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The Electrical Grid

The Electrical Grid. Generation, Transmission and Distribution. What Makes Up The “Grid”?. Generation - Energy is generated by various means Transmission -Voltage is stepped up using a transformer and energy is transferred across long distances

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The Electrical Grid

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  1. The Electrical Grid Generation, Transmission and Distribution

  2. What Makes Up The “Grid”? • Generation- Energy is generated by various means • Transmission-Voltage is stepped up using a transformer and energy is transferred across long distances • Distribution- Voltage is stepped down and distributed to final users

  3. What Makes Up The “Grid”?

  4. What are some challenges the Grid currently faces? • Dynamic Demand • Government Policy Issues • Funding to accommodate projected growth of electricity demand • Handling Deregulation • Integration of Renewable Sources

  5. Dynamic Demand • Electricity is generated and used in real time • There is no practical existing method of storing electrical energy • Demand fluctuates with time of day, season and irregular weather patterns

  6. Dynamic Demand • Power generation companies must forecast demand and produce accordingly • They must also maintain a “spinning reserve” to account for unanticipated growth of demand • Spinning reserves result in transmission losses and ultimately lost revenue

  7. Dynamic Demand Graph by Paul Loesch Dataset provided by Southern California Edison Viewed Oct. 23, 2007

  8. Demand Changes with Seasons Source: NJ.gov Viewed Oct. 23, 2007

  9. Government Policy- Funding • Electricity Demand is projected to grow 41% by 2030 [1] Source: EIA Viewed Oct 23, 2007

  10. Transmission investment declined in real dollar terms during the 23-year period from 1975 to 1998, and over the same time period transmission capacity relative to load declined in every NERC region. [2] Government Policy- Funding Source: National Grid Viewed Oct.23, 2007

  11. Government Policy- Deregulation • Energy Policy Act of 1992 separated transmission and generation • Stated goal was to provide consumers with more options and better pricing • Opposing viewpoints on whether deregulation was positive for consumers • Reliability problems resulted in government entities like The North American Reliability Council (NERC)

  12. Problems with Deregulation • Recent BLACKOUTS are due to problems with deregulation • The new rules are described by one expert as “like having every player in an orchestra using their own tunes”.[3] Source: Industrial Physicist Viewed Oct. 23, 2007

  13. Consumer Price Varies U.S. Residential Average Retail Price of Electricity by State, 2003 (Cents per kWh) Map provided by EIA Viewed Oct. 23, 2007

  14. Possibilities for the Future • The SuperGrid [4] • Uses super cooled superconductors • Transfer hydrogen as well as electricity • No new major technological innovation is necessary!

  15. The SuperGrid

  16. Possibilities for the Future • PHEV (Plug In Hybrid Electric Vehicles) • Electric vehicles are driven during the day when electrical demand is high, then plugged in to charge their batteries at night • Stabilizes some Dynamic Demand issues • Greatly reduces dependence on foreign oil • Greatly reduces carbon emissions • This also requires NO major technological innovation!

  17. Possibilities for the Future Possible drawback to both The SuperGrid and PHEVs…. They both depend almost completely on nuclear energy

  18. Video on PHEVs

  19. Citations [1] EIA http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/aeo/pdf/trend_3.pdf Viewed Oct. 23 2007 [2] National Grid http://www.nationalgridus.com/non_html/c3-3_NG_wind_policy.pdf Viewed Oct 23 2007 [3] October/November 2003 Issue of The Industrial Physicist Viewed Sept. 20, 2007 http://www.aip.org/tip/INPHFA/vol-9/iss-5/p8.pdf [4] June 2006 Article from Scientific American http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa006&colID=1&articleID=00003872-159C-1498-959C83414B7F0000 Viewed Oct 23 2007

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