According to a recent article from Utility Dive, today’s advances in distributed generation and the development of the smart grid are blazing the path for the energy model of the future: the neural grid. Here is an explanation of each, and how the first two are working together to define the delivery of energy in years to come.
- Distributed Generation: Distributed generation is the generation and storage of electricity from a number of smaller, local devices known as Distributed Energy Resources (DER). These resources are connected to the grid and help to alleviate the burden placed on the grid when a community’s energy demand is higher than its ability to supply energy. Distributed generation reduces peak demand, which decreases the cost of electricity.
- Smart Grid: With our current electrical grid having been developed over a hundred years ago and following decades of “patchworking” new generation into it, the smart grid partners modern digital technology with effective energy management and distributed generation to build a grid system that is less prone to power outages and able to recover more quickly from outages.
- Neural Grid: The neural grid involves leveraging developing technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, robotics, and sensing technologies to produce a greater connectivity between resources that are already connected to the grid and those that are not. The neural grid will be built on the backbone of the 5G network, the article stated, and will not only more effectively utilize the smart devices already in play, but provide the infrastructure to introduce even more.
These are the components of how energy is delivered now and what the future of energy looks like. How do we get to the future, though? Step by step. If you haven’t explored distributed generation and the benefits it can provide to your company,Ā contact usĀ today to learn more.
