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Modern electric grids offer a huge potential for the utility firms that are eyeing to enhance their power distribution capabilities.
FREMONT, CA:With modernization and economic growth, electricity requirement is growing exponentially. Humans are dependent on electricity for almost everything, such as household needs, sewage treatment, refrigeration, office requirements, and various others. With so much dependency on electricity, a major disruption can result in some serious consequences that can impact various sectors of society. Currently, much of the electric transmission is dependent on the electric grid.
The electric grids are highly vulnerable to various factors such as weather, temperature, and natural disasters. Thus, an electric grid failure is a fairly common occurrence.
The modernization of electric grids is of utmost importance. The aging grid network, coupled with the pressure of meeting current requirements, is pushing the grids to accomplish more than they were meant for. Smart electric grids are the modern alternatives that can address the issues impacting the existing grid system. It involves two-way communication technologies, computer processing, and control systems.
State-of-the-art sensors are an integral part of the modern grid network. For instance, advanced sensors such as Phasor Measurement Units (MSU) are used that allow the operators to estimate grid stability. Consumers are also better informed with the deployment of advanced digital meters.
Smart grids will also facilitate the utility companies to manage the electricity transmission via an advanced distributed management system (ADMS). Currently, the electric distribution is not uniformly distributed across the grids. With the incorporation of smart grids, advanced sensors will record and communicate the power requirement and availability. The information can be transmitted to the central grid network. Based on the power updates from across the grid network, power can be efficiently distributed throughout the network.
The design and development of modern grids can also benefit from the historical data. The historical data can be analyzed to identify the shortcomings and flaws in the traditional grids. Engineers can use the information to design the modern grids that are efficient and cost-effective. An improved grid design will also result in decreased power losses and simpler maintenance costs.
The modernization of grids will certainly improve the probability of power outages while enabling an efficient flow of power across the grid network.
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