Commentary
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Jul 06, 2010 |
In many countries, the market demand for electrical energy is cyclical on a daily as well as on a seasonal basis. Numerous technologies already exist that can divert large amounts of overnight off-peak electrical power into short-term storage systems. -
Jun 29, 2010 |
During the dark days of early 2009, one of the brightest spots anywhere on the economic horizon was the smart grid, and more specifically, the anticipated full-speed-ahead, full-scale deployment of smart meters. The expected benefits were well-understood and significant: instant meter reads, quick bill settlements, and improved visibility into local outages. -
Jun 23, 2010 |
Successive Canadian federal politicians have voiced their sentiments in support of an east-west power transmission line across Canada. Historically, there have been more north-south power lines across the US-Canada border than power lines across Canadian provincial borders.
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Jun 10, 2010 |
Let us suppose that, through a combination of forces including mileage or emissions requirements, fuel prices, and technology maturation, it becomes de rigour for vehicle manufacturers to focus their energies on electric vehicles with extended range capacity (EV-ER): afterall, such vehicles sooth range-anxiety by carrying some energy-dense fuel instead of a huge number of heavy and expensive batteries. -
Jun 09, 2010 |
Energy costs are an increasing concern in a tough economy and a competitive marketplace. The common-sense solution to high energy costs is to either increase energy sources or to reduce our use of energy. Numerous barriers exist to increasing our energy sources. -
Jun 08, 2010 |
While the electric vehicle has captured the consumer's imagination and touched an eco-sensitive nerve, it comes with some tough questions that need to be answered. Electric vehicles are being marketed as a green solution to an increasingly environmentally-sensitive market that can achieve the equivalent of 100+ miles per gallon but, there are concerns as to whether the electric grid, in its current form and future iterations, will be able to meet the added demand of that electric vehicles will bring. -
May 26, 2010 |
One hundred years after Faraday, came that other European giant of electrical theory and experiment, Nikola Tesla, who also parted his hair down the middle. Faraday brought us the dc motor and much more besides: Tesla brought us the ac motor and much more besides. -
May 25, 2010 |
The Power System of the Future will be radically different from today, with high penetration of unpredictable variable output renewables. We have a lot of potential new technology and control mechanisms to utilise. -
May 12, 2010 |
With the development and deployment of the basic structure in the area SMART GRID - AMR / AMI - the Utilities will have to move to a more friendly relationship with the consumer. -
May 11, 2010 |
The traditional form of pumped hydraulic storage involved pumping water to higher elevation during off-peak hours. Another form of pumped storage that has been subject to extensive research and includes proposals for future development involves moving seawater between the ocean and land depressions, such as the Qattara Depression in Egypt and the Dead Sea. Whereas evaporation from a storage reservoir reduces storage efficiency of elevated reservoirs, evaporation actually raises the storage efficiency of reservoirs located in land depressions.
