Three good bits from the smart grid front.
First up, there’s a new report out from the California Energy Commission called Distributed Generation and Cogeneration Policy Roadmap for California (PDF). Hot reading! The New Rules Project has a nice write-up on it. See also the NRP’s section on barriers to distributed generation.
Next up, five big companies have teamed up to create GridNet NOW, an alliance that "offers a comprehensive, cost effective suite of services helping utilities plan, develop, implement and manage a successful path to electric transmission and distribution grid modernization." The announcement was made at the hippest, happeningest event this side of South by Southwest: GridWeek 2007! See Inside Greentech for more details.
And finally, coming soon to a Florida near you: Future Sky Community, which "will be designed to be one of the most ecologically friendly and energy-efficient developments of its kind in the United States." Among other cool features:
- Geothermal loops that circulate water through underground pipelines to produce hot water using the Earth’s natural heat. The hot water then would be piped to all of the homes within each pod to conserve energy.
- Various sustainable-energy technologies, including optimal combinations of solar collectors, fuel cells and biomass systems, in order to generate power over electric "microgrids."
- System-wide energy management and optimization through the integration of distributed monitoring and control systems.
- "Load management" techniques that allow for greater production of electricity during high-demand periods and lower production during low-demand ones.
- An advanced wastewater treatment facility that protects groundwater by utilizing aerobic treatment units instead of traditional gravity collection systems.
Microgrids: the newest new black.
