Smart Grid
To Enable the Integration of Renewable Energy
The grid integration of renewable energy is a driver for a major infrastructure modernization project know as "smart grid". A significant increase in customer side participation in the energy supplied and demand side management is contributing to a paradigm shift in the power industry towards a more decentralized energy supply and bidirectional power flows. Each component of a smart grid enables the management of a modernized electrical grid and has a different impact on achieving environmental, reliability or economic objectives.
While numerous benefits are associated with these changes, such a transition also represents many challenges for all stakeholders (utilities, independent power producers, governments, regulators, manufacturers and housing industry). Through the energy science and technology funding, Natural Resources Canada addresses the technical, institutional and regulatory barriers, with the aim of promoting the grid integration of clean power.
The development of a smart grid is ongoing in several states and provinces in North-America. To introduce the impact of those developments for the Canadian industry and the Canadian citizens, the work done at CanmetENERGY is presented through 5 important issues:
- Using the current network infrastructures in an optimal way
- Improving the quality of service
- Ensuring the integrity of the network
- Reducing the cost of isolated networks
- Optimizing the electricity production
For a summary of recent smart grid research, development, demonstration and deployment activities, refer to the Smart Grid in Canada 2018 report.
Managed by CanmetENERGY at the Varennes (Quebec) research centre.
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