Comments on: INFORMS on the Smart Grid http://www.glencora.org/silent-glen-speaks/informs-on-the-smart-grid/ Assistant Professor, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Oregon State University Wed, 08 Sep 2010 01:07:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Nitin Mohan http://www.glencora.org/silent-glen-speaks/informs-on-the-smart-grid/comment-page-1/#comment-61 Nitin Mohan Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:56:39 +0000 http://www.glencora.org/?p=205#comment-61 Your blog is certainly kindling lot of thoughts in me. Very interesting and quite informative. But to be honest, lot of stuffs are very high for me to understand (e.g., your algorithms class at OSU ;-)). But I follow your blog, to improve my reading abilities and try to learn how the information is communicated in a concise manner. I browsed the term "Smart Grid" in Wiki only after I went through your post. I was so fortunate to have read about this as I was thinking of a similar project for the recreation center at OSU as a part of curriculum. Need to look into it more deeply. By the way, do you think algorithms play a role in Smart Grid? ;-) Your blog is certainly kindling lot of thoughts in me. Very interesting and quite informative. But to be honest, lot of stuffs are very high for me to understand (e.g., your algorithms class at OSU ;-)). But I follow your blog, to improve my reading abilities and try to learn how the information is communicated in a concise manner.

I browsed the term “Smart Grid” in Wiki only after I went through your post. I was so fortunate to have read about this as I was thinking of a similar project for the recreation center at OSU as a part of curriculum. Need to look into it more deeply.

By the way, do you think algorithms play a role in Smart Grid? ;-)

]]> By: Glencora http://www.glencora.org/silent-glen-speaks/informs-on-the-smart-grid/comment-page-1/#comment-60 Glencora Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:33:02 +0000 http://www.glencora.org/?p=205#comment-60 Warren: for the record, I was exaggerating. Warren: for the record, I was exaggerating.

]]> By: Warren Schudy http://www.glencora.org/silent-glen-speaks/informs-on-the-smart-grid/comment-page-1/#comment-59 Warren Schudy Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:56:03 +0000 http://www.glencora.org/?p=205#comment-59 Don't worry about your laptop being discharged to run your neighbor's refrigerator. Firstly they're probably too small to bother with. Secondly you would probably choose to keep your laptop out of smart grid programs to avoid incidents like you describe. Finally laptop batteries are too expensive to be economical for storing grid electricity. Let's suppose your laptop battery has 300 watt-hours of capacity and lasts for 1000 charge/discharge cycles. That's a potential of 300 kWh of electricity your battery can move from one part of the day to another. If moving electricity is worth 5 cents per kWh that's only $15 worth of electricity storage at the cost of wearing out a laptop battery that costs far more than that. My guess is that the vast majority of smart grid energy storage and demand management will be done by carefully timing activities such as battery charging, refrigerator operation, and air conditioning that be done eventually smart grid or no. Unless battery durability improves dramatically I don't expect consumer devices to be discharged to feed the grid on a regular basis. Using consumer devices for peaking during the 5 hours of the year with highest demand makes sense, but using them every day does not as far as I know. Don’t worry about your laptop being discharged to run your neighbor’s refrigerator. Firstly they’re probably too small to bother with. Secondly you would probably choose to keep your laptop out of smart grid programs to avoid incidents like you describe. Finally laptop batteries are too expensive to be economical for storing grid electricity. Let’s suppose your laptop battery has 300 watt-hours of capacity and lasts for 1000 charge/discharge cycles. That’s a potential of 300 kWh of electricity your battery can move from one part of the day to another. If moving electricity is worth 5 cents per kWh that’s only $15 worth of electricity storage at the cost of wearing out a laptop battery that costs far more than that.

My guess is that the vast majority of smart grid energy storage and demand management will be done by carefully timing activities such as battery charging, refrigerator operation, and air conditioning that be done eventually smart grid or no. Unless battery durability improves dramatically I don’t expect consumer devices to be discharged to feed the grid on a regular basis. Using consumer devices for peaking during the 5 hours of the year with highest demand makes sense, but using them every day does not as far as I know.

]]> By: Dave http://www.glencora.org/silent-glen-speaks/informs-on-the-smart-grid/comment-page-1/#comment-58 Dave Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:38:46 +0000 http://www.glencora.org/?p=205#comment-58 It seems doubtful that everything will go "smart grid" overnight. But I think a practical plan to start with would be to: 1. Group electricty-using technologies into "traditional" and "smart grid" groups. 2. Let "traditional" technologies (computers, heaters, etc) stay on the standard way energy is used. 3. Let "smart grid" technologies (electric car, etc) leverage lulls in electricity usage. This way, people can 1) get used to the change that comes from these new fangled devices and 2) the brain trust that introduces this stuff can learn about the effects these things have on the consumer and come up with a better way to charge the devices. It seems doubtful that everything will go “smart grid” overnight. But I think a practical plan to start with would be to:
1. Group electricty-using technologies into “traditional” and “smart grid” groups.
2. Let “traditional” technologies (computers, heaters, etc) stay on the standard way energy is used.
3. Let “smart grid” technologies (electric car, etc) leverage lulls in electricity usage.

This way, people can 1) get used to the change that comes from these new fangled devices and 2) the brain trust that introduces this stuff can learn about the effects these things have on the consumer and come up with a better way to charge the devices.

]]> By: Glencora http://www.glencora.org/silent-glen-speaks/informs-on-the-smart-grid/comment-page-1/#comment-57 Glencora Mon, 12 Oct 2009 21:29:10 +0000 http://www.glencora.org/?p=205#comment-57 Yes, I think I am. It wasn't explained in depth. O'Neill essentially said "we approximate this linearly because we use LP-solvers, but it isn't the right thing to do". Yes, I think I am. It wasn’t explained in depth. O’Neill essentially said “we approximate this linearly because we use LP-solvers, but it isn’t the right thing to do”.

]]> By: Warren Schudy http://www.glencora.org/silent-glen-speaks/informs-on-the-smart-grid/comment-page-1/#comment-56 Warren Schudy Mon, 12 Oct 2009 20:06:36 +0000 http://www.glencora.org/?p=205#comment-56 <i>essentially treating AC current as DC current</i> Are you referring to the issues of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_power" rel="nofollow">apparent power versus real power</a>? If not, what are you referring to? essentially treating AC current as DC current Are you referring to the issues of apparent power versus real power? If not, what are you referring to?

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