Plugging into the Smart Grid- How College/Universities Can Get Involved

Plugging into the Smart Grid: How College and Universities Can Get

Involved 

Mieko A. Ozeki, University of Vermont

treehugger.com

I. Premise of PresentationII. Electrical Transmission & Distribution 101

III. Smart Grid PrimerIV. A Smart Tale in the Green Mountain StateV. VT Higher Education Plugged In

VI. Challenges to Smart Grid ImplementationVII. Opportunities for Higher Ed to Lead the Way

VIII. Resources

Overview

What role can colleges and universities play in smart

grid implementation?

What's Smarton our campuses now?

Electrical Transmission and Distribution 101

Source: http://eps-technology.blogspot.com/

Smart Grid Primer: 30000 ft. View

Source: http://www.smartgrid2030.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/SG-Nature.jpg

Smart Grid Primer: Conceptual View

Smart Meters, Data, & Communication Systems

Metering energy consumption: Analog to digital

A Smart Tale in the Green Mountain State

eEnergy Vermont: ● $68.9 million Smart Grid Investment Grant from Department

of Energy via ARRA funds, a match fund of 50%. Overall project value is $138 million.

Project Goals: 1. Deploy smart meters to over 90% of Vermont premises.2. Pilot the use of in-home devices for communicating and

controlling consumer energy patterns.3. Study dynamic rate structures enabled by smart meter

technology.4. Deploy automated controls to the grid and substations.

Key Events ● 1956: Vermont Electric Power Company Inc. (VELCO)

created, "manages the safe, reliable, and cost effective delivery of electric energy through Vermont's transmission systems."

● 1970s: VT utilities one of the first in nation to allow AMIs (early version of smart meters)

● 1986: Efficiency VT founded, first energy efficiency utility company

● 2007-2008: CVPS develops business statement for AMIs● 2009: ARRA funds released for eEnergy Vermont● 2010: ARRA Telecom grant awarded to VTEL

Vermont-Sandia Partnership launched● 2011: Burlington votes support smart grid bond.

eEnergy Vermont Participants

A Public-Private CollaborationState parties ● VT Department of Public Service ● VT Congressional Delegation ● VT Chief Technology Officer ● VT Telecommunications Authority

Higher Ed institutions:● Norwich University--> Cyber

security ● University of Vermont --> Research ● Vermont Law School --> Policy

Components:● Implementation ● Outreach ● Research

Collaboration of all eEnergy VT Participants:One Vermont Application Includes: ● 19 electric utilities:

● 1 statewide transmission company (VELCO)

● 2 medium-sized investor owned utilities (CVPS & GMP)

● 1 medium-sized municipal utilities

● Group of 13 municipal electric utilities

● 2 Cooperative utilities ● Efficiency Vermont

Source: eEnergy Vermont

Smart Grid implementation will enable energy consumers to participate.

VT Higher Education Plugged In

I. Education: Short courses for utility operators, researchers, government officials, business owners, students, and others. Sample of short courses taught in Summer 2011:

○ "Renewable Energy Integration Course"○ "Smart Grid Policy: Pathways for Improving the Global

Environment"○ "Cybersecurity of the Smart Grid: Overview of

Challenges, Implications, and Latest Mitigation Strategies"

II. Consumer Outreach & Education III. Research & Development

● Complex systems● Consumer response● Policy and governance● Smart grid deployment

Challenges to Smart Grid Implementation: Public Perception

Opportunities for Higher Ed and Businesses to Lead the Way with Smart Grid

What are we doing now:● On-Campus energy generation

(i.e. solar, wind, biomass, etc.) ● Energy efficiency & conservation

measures.● Research on energy storage. ● Demand Response ● Etc.

What could we do for the future:

● Be a testbed of innovation

○ Consumer dashboards

○ Campus as a microgrid

○ Smart apps

● Research beyond science:

○ Policy

○ Economic incentives and modeling.

○ Behavior Change

○ Complex systems

● Preparing future generations for actively and not passively interacting with their energy consumption.

Source: EnerNOC

Resources● Department of Energy, Office Electricity Delivery & Energy Reliability: http:

//energy.gov/oe/technology-development/smart-grid ● Smart Power: Climate Change, the Smart Grid, and the Future of Electric

Utilities by Peter Fox-Penner (Island Press, 2010)○ http://www.smartpowerbook.com/

● Vermont-Sandia Partnership: http://www.uvm.edu/~vtsandia/

Date: October 1-3, 2012Location: Westin Hotel in Boston

Thank you

Mieko A. OzekiSustainability Projects Coordinator

University of Vermontmozeki@uvm.edu