Page 71 - North American Clean Energy May June 2015

Preventing the Power Grid from Being a Battleground

By Darren Hammell

A MILITANT GROUP’S ATTACK ON PAKISTAN’S ELECTRIC GRID on Jan. 25 caused a blackout that available for part of each day. Often these regions rely on diesel or kerosene, expensive, and
afected 80 percent of the nation. Extremists attacked a transmission line that was key to the dirty imported fuels.
stability of the grid.
Wind or solar energy, often found in microgrids, in many cases ofer energy at a much lower

What if extremists struck the US grid in a similar fashion?
cost than conventional fossil fuel plants in these locations. Moreover, wind and solar are sim-
A coordinated attack could destroy access to electricity across large parts of the United States pler and faster to install, and can be located near their users.
for months, according to a 2012 report from the National Academy of Sciences, “Terrorism and Of late, there has been much discussion about how a lack of clean water and shortages of

the Electric Power Delivery System.” his would cause health emergencies and damage the na- lighting and appliances hamper growth in the developing world. For example, students in com-
tional economy.
munities without electric lighting are not able to read after dark. Public safety is a greater issue,
A New York Times article found that by blowing up targeted transmission lines and substa- especially in areas threatened by civil conlict. Refrigerated food and medicine is limited, and it
tions, or iring projectiles at them, militants could set an avalanche of system failures in mo- is diicult to distribute clean water. Reliable, afordable electricity is the missing link that can

tion. During the months that it would take to repair these outages, many people could be at help developing nations move ahead.
risk; injuries or fatalities might occur as hospitals struggle to address the emergency.
Distributed energy systems can enable the rapid installation of clean electricity in developing
he US has already experienced attacks. In April 2013, gunshots struck a power substation in nations. When there is no grid available, providing a system with solar panels and integrated
Silicon Valley, a hub of technology and innovation. Reuters reported on the incident, which was battery storage will vastly simplify the deployment of reliable electricity.

attributed to vandalism. Jason King, a spokesman for Paciic Gas and Electric (PG&E), encour- hat equipment, combined with a diesel generator system, can save 75 percent of the fuel
aged local residents to conserve energy during the repair.
required to supply electricity. It can also dramatically reduce generator maintenance.
Crime prevention, education, sanitation, health, and the economy can all beneit from ad-
Building a Resilient US Grid
vanced energy management systems that maintain a stable electricity supply. In times where

In this country, we are fortunate to have electricity that is relatively afordable compared extremism threatens the well-being of many countries globally, grid safety is public safety.
to that of other developed nations.
However, the US also has many challenges: making the most of limited fuels, generating Darren Hammell is the co-founder and chief strategy oicer at Princeton Power Systems.
clean electricity, assuring that the electricity we produce is not wasted, upgrading an aging in-

frastructure, and making our electric grid more resilient to disruptions.
Princeton Power Systems | www.princetonpower.com
Current technology can help with these challenges, as well as prevent the power grid from
being a battleground. Advanced energy management systems can provide electricity safely and
resist terrorism, vandalism, and other unexpected disruptions.

Advanced energy management systems include microgrids that can be islanded from the
larger grid in case of emergencies. Microgrids can ensure that hospitals, government buildings,
corporate headquarters, colleges, and homes still have electricity in the event of a power outage.
Distinct from a typical backup power system, microgrids operate all the time and provide ef-

iciency and economic beneits when the electric is working normally, but they are also available
for prolonged outages.
Deploying microgrids strategically, where they are needed, could greatly reduce the hardships
caused by sustained power outages. For example, microgrids could power emergency shelters,

grocery stores, and communications systems.

Expanding Electricity Access in Developing Nations
hese advanced power systems also ofer strong beneits to developing nations, where

there is no electric grid, an unreliable grid, or a ‘bad-grid area’, where electricity is only

Energy storage solution
Sharp’s SmartStorage system is an energy storage solution designed to reduce expensive
peak demand charges for commercial and industrial buildings. he SmartStorage energy

storage system combines Sharp’s intelligent energy management system with cutting-
edge hardware, operating seamlessly as a stand-alone solution or when deployed
along with a solar electric system. he system employs predictive controls to manage
the release of this energy, resulting in high performance, high system eiciency, and

reliability. he 10-year performance guarantee and 10-year operations and maintenance
service are both available with Sharp’s SmartStorage Asset Management Service
Agreement providing full system maintenance, coupled with a performance guarantee.
If guaranteed performance is not met, Sharp will compensate for the deicit in promised

peak demand reductions.
Sharp SmartStorage | www.sharpsmartstorage.com

North American Clean Energy 71