Smart Grid: The Electric Energy System of the Future

Abstract

Three dominant factors are impacting future electric systems of the world: governmental policies at both federal and state levels, customer efficiency needs, and new intelligent computer software and hardware technologies. In addition, environmental concerns are driving the entire energy system to efficiency, conservation, and renewable sources of electricity. Customers are becoming more proactive and are being empowered to engage in energy consumption decisions affecting their day-to-day lives. At the same time, energy needs are continually expanding. For example, consumer participation will soon include extensive use of electric vehicles (both cars and trucks), remote control of in-home appliances to promote energy conservation, ownership of distributed generation from ever more renewable energy sources, and management of electricity storage to locally match supply to demand. The availability of new technologies such as distributed sensors, two-way secure communication, advanced software for data management, and intelligent and autonomous controllers has opened up new opportunities for changing the energy system. For instance, while networking technologies and systems have been greatly enhanced, the Smart Grid faces challenges in terms of reliability and security in both wired and wireless communication environments. In particular, smart home appliances represent a major part of the Smart Grid vision, which aims at increasing energy efficiency. To achieve this goal, home appliances need to communicate with entities and players in other Smart Grid domains via home area networks. Therefore, the electric system of the future will address all these needs and concerns by using new advanced technologies to create a smarter, more efficient and sustainable grid. Although many different definitions have been proposed for the Smart Grid, in most cases, the users have chosen narrowly focused definitions related to their specific applications and local needs. The main objective of this special issue is to report on some, if not all, of the technical challenges posed by this conversion. While acknowledging its limited coverage, this special issue offers a range of valuable contributions. For the benefit of readers before beginning your excursion, we first provide a description of the current conventional electric energy system. We then identify the key areas that must change in order to provide the intelligence and control necessary to convert to the safe, secure, and efficient Smart Grid of the future.