Tag Archives: grid











Giving the grid power “controllability”

Both in Canada and the United States there’s increasing talk of adding “smarts” to the grid and investing in infrastructure modernization and expansion. Google’s and GE’s plan to collaborate on smart grid development is just the latest example. After two decades or more of underinvestment this is a good thing, because if we truly want to tap the full potential of renewables and maximize conservation and demand-management we’ll need a grid that is flexible and has controllability.

Currently, power on the grid generally flows like water — through the path of least resistance. But power electronics do exist that can direct where we want the power to go. These devices are generally called FACTs, or Flexible AC Transmission devices. They are important, because they allow us to use the capacity in the grid more efficiently and make it easier to manage the intermittency of renewables and a grid where distributed generation is growing. Continue reading Giving the grid power “controllability”