Tropicalrainforests’s Blog

Green Investment & Smart Grid

February 11, 2009

Every time I hear an energy-related news involving Google in one way or another, I feel happy.

Google is the only corporation that I have real respect for. They have probably done more for the advancement of renewable energy than the whole Bush administration during their 8 miserable years.

Today I heard the news that they are now entering a business of “smart grid” which is part of the electricity system. I refer to the article by World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).

Google will be trying to develop “ways to control the demand for electric power as an alternative to building more power plants.” Sounds fantastic, doesn’t it?

Smart grid is a new type of green investment the development of which will hopefully lead to the reduction in, and “smarter” ways of energy consumption (specifically, electricity consumption).

The concept of smart grid is something I have been really fascinated by.

Here is an excerpt from the article:

”Smart grid” is a new buzz phrase in the electricity business, encompassing a variety of approaches that involve more communication between utility operators and components of the grid, including transformers, power lines, customer meters and even home appliances like dishwashers.

”They’ve been putting a chip in your dishwasher for a long time that would allow you to run it any time you want,” said Rick Sergel, chief executive of the North American Electric Reliability Corp., an industry group that sets operating standards for the grid.

If the utility could ”talk” to the dishwasher, it might tell the machine to run at 2 a.m. and not 2 p.m., or it might tell the homeowner how much money would be saved by running the dishwasher at a different hour.

”It provides an opportunity to create dancing partners that will help the system balance itself,” he said.

Obviously, there is now a lot more hope for green investment with the Obama administration in the White House.

Entry Filed under: Green Investment. Tags: Green Investment, smart grid.