[Part one of the smart grid series is here.]So we have a rough idea of what the smart grid is, other than an animated scarecrow attempting to commit suicide by throwing himself off a transmission tower. Now, we need to answer the tougher question:
why do I want a smart grid?There is no simple answer; there are maybe half a dozen compelling reasons why you want one. Over the next few days I'm going to talk about the 3 most important. Here's the first:
the smart grid will allow distributed and renewable energy to flourish.
Solar panels, wind turbines, and other renewable technologies have been around for four decades or longer. As scientists and, later, society at large, have come to understand the importance of global warming, energy independence, and sustainability, a funny thing has happened: instead of it becoming easier to build renewable technology, it is becoming harder.
An example of the way this is becoming harder is the fight over net metering. In a net-metering setup, when you use electricity, the meter spins one way. When you make electricity, the meter spins backwards. At the end of the month, you might get a bill from the electric company, or you could get a check if you made more than you used.
