Replacing traditional power grid energy sources with sustainable, green ones is called electrification. In this article, Part 1 of 2, some of the challenges associated with electrification are discussed along with how automation can aid in its efficiency and sustainability. Part 2 of this series will discuss leadership in energy and environmental design (LEED) and zero energy building (ZEB) certifications and how they can reduce carbon emissions and improve sustainability.
Electrification is the replacement of systems that use fossil fuels like oil, coal, and natural gas for electricity generation with photovoltaics (PVs) and other green technologies and replacing internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles with electric vehicles (EVs). Electrified systems, plus the use of automation that ties them all together and supports smart grids and microgrids, are important factors moving society toward a more sustainable and greener future. Today’s electric grid was not designed to charge large numbers of EVs, and smart grids and microgrids are expected to be critical technologies needed to support the widespread replacement of ICE vehicles with EVs. In California, the governor recently issued an Executive Order requiring that by 2035 all new car and passenger light truck sales be zero-emission vehicles (EVs). Developers of smart grids and microgrids must meet a daunting array of international standards to tackle these sorts of mandates.
For example, the IEEE has over 100 standards approved or in development relevant to smart grids, including the more than 20 IEEE standards named in the National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) Framework and Roadmap for Smart Grid Interoperability. In addition to IEEE standards, microgrids are governed by the IEC 62898 microgrid series and other standards. This article is the first of two parts. It looks at challenges related to implementing electrification, integrating distributed energy resources (DERs), the similarities and differences between smart grids and microgrids, and how automation enhances their efficiency and sustainability, including supporting the universal adoption of EVs. It begins by digging into what DERs are and where they fit in and closes by looking at how the emergence of utility microgrids is blurring the distinction between microgrids and smart grids. Whatever the implementation, DigiKey
supplies a wide array of industrial automation products that support electrification and DER integration. The second article examines how electrification and automation can be used in green buildings to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and Zero Energy Building (ZEB) certifications. What’s a DER? The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) definition is: “a Distributed Energy Resource (DER) is any resource on the distribution system that produces electricity and is not otherwise included in the formal NERC definition of the Bulk Electric System.” The term distribution system in North America refers to electric lines carrying 34.5 kilovolts (kV) or less that typically run from substations to end users. The bulk power system (BPS) includes the lines coming into the substation that often carry 100+ kV over long
Using electrification and automation to create more efficient and sustainable power grids – part one of two
By Jeff Shepard Contributed By DigiKey's North American Editors
we get technical
15
Powered by FlippingBook