Comments on: Smart Grids? Smart Baloney!

By: Drago Indjic

Drago Indjic — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 06:51:49 +0000

In fact, most analysts including O. Rix in the UK expect that smart meters help in complex “hedging” total energy exposure to gas and electricity.

By: Mike Parr

Mike Parr — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 11:02:43 +0000

Mr Di Marco fails to answer the points I made in the original letter plus makes some confusing points: is he saying that dynamic demand management is “unrealistic”? if this is the case, why then does it already exist? In terms of “a more efficient power distribution network”, currenty losses are less than 2% and are centred around 33/11 and 11/LV transformers. More efficient products exist but the $ rationale to replace them does not. I fail to see how “smart grids” could contribute to this.

As is common amongst non-power engineers, power networks are compared to IT networks. The 2 are not comparable and never will be. Still who am I to assert this – after all I’m only a power enginner who also founded an UK ISP so I guess I would no nothing about either network?

By: Rupert Wolfe Murray

Rupert Wolfe Murray — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 13:14:42 +0000

Interesting letter. Interesting reply. My only point is that both of you would appear to be right and the real problem here is that governments need to urgently prioritise investment in grids — i.e. new cables to new sources of energy. Whether these are “smart” or not is irrelevant; they just have to be cables which are suitable to carry the current and projected load of electricity produced in some rather unusual places (20 miles out to sea, on the top of a mountain). Rather than bicker about how clever the metering system is, surely you should join forces and lobby your governments to invest in this — especially in a time when public works schemes are all the rage.

By: leon di marco

leon di marco — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 16:12:11 +0000

mike parr is wrong and apparently does not know what smart meters/grids will do- switching smart appliances on and off will be an automatic process and does not rely on the user – this would be unrealistic – there is no danger of smart meters being
expensive if they are installed in high volume, as in italy
the control of the grid will be more complex but this will allow much more flexible use of intermittent renewable power and a much more efficient power
distribution network
ultimately when the european green energy supergrid is introduced an energy
superhighway will convey electricity round europe and the mediterranean will
become a major source of EU solar power, which will benefit us all