IBM, once known for main frame computers, now wants to be known for building smarter cities. That will start with a smarter power grid.
Software that lets a utility in Washington cut power consumption by up to 50% will soon get a big test. This demonstration is part of a project that will attempt to knit together aging and fragmented grid infrastructure across five states and 11 utilities. The project will involve 95 smaller efforts to integrate wind power, store power from the grid, accommodate electric-vehicle charging, and establish “microgrids” that can survive on their own in the event of a power outage.
The software for the $178-million project is nearly complete (as of Nov 2011) and the system is predicted to be up and running by Nov 2012, says Ron Ambrosio, team research leader for the energy and utilities industry at IBM, one of several organizations involved. The project is one of 16 smart grid demonstrations funded in part by the 2009 Recovery Act.
Some of the technology got a trial run on Washington state’s Olympic Peninsula in 2005 to 2007. The technology let utilities communicate with smart thermostats and other equipment at residences, reducing peak electricity demand and responding to fluctuations in supply from intermittent resources such as wind turbines.
Ordinarily, such a system would depend on changes in regulations to let utilities charge residential customers different prices for electricity depending on demand. But the devices developed by IBM, the Pacific Northwest National Lab, and others, makes such real-time pricing unnecessary.
The approach keeps electricity rates flat and gives customers rebates on their power bills in exchange for having thermostats and other smart devices hooked up to communicate with the utility. The utility signals smart thermostats and appliances regarding how much it costs the utility to provide it electricity. Then, based on consumer
preferences, the smart systems signals back to the utility regarding how much power they will use. For instance, when Summer power costs are high, the thermostat might signal that it will let the internal how temperature rise to reduce air conditioning costs.
When the system was tested on the Olympic Peninsula, it reduced electricity demand during peak times by an average of 15%. During one period of particularly tight power supply, consumption dropped 50%. Consumers trimmed electric bill by about 10%.
One concern the demonstration will address, says Ambrosio, is the potential development of feedback loops that can make the system unstable. The concern is that such interactive devices in 60,000 homes over five large western states could cause unexpected fluctuations in demand that power generators can’t keep up with.
IBM
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