Con Edison has released a new animation on the company’s Web site showcasing the energy grid of the future – smart grid. Smart grid combines various technologies that modernize the electric grid, including self-healing capabilities. It also allows for a two-way flow of energy and information between customers and utilities, giving up-to-date information about the energy being used.
“Our goal was to create a communications tool that simplified the complexities of smart grid,” said Marie Berninger, Third Generation Systems of the Future department. “We wanted to show how elements such as intelligent grid systems and solar energy fall into our vision of smart grid.”
Con Edison’s smart-grid efforts include a $6 million pilot project in Queens announced last August and a system-wide smart grid effort backed by $181 million awarded recently by the Department of Energy (DOE) under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Please visit www.conEd.com for more information about smart grid.
Some of the smart grid technologies in the short animation include:
- Intelligent grid systems that use sophisticated communications technology to find problems on the electric grid and fix them faster, enhancing reliability.
- Greener energy sources that are more easily integrated into the electric system, lessening our dependence on fossil fuels.
- Smart building technologies, such as in-home energy monitors, that communicate with a smart meter to allow customers to track and mange energy use.