Benefits of energy storage through smart grid infrastructure

Cities and utilities are able to drive some significant improvements to power distribution and efficiency with smart grid deployments. The proper application of smart meters, serial to Ethernet converters and the necessary network infrastructure to improve the flow of power and information across a power grid helps harness renewable resources more efficiently while optimizing providers' adaptability to power fluctuations and demand.

However, many of the benefits of smart grid deployment are driven by a secondary effect of investment - improved energy storage.

A recent study on the impact of enhanced storage on smart cities noted that improving the necessary technologies to store and release power at a later time after generation will help providers meet peak demand more easily, improve distribution and reduce cost to themselves and customers. This will also help improve community networking, local economy and other tertiary factors that are affected by power distribution on a whole.

On a direct level, investing in improved energy storage and related technologies like Ethernet I/O and media converters that will allow organizations to optimize their control over power stores will have several immediate benefits. The study notes that many cities and providers expect effective performance improvements to their smart grid, cleaner energy and favorable impacts on multiple levels of operations in general. These improvements will result in three specific gains derived from the inclusion of energy storage in a smart grid strategy.

• Growth - Energy storage will support growth of the smart grid by driving the efficiency of such solutions, helping improve returns and allowing providers to focus on expanding their network and providing high-quality service to a broader area.
• Improved implementation - Continued investments into energy storage technologies will quickly turn around, driving innovation in that sector to provide more efficient, effective hardware like batteries in the near future.
• Increased competition - Further improvements to smart grid technologies will drive participation and competition within the market, helping energy providers gain access to affordable, high-quality solutions more easily.

Optimally, many cities and utilities are already considering smart grid deployments. As technologies improve, the opportunities to optimize energy distribution, storage and the use of renewable sources of power grow, making it important to invest early in order to start leveraging the benefits of these efforts sooner.

Perle offers a range of cost effective serial-to-Ethernet converters to help meet NERC-CIP compliance for the protection of critical cyberassets in substations. The IOLAN SDS HV/LDC Terminal Server is designed to meet harsh environments associated with Power Substations with attributes such as support for substation AC and DC voltage ranges, extended operating temperatures and meeting emission, immunity and safety approvals associated with substation IT equipment.