Electricity Today’s annual Green Smart Grid Report on renewables in the T&D industry

BY DOUG HOUSEMAN, IEEE, EnerNex Corp.

When people talk about grid modernization, they often focus on the benefits of integrating renewable resources as distributed generation. For many stakeholders, that is the major contribution of grid modernization to sustainable energy practices. In fact, grid modernization does enable a greater degree of renewable resource integration. Whether it is solar panels or solar shingles, wind farms or interval meters that spin backwards for net metering, tangible signs of sustainability tend to drive the conversation.

Yet a good deal of grid modernization work will produce a variety of efficiencies, sustainable practices and other environmental benefits without attracting much notice. One example that is widely discussed is the fact that advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) enables improved outage detection, which should result in better crew dispatching and fewer trucks rolls. That saves fuel, lowers a utility’s carbon footprint, and speeds restoration efforts. However, it is only the tip of the sustainability iceberg. Speedier restoration, for instance, has its own set of benefits.