Smart Grid Technology Tutorial

Smart Grid Technology is an engineering discipline in electrical engineering that deals with the study of digitalization and modernization of electric grids.

A smart grid is nothing but a modern electric grid that involves the use of digital technologies, smart devices, and two-communication systems to deliver electricity from generating stations to consumers.

Smart grids came into being with the increasing demand of electricity. The primary aim of smart grid technology is to create a reliable, efficient, resilient, and sustainable electricity delivery system.

About This "Smart Grid Technology" Tutorial

The importance of smart grid technology is well known in various fields of electrical engineering. Overwhelming response to our tutorials on various electrical engineering subjects inspired us to write this tutorial on smart grid technology. This tutorial is structured to cover the fundamental concepts of the subject Smart Grid Technology.

This tutorial is written in a very simple language to explain the concepts of the subject. The beauty of this tutorial is that all the chapters are arranged in a proper sequence which makes the students comfortable in understanding the concepts.

This tutorial is very useful not only for students but also for professionals and tutors. The tutorial is written in a comprehensive manner that the students possibly have to cover nothing more.

Why to Learn Smart Grid Technology?

Smart Grid Technology is a must for students and professionals to become a great electrical engineer, especially when they are working in the field of power generation, transmission, distribution, and utilization.

Here, we have listed down some of the key advantages of learning smart grid technology −

• Understand the use of modern tools and technology for rapidly detect the faults and reduce the conditions of power outages.
• Learn the methods to improve the reliability and resiliency of the electrical network.
• Learn to create an efficient energy management system for effective resource utilization and reduced energy waste.
• Learn to implement a sustainable energy system through integration of renewable energy resources and reduced environmental impacts.
• Implement the technologies for engaging the consumers and providing the control over their energy utilization.

There could be many more good reasons to learn smart grid technologies.

Applications of Smart Grid Technology

As mentioned above that smart grid is one of the most efficient form of electric grid. Today, it has its presence in almost every area of power system engineering from generation to utilization.

• Effective Demand Response and Load Management − Smart grid provides technologies to monitor the load demand in real-time. Using this information, utility companies can educate their consumer about optimized electricity utilization during peak hours.
• Integration of Distributed Energy Resources − Smart grid allows the integration of renewable energy resources into the grid which are distributed across a wide geographical area. This application of smart grid creates a reliable and sustainable electrical system.
• Remote Monitoring and Control − Smart grid uses smart meters and advanced metering infrastructure that allows utility companies to monitor and control the grid operations and energy utilization without visiting the consumer’s premises.
• Energy Storage − Smart grid allows to implement energy storage systems that can be used for storing electricity during low-demand period and use this stored energy during high-demand periods. This application of smart grid helps in balancing the supply and demand.
• Automated Fault Detection and Self-Healing − Smart grid also provides technologies that can detect faults and isolates them automatically. Smart grid is also used for automatic rerouting of power during outages.
• Economic Development − Smart grid creates new business models and job opportunities through innovation in the field of energy generation and distribution. This is helpful in economic growth of the country.

This list goes on, there are various fields where millions of electrical engineers are implementing smart grid technologies to create an efficient and sustainable electric grid.

Audience

This Smart Grid Technology tutorial has been prepared for electrical engineering students as well as professional to help them understand the fundamental concepts of smart grid to create an efficient, reliable, and sustainable electric grid.

Prerequisites

This tutorial is meant for absolute beginners. Almost anyone with a basic knowledge electrical circuits and power system can make the most of this tutorial. We have tried to keep the tutorial at a minimum level so that novice readers can easily understand the concepts.

Smart Grid Technology Jobs

There are millions of electrical engineers, but still there is a shortage of skilled smart grid engineers. So, it could be a great chance for you to start your career as a smart grid engineer.

You can land a job with a high salary package after pursuing your career as a smart grid engineer. Here is a list of some of the popular companies offering the role of smart grid engineers.

• General Electric (GE)
• ABB
• Siemens
• Schneider Electric
• Cisco System Inc.
• Tech Mahindra Limited
• Esyasoft
• Wipro
• Honeywell International
• Itron Inc.
• Many more…

Career Opportunities in Smart Grid

There are several career paths that you can choose after learning smart grid technology. Here, we have listed some of them −

• Design Engineer
• Renewable Energy Engineer
• Smart Grid Operator
• Power Engineer
• Distribution Grid Engineer
• Energy System Scientist
• Interconnection Engineer
• Energy Innovation Advisor
• Sr. Electrical Engineer
• Many more…

Smart Grid Technology Certification

You can get an online certification in smart grid technology to boost your knowledge and career.

FAQs on Smart Grid Technology

There are some very frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to smart grid technology. In this section, we tried to answer all them briefly.

Q. 1 - What is meant by smart grid?

Ans − Smart grid is a modern electric grid which enables a bidirectional flow of electricity and uses two-way communication system. It is an electric grid equipped with modern digital technologies and smart devices.

Q. 2 - What are 3 benefits for smart grid?

Ans − The following are the 3 main benefits of the smart grid −

• Improved reliability and efficiency
• Enhanced resiliency and self-healing
• Seamless integration of renewable energy resources

Q. 3 - What is an example of smart grid device?

Ans − Smart energy meter is a common example of smart grid device.

Q. 4 - What are key features of a smart grid?

Ans − The following are the key features of the smart grid −

• Resiliency and self-healing
• Remote monitoring and control
• Automatic fault detection and isolation
• Decentralized power generation
• Consumer involvement, etc.

Q. 5 - What is IoT in smart grid?

Ans − IoT stands for Internet of Things. In the context of smart grid technology, IoT represents a collection of devices which are connected together through internet and capable in collecting and transmitting information related to grid operation.

Q. 6 - What are the main components of a smart grid?

Ans − A smart grid consists of a large number components. Some of the key components of a smart grid are listed here −

• Distributed energy resources
• Smart substations
• Feeder automation system
• FACTS and HVDC transmission systems
• Wide area monitoring system
• Energy management system
• Smart meters and advanced metering infrastructure
• Distribution management system
• Volt/VAR control
• Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, etc.