that are being faced by the Canada and the international community contemporarily. What you intend to fix it As per World Bank, electric power distribution and transmission losses in kWh in the global level was last evaluated at 1683347000000 as of 2009.The abovementioned losses include power outage during transmission between power manufacturing units and centers of distribution and in the final distribution to consumers which include pilferage.(tradingeconomics.com) World Bank Pointers – Global distribution and transmission loss 1990 and 2000 1990 2000 Power distribution and transmission losses (kWh) in the globe 1004927000000 1363260000000 Power distribution and transmission losses % of output in the globe 8.5% 8.9% Source: (Trading Economics.com) Alternate solutions Smart Grid technology can reduce energy transmission losses, enhance the effectiveness of the power grid, improve the effectiveness of the power delivery system, augment reliability and maintenance and offer the consumer with more control over the type of energy they consume and its price. Further, it also helps to minimize the emission of greenhouse gas and also boost energy independence. Smart Grid also facilitates more electricity to pass through the existing power carriers while at the same juncture enhancing voltage stability and also usher a power network more resistant to “system fluctuations” and disturbances. By installing SVC Light with dynamic energy warehousing capacity by using lithium – ion batteries at an EDF distribution and this will helps to streamline load peaks and will be able to link more renewable energy to the existing electrical networks by rectifying the destabilizing impact of renewable power. (ABB.com) The egression of Smart Grid technologies offers novel concepts for automation of the power grid, offering many new features to the devises and tools, which are functioning in the distribution network. The power meter is being regarded as the founding stone of the intelligent and modern grid, which is of course the basic element of the network so as to make the measurement of the consumption the energy more effectual. Thus, power meter under the smart grid is now facilitating the reduction in power theft and other guises of non-technical losses for grid operators and power utilities. Power meter offers an avalanche of information directly to the power utility in real time thereby bypassing the customer which is a major component in the fight against power theft (Flick & Morehouse 17). Enel SpA, the power manufacturing company from Italy installed more than 27 million power meters at their clients’ sites and the company’s main objective is to stop the power theft. As per Enel SpA, it had achieved about aggregate annual savings of $750 million due to the installation of their smart meters. The rolling out of Smart Grid in Italy offers an excellent model that power utilities around the globe can employ Smart Grid to fight against power theft. The data offered by the Smart Grid to the power utilities will really offer a real opportunity to stay ahead in the industry and to minimize the occurrences of power pilferage. (Dnvkema.com) In USA, severe weather is the major cause of power outages and between 2003 and 2012, about projected 679 major power outages happened because of acute weather conditions. Power outage is costing the U.S.A’s economy heavily as it forces the closures of schools, intercept emergency services, to shut down business thereby costing billions of dollars in losses and distracting the millions of US citizen’s lives. This spotlights about the resilience of the electric grid of USA which is a major element in the country’s fight against acute weather condition. As per USA’s President’s office report 2013, weather –associated power outages are projected to have cost to the economy of the USA of about $ 18 billion to $33 billion. For instance, the estimated loss due to power outages was estimated from $ 40 billion to $ 75 billion due to Hurricane Ike in 2008. Likewise, due to Hurricane Sandy in 2012, the estimated losses were $ 27 billion to $ 52 billion. These projected costs are likely to soar as climate-change increases, which will have direct effect on the intensity and frequency of tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards and other acute climate incidents. US government is preparing itself for the climate change which needs heavy investment in 21st century technology that will enhance the reliability and resilience of the power grid, and it has under the Recovery Act earmarked $ 4.5 million for investment in smart grid technologies in the near future (Whitehouse.gov 5). Micro Grids Smart grids can also be explained by the notion of Micro-grids. Micro grids can be described as small power systems that can function independently of the huge power system. They are comprised of distributed energy production and energy –storage supplies during normal scenarios and transform to stand-alone operation during unusual scenarios like during outage or in case of huge supply or in case of emergency. Without connection to a bulk supply, micro grid can also be established, and it could be operated in whole time as a self-regulating island (Kopsakangas –Savolainen & Gvento 2012: 126). Upgraded Inverters and Smart Grid Now, sophisticated inverters are being used that augment the cost-efficiency of solar systems with high-energy storage. In reality, these upgraded inverters intelligently fine-tune the battery power and the grid power and in a manner that offers more benefits to both to the utilities and the consumers. These inverters are designed with chemistry skeptical but with specific charging profiles for aqueous-ion, lithium-ion, fuel-cell, flow and other battery varieties. In the smart grid, the use of the upgraded inverter offers smooth transmission of power through grids (Kanchey et al., 2011:4583). Syncrophasors and Smart Grid Synchrophasor systems and technologies employ phasor measurement units (PMUs) which is a monitoring device that measure the instant current, frequency and voltage at particular locations in the power transmission grid or system. The sampling of these limits occurs twenty or more times per each electric cycle which could be 1200 or more times per second. PMUs change the assessed parameters into phasor values, normally thirty or more value per second. A precise time stamp is also being added to these phasor values by PMUs thereby changing them into Syncrophasors. The time-stamping facilitates these phasor values, which are offered by PMUs in various sites and among varied power industry organizations, to be linked and time-adjusted and then mingled. The end product facilitates the grid operators and planners to have a high-resolution image of scenarios prevailing all through the grid (Gungor et al., 2013:30). Current Situation As of 2013, 49% of meters installed in Canada are Smart Meters or advanced meters. Smart meters in Canada regulate about 5 GW in distributed power generation. In Canada, there are about 1100 charging stations which employ Smart Grids. Canada has estimated to invest about $386 million in the future in Smart Grid projects and as of 2013, it invested about $114 m in Smart Grid projects, which includes investment in 37 projects, and as of now, about 24 companies and 6 utilities are using the Smart Grid (Hiscock & Beauvais 3). Proposed Solution A projected $ 1.5 trillion will be likely to be spent in the global level in upgrading the existing grid infrastructure over the coming twenty-five years (Hiscock & Beauvais 3). Benefits The main advantage of Smart Grid is that it allows two-way communications channel between consumers and power manufacturer and makes the electric power system not only more intelligent but also easier to balance. Smart Kid facilitates the consumers to interconnect with the system and can design their power usage footed upon availability or price. The Smart Grid will be offering a new set of technology-oriented mechanisms that facilitate the grid to be fully augmented, employing both generators and loads to accomplish the most and the best effective ways of operation while still accomplishing the main objectives of loads. Smart Grid is comprised of process measurement tools, smart meters on the demand whereas on the supply side, it is comprised of transmitters, transformers and power plants (Khalifa, Naik & Naik 2011:180). Potential Advantages of Smart Grid Source: (Khalifa, Naik & Naik 2011:180). The Smart Grid system is likely to enhance the flexibility of the electric power system, thereby making it much convenient for the operators of the electric system to balance the demand and the supply. This would really assist to squeeze the consumption profile, to make generation run more effectively and could replace the transition projects to new generation. Smart Grid also helps to flatten out consumption as the system could probably be managed at 80% capacity rather than 50% capacity. This could be the cheaper and efficient choice as load distribution will minimize the need to enhance the generation and transmission when demand for power spikes (Horowitz, Phadke & Renz.2010:39). One of the main advantages of the Smart Grid is that facilitates the fossil fuel-fired power plants to run flatter and at the more unceasing rate , in a major way responsible for minimizing the greenhouse-gas releases by running more smoothly and efficiently (Whitehouse.gov 6). As per research study carried over by Colorado University about Boulder’s SmartGridCity project, which demonstrates that Smart Grid mechanisms are facilitating Xcel Energy, the company administering the project, to estimate equipment failures and to carry over repairs well before the power outages happen (Whitehouse.gov 7). It minimizes the carbon emissions and enhances energy efficiency through decrease in losses and by assimilating renewable generation. As per research study carried over by the Electric Power Research which indicated that Smart Grid technologies could minimize consumption of power in the US by ten to fifteen percent by 2025. The above study also found that Smart Grid technologies could usher economic benefits between $ 1.3 trillion and $ 2 trillion in the coming two decades. Smart meter helps the consumers to save money and to regulate their power usage more intelligently (Whitehouse.gov 8). Due to bi-directional nature of the Smart Grid which facilitates the consumers to link their own private power generation from solar panels to the grid. This gives more flexibility and minimizes the greenhouse gases while placing little stress on the system and minimizing losses. How Canada Benefits from Smart Grid Each territory and province in Canada have devised its own strategy for nourishing smart grid systems which is based upon their market, energy resource base, policy drivers and regulatory structure. Majority of territories have acknowledged the economic and environmental advantages as great drivers for the development of smart grid in their province. Ontario declared its Smart Grid Fund of $25M to about 13 projects. ENMAX Energy has introduced a Micro Renewable Energy program for consumers across Alberta. The Clean Energy Act of 2010 introduced by Columbia, which mandated the BC Hydro to establish smart meters all over its territories. Likewise, Saskatchewan, SaskPower is scheduling to introduce smart meters in their province by 2014. An EV charging instruction project was initiated by BC Hydro in British Columbia. Quebec deployed 3600 reclosers and switches distribution automation program which is 85% completed now. The federal government of Canada earmarked $146M for eight smart grid and storage projects (Nrcan.gc.ca 2011). Smart Grid Employment in Canada Source: Nrcan.gc.ca 2011 Conclusion Smart Grid offers cost efficient means to industrial users to regulate their energy costs and usage and the buy-in from both the industrial and residential consumers will become more competitive. Smart Grid facilitates the connection network of loads to the operator of the regional electric system operators who facilitates the companies to react to the requirements of the grid and to enjoy this Grid Balance, and this ushers a new revenue line for companies with linked loads (Enbala 9). Works Cited “ABB.Com”. Connecting the Renewable Energy to the Grid. 7 August 2014< http://www.tradingeconomics.com/world/electric-power-transmission-and-distribution-losses-kwh-wb-data.html>. “Dnvkema.com “Connecting Energy Theft with the Smart Grid. 7 August 2014 “Enbala Power Networks”. (September 2011) Smart Grid: The Future of the Electric Power System. 7 August 2014http://www.enbala.com/contents/subs/RESOURCES/White_Papers/Whiteapaper-03-Smart%20Grid-The%20Future%20of%20the%20Electric%20Power%20System.pdf “Trading Economics.com “Electric Power Transmission and distribution losses (KWh) in world 7 August 2014 Flick, T & Morehouse, J. 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