Antinuclear

Time for Australia to integrate smart grids and renewable energy

An emphasis on keeping electricity prices as low as possible led to severe under-investment in the grid and this resulted in the side-lining of issues such as energy efficiency, the integration of renewable energy sources….…

Smart Grids Transforming the Energy Industry, GLG News December 13, 2010

• Analysis by: GLG Expert Contributor Market overview

For numerous reasons the electricity industry is one of the last industries that has to undergo a major transformation in order to enter the digital economy. An emphasis on keeping electricity prices as low as possible led to severe under-investment in the grid and this resulted in the side-lining of issues such as energy efficiency, the integration of renewable energy sources and consumer tools aimed at managing home energy use more efficiently….. 

..the industry alliance, Smart Grid Australia. This organisation was instrumental in putting smart grids on the government’s agenda. The years 2009 and 2010 saw new government policies being implemented, including the launch of the Smart Grid/Smart City project and the establishment of the Energy Efficiency Taskforce. ….Smart grids support the delivery of electricity to consumers using digital communications technology to improve efficiency and reduce costs….

Smart grids and the national broadband network

Australia is in a unique position to benefit from two infrastructure projects that are being developed simultaneously. NBN Co is currently rolling out the government-initiated National Broadband Network (NBN) and a clear policy has been introduced, known as ‘digital productivity’ – where the government is taking a leadership role in ensuring that other government sectors use this infrastructure for the delivery of trans-sector services (e-health, e-education, smart grids, etc.).

Smart Grid Australia and NBN Co are working together to investigate synergies between the smart grid and NBN infrastructure projects and a preliminary report mentions possible savings of $2 billion if the projects can be aligned……. 

A significantly large part of the population is interested in lowering their CO2 footprint. Furthermore, there is evidence that moving to renewable energy, plus other energy-saving measures, can lead to an overall reduction in energy usage of around 30% . This could largely offset the increased electricity prices……

Preliminary analysis carried out by the Australian government indicates that implementing smart grid technologies across Australia could deliver at least $5 billion of gross annual benefit to Australian society.

·         October 2010 the government released the Prime Minister’s Task Group on Energy Efficiency report. The report was commissioned by the government to provide advice on the development of policy that will strengthen Australia’s response to climate change and reduce pressure on the costs of energy to all Australians………
Australia has assumed international leadership with its $100million Smart Grid/Smart City project, the rollout of which commenced in late 2010………

Smart Grids Transforming the Energy Industry – GLG News

December 13, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, energy