Ambitious global efforts are currently under way to push forward the development and implementation of smart grids at various levels. Philip Dingle of Eaton Group examines the opportunities and challenges presented by the last 30 miles of the Smart Grid network - from the point of medium voltage distribution to the industrial and residential consumer. With the increase in distributed generation and the storage of energy from sources such as wind, solar, combined heat and power, biomass and geothermal etc., network requirements are changing significantly. Energy is being fed into the network at various, and variable, points and times. The adjustments required by utility companies means that distribution system operators will need to install enough power cable capacity to carry the new energy flows. A communications infrastructure will have to be created that allows smart applications to be incorporated and for the different components of the network to talk to each other. And software applications will be required that facilitate an intelligent way to balance intermittent power generation with intermittent power consumption, whilst maintaining operational parameters for voltage and frequency.
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