tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65934620079690734802012-02-25T06:15:46.289-05:00Smart Grid ElectronicsMoving towards smarter houses, power grids, and generationSaverio B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15720395506631940857noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593462007969073480.post-77838767844533860262012-02-12T18:06:00.000-05:002012-02-12T18:06:27.911-05:00Smart microgrid solutions in San Diego
As said many times in this blog, the fact of introducing new distributed generation of electric power (solar panels, etc.) bring new opportunities together with new challenges.
Many people know what the opportunities are: minimization of energy cost, reduced carbon footprint, reduced peak load, and so on.
However, a smart microgrid needs many control and management devices in order to run Saverio B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15720395506631940857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593462007969073480.post-73299288266650158862011-11-14T04:51:00.001-05:002011-11-15T10:04:08.609-05:00Solar power in the UK
There are different reasons why someone may want to install solar power generation (both thermal and photo-voltaic) on their houses:
either you are a "green" kind of person, and you are OK with spending more money than you will ever earn from your panels, as long as you're helping the environment,
OR you decide to INVEST your money, and you try to find some win-win solution for you and the Saverio B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15720395506631940857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593462007969073480.post-78861560490624228902011-09-10T04:11:00.000-04:002011-09-10T04:11:03.105-04:00Solar companies in South Africa
We wrote some time ago about the great opportunities of residential solar power in South Africa.
New companies are indeed entering this business, proving that the sector is rapidly growing and profitable.
A new comprehensive web directory has been set up and is worth a visit.
www.solarcompanies.co.za
Directory of solar companies in South Africa:
solar
panels, solar geysers, Saverio B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15720395506631940857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593462007969073480.post-26204391443855896212011-09-08T09:50:00.002-04:002011-09-10T04:00:05.769-04:00Home Solar Power Systems
Many people believe that home solar power systems will eventually
replace fossil-fuel based energy sources as the way that most people
power their homes. This free and never-ending way to create energy is a
much better way to create power for your home, and is more affordable
than ever.
Read more on:
Solar Power for Homes
Home solar power info. Find out about using solar power in your Saverio B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15720395506631940857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593462007969073480.post-77086085999291219892011-04-17T07:57:00.001-04:002011-09-10T04:12:45.813-04:00Sustainable Energy - Without the hot airThere is a lot of confusion about renewables and their chances of replacing fossil fuels.
We suggest a book that gives all the information that you need to understand the problem in the details. It's called
Sustainable Energy - Without the hot air
Be advised: the author is not skeptical about the potential of renewable energy sources, on the contrary. It is just extremely honest about Saverio B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15720395506631940857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593462007969073480.post-25424578484884400412011-03-18T08:05:00.000-04:002011-03-18T08:05:07.093-04:00Nuclear, solar, and smart grids
Nuclear power and solar power are two completely different beasts for the world of smart grid.
Nuclear power:
is produced far from the consumers, in extremely large plants, and the energy must flow on the transmission lines to get to the loads;
cannot be turned on and off whenever you want: a nuclear power plant is almost always in operation, producing a constant amount of power
the Saverio B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15720395506631940857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593462007969073480.post-20333119594177440442011-02-07T08:39:00.000-05:002011-02-07T08:39:21.473-05:00Can hydrogen replace oil?
There are plenty of news, papers, magazine covers, that ask the same question: "Will hydrogen replace oil?"
The question is ill-posed, and that's why.
Hydrogen is NOT a source of energy, it's just a way to store energy for later use.
Therefore you cannot compare hydrogen and oil, you should instead compare hydrogen and batteries, for example.
Unfortunately, there is no hydrogen available in Saverio B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15720395506631940857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593462007969073480.post-56591382659971100652011-02-05T05:51:00.005-05:002012-02-12T18:06:43.273-05:00Smart Grid Communication Network Technologies
Here is a literature review provided by EnergyStrain.com on Smart Grid Communication Networks.
Selected Review of Literature: Smart Grid Communication Network
Given the increased emphasis on energy efficiency, the current electrical grid is in need of a robust communication network. The communication infrastructure will rely on three technologies:
4G wireless communications
fiber Saverio B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15720395506631940857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593462007969073480.post-15619852264310836452011-01-14T16:57:00.000-05:002011-09-10T04:12:23.943-04:00Solar panels in South Africa
If you look how many times people search for "solar panels" on Google, you get an idea about how this technology is becoming popular and popular.
You also get another information: most of the people that searched for solar panels are in South Africa!
Why is that?
Well, you get part of the answer looking at the website http://www.solarpanel.co.za or at this other directory http://Saverio B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15720395506631940857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593462007969073480.post-61848249510369927742011-01-12T16:47:00.001-05:002011-01-12T16:48:33.442-05:00Smart Grid in South Korea
The modernization of the country's electric grid is a vital component of the Lee Myung-bak administration's comprehensive energy plan, which aims to reduce South Korea's dependence on oil, create jobs and help the nation's key industries compete successfully in the global market for clean energy technology.
South Korea plans to invest 960 billion won ($820 million) into smart grids this year.
Saverio B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15720395506631940857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593462007969073480.post-5011379292621243642011-01-12T16:43:00.001-05:002011-01-12T16:50:46.760-05:00LG Electronics invests in Smart Grid Technology
When company says that they are investing into smart grid technologies, they can be talking about very different ideas:
the smart grid architectures, standards, ideas: this is the most intriguing part, leads to patents and scholarly articles, and the big names are into it, including academia
the smart grid power electronics, to equip a smart transmission and distribution grid: transformers, Saverio B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15720395506631940857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593462007969073480.post-31432564274238512832011-01-12T16:25:00.004-05:002011-11-15T04:27:04.406-05:00www.smartgridelectronics.net
There is a new website on smart grid electronics out there, that we would like to suggest to our readers:
It's called
smartgridelectronics.net
How the smart grid is changing the design of electronic equipments
It's a website published by Darnell.Com Inc., one of the leading sources for worldwide strategic information covering the full spectrum of power electronics. Darnell.Com specializes Saverio B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15720395506631940857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593462007969073480.post-49790650513428705362011-01-06T17:28:00.000-05:002011-01-06T17:28:11.676-05:00Will lower solar costs revive Moore's law talk?
IEEE Energy Wise blog asks this interesting question.
Many know about Moore's Law for electronic devices and in particular integrated circuits or microprocessor:
"Moore's law describes a long-term trend in the history of computing hardware. The number of transistors that can be placed inexpensively on an integrated circuit has doubled approximately every two years"
(from Wikipedia)
IEEE Saverio B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15720395506631940857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593462007969073480.post-9063693704685727292010-12-11T06:42:00.000-05:002010-12-11T06:42:51.062-05:00Smart meter communication standards NEEDED!
With the expression "Smart Grid" one usually wants to describe the integration of information technologies (communication, computing, automation) into the world of power transmission and distribution networks.
This scenario includes a huge number of different aspects. Among them, one of the most important (and one of the first that is being developed) is the idea of smart metering.
With smartSaverio B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15720395506631940857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593462007969073480.post-56861240713532589932010-11-03T17:35:00.000-04:002010-11-03T17:35:28.331-04:00Solar + Hydro power: winning combination?In the realm of micro generation (residential buildings, small towns, isolated houses or cabins) you may have heard about the winning idea of combining solar power generation with hydro-electric generation.
Why is this?
It has to do with the intermittent behavior of almost all the renewable energy sources: wind, solar, waves, hydro. Unfortunately the availability of these sources of energy Saverio B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15720395506631940857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593462007969073480.post-32792140803139430002010-10-26T17:53:00.001-04:002010-10-26T17:54:19.457-04:00TURANOR PlanetSolarThe goal of the team PlanetSolar?To complete the first world tour with a solar boat, that is an electric motor boat powered by quiet and clean energy sources, fed exclusively by the Sun.
With this project, the team wants to demonstrate that current technologies to improve energy efficiency are reliable and efficient and, secondly, to advance scientific research in the field of renewable Saverio B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15720395506631940857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593462007969073480.post-75294645246930115082010-10-26T17:44:00.000-04:002010-10-26T17:44:41.857-04:00Organic photovoltaics: cheap? efficient?
Unlike traditional semiconductors (silicon, for example), organic PV employ carbon-based plastics, dyes, and nanostructures, and can be manufactured via a printing process: much cheaper than high temperature processing that is needed by inorganics.
Organic solar panels are also lighter, more flexible, and therefore promising for an extremely wide class of applications, from covering entire Saverio B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15720395506631940857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593462007969073480.post-43818551358474462482010-09-19T03:15:00.001-04:002010-09-19T03:17:01.589-04:00Smart Grid Electronics Forum
As a delegate at the Smart Grid Electronics Forum (SGEF '10) you will learn how deployment of the smart grid will change the design of all types of electronic equipment. Coverage will extend from the Smart Meter through the building to the end-use equipment. You will hear about the latest component developments, design techniques, communications protocols, architectures, smart-grid Saverio B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15720395506631940857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593462007969073480.post-56796717991441881562010-09-06T04:45:00.000-04:002010-09-06T04:45:46.372-04:00Solar CarsAre solar car possible?
Forget about the cost of solar panels, the cost of batteries. Let's focus on how much power solar panels can produce and how much power solar cars need.
This is the very first step we must do, to understand if a dream like solar cars are something that we are going to see in the near future of if they are going to stay in our dreams.
Let's start from some facts: in the Saverio B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15720395506631940857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593462007969073480.post-79899436321313683692010-08-16T06:48:00.000-04:002010-08-16T06:48:33.082-04:00Padova solare
Il Comune di Padova sostiene una campagna di incentivazione all'installazione di circa 500 impianti fotovoltaici, su immobili siti nel proprio territorio.
In particolare, il progetto prevede che il cittadino che aderisce all'iniziativa, possa realizzare il proprio impianto beneficiando degli incentivi statali "Conto energia", del "Conto scambio" e del risparmio in bolletta.
Gli impianti Saverio B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15720395506631940857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593462007969073480.post-56538176031807357752010-05-10T06:37:00.000-04:002010-05-10T06:37:52.095-04:00Moving Toward a Smarter Electric GridThe IEEE Boston Section is organizing
"Moving Toward a Smarter Electric Grid" Session:
Smart Grid Communications Architecture: Requirements, Implementations, and Future Directions.
Time and Date: 8:30 AM - 2:00 PM, Saturday, May 22, 2010
Venue: EGG Education Center MIT 50 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA
Speakers
Keynote: Gene Zimon, President, Edge Advisors (former CIO, NStar)
Utility Saverio B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15720395506631940857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593462007969073480.post-59988034876399497342010-03-30T12:23:00.000-04:002010-03-30T12:23:30.445-04:00Energy from wood
There is an increasing interest in new energy sources, intended to replace fossil fuels like gas and oil.
There are two main reasons why fossil fuels are to be replaced, at least in part:
they are going to end, eventually
we produce a CO2 when we use them
These two problems are quite connected, but they are different. When we talk about renewables, we usually mean solutions that satisfy both Saverio B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15720395506631940857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593462007969073480.post-52689583797860434002010-03-21T06:31:00.000-04:002010-03-21T06:31:35.409-04:00DC voltage: 12, 24, or 48 volts?
When designing a distributed power generator (solar panels, micro wind turbines, etc.) a choice have to made: the DC voltage of the system.
In other words, the generator (panels or wind turbine) will produce DC electrical current at a given voltage, let's say 24V. A cable will carry this power to the batteries, the charge controller and to the inverter, that have to be designed for the same Saverio B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15720395506631940857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593462007969073480.post-61580782463009082362010-02-18T08:07:00.000-05:002010-02-18T08:07:21.157-05:00Smart-Grid Carbon Savings
As IEEE Spectrum reports, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has issued a report in which carbon savings from introduction of smart grid technologies are estimated.
There are two main ways in which a smarter grid can reduce carbon emissions:
direct carbon savings through smart devices (meters, for examples); the estimate is that a 12% reduction is expected by 2030;
allowing renewable Saverio B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15720395506631940857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6593462007969073480.post-86548260384195346182010-02-06T06:28:00.001-05:002010-02-06T06:29:36.441-05:00Cheaper electric bill with IBM smart house devices
During the last year, IBM started a pilot study in Fayetteville, North Carolina, to find out how much can people reduce their energy consumption by using smart grids and by slightly changing their habits.
It looks like smart grids + change of habits is a winning idea: the results gathered so far show a 15% saving in energy consumption in residential areas and small businesses, with up to 40% Saverio B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15720395506631940857noreply@blogger.com