Download our PFD about smart grids and see how the energy industry changes!

Experienced content writer with over 6 years of experience in the energy sector and many industry-related publications released.

Gabriela Stawiarska

Energy-related issues have made the news in the last couple of years probably more than ever before. From the massive shift in energy usage triggered by the onset of Covid to the recent blackouts all over the world, the electricity sector has known no peace recently.

It’s to no surprise, given how inordinate the scale of the entire energy industry is. Being at the core of the whole undertaking, the grid operators have a lot on their plates in terms of keeping everything stable and secure. Energy grids are the virtual spiderwebs that facilitate large-scale electricity delivery from production sites to nearly every home and business across the world. Unequaled in complexity, these incredible networks require intricate planning for cross-border or multi-state operations, delivering power generated by sources like coal plants, natural gas facilities and nuclear plants into electrical energy the humankind uses daily.

In response to the increased demand in electricity worldwide, numerous actions have been taken to ensure its smooth operation. This is how the concept of smart grids came to life.

While grid as such may be understood by many, the prefix “smart” may cause some confusion. In a nutshell, a smart grid is an electricity network based on digital technology, allowing for an interactive flow of energy and data. Generally, what makes the grid smart are the extensive digital features running in the background and optimizing the whole system. A smart grid has the ability to collect, monitor, analyze and manage data from a range of sources to optimize power distribution networks.

In our downloadable PDF, we shed light on all the important aspects of smart grids:

What are the characteristics of a smart grid?

Smart grids

Download our paper on Demand Response and learn all about it!

Lately, there has been quite a lot of debate about the capacity of the grid all over the world. With tensions rising, many people are voicing their concerns in terms of the potential grid overburdening. However, while speaking about it, one must remember how complex the whole ecosystem is.

The global energy system is a vast and complex network that supplies energy to homes and businesses across the entire planet. It includes everything from power plants and transmission lines to distribution systems and end-use customers. At the heart of this system is energy management. This is the process of planning, controlling, and optimizing the use of energy resources to meet specific objectives. It involves countless operations making sure that the entirety runs smoothly.

Demand response is one of the technologies involved in grid’s proper operation. 

Per definition, demand response is a change in electricity consumption by consumers to help keep the supply and demand of electricity in balance. This can be done by either reducing or increasing their electricity usage depending on the needs of the grid.

Through demand response, utilities can reduce the need for investment in new generation capacity, as well as improve grid stability and resilience. For consumers, demand response programs can offer financial incentives and other benefits.

The whole technology, however slightly complicated at first glance, brings a whole plethora of benefits for both - energy consumers and the grid itself.

In our downloadable PDF, we shed light on all the important aspects of demand response:

What are the main branches of the energy system?

What’s the role of the grid in the ecosystem?

Examples of demand response in practise (including eMobility solutions)

How does demand response impact the energy system?

All about demand response

See a little insight into the world of energy efficiency and learn what it brings to the table.

As we have stated before, we’re going to elaborate slightly more on the topic of energy. Rooted deeply in said matter, eMobilty plays an important role and fits right into the subject of energy management and distribution. Given the ever-circling debates on potential impact of electric vehicles on global energy resources, the need to extend the narration is even more grounded.

The practice of energy efficiency is the act or ability to use less resources on a task, followed by decreased consumption and waste. In general, energy efficiency is the ratio of the useful output to the total input of any resource. For example, high-efficiency appliances use less electricity than standard appliances, and better insulation in a home reduces the amount of heating and cooling energy required.  The study of energy efficiency looks at the ways to reduce the amount of energy required to provide a given service or function and the research is being conducted at nearly every aspect of the usage. It also includes improving the overall efficiency of systems, such as a power grid or transportation system.

Energy efficiency is a vital component in achieving net-zero emissions of carbon dioxide through decarbonization. It can be one the easiest and most cost effective ways to combat climate change while also providing consumers with lower prices on their electricity bills as well improving competitiveness among businesses

The motivation to improve energy efficiency is vast and diverse. The act of decreasing our use of fossil fuels can result in financial savings, while also reducing cost on consumers.The need or desire for economical practices has never been greater than it currently stands: with the prices at an all-time high. The economic crisis has forced people to re-evaluate the way they use energy in their homes and businesses. According to the 2012 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings, improving commercial building energy efficiency could save American businesses $40 billion annually by 2030.

It's not just businesses that can benefit from saving money on their energy bills; households can also make a significant dent. The same study found that if households across the United States improved their energy efficiency by 10%, they would collectively save $19 billion annually on their utility bills.

While there are many motivations to pursue energy efficiency, one of the most important is simply that it is better for the environment. Burning fossil fuels emits harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, which is leading to irreversible climate changes. In fact, improving energy efficiency is one of the most effective ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

In the short-term, some energy efficiency improvements may require a higher upfront investment, but offer significant long-term savings. In the long-term, energy efficiency improvements can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to a healthier environment. Nevertheless, there is a whole plethora of possible adhibitions in nearly every area that requires energy.

Improving the energy efficiency of industrial manufacturing and processes can be challenging, but it can also lead to significant reductions in energy consumption and emissions. In many cases, energy-efficient technologies can be readily adopted in existing facilities with minimal investment.

In other cases, more comprehensive approaches may be required that involve changes to production processes or the adoption of new technologies. Improving the energy efficiency of industrial manufacturing and processes can also require changing equipment, upgrading controls and instrumentation, and modifying operating procedures.

Extracting and processing raw materials generally requires a significant amount of energy. Reducing the energy intensity of these operations can have a major impact on overall energy consumption.

There are a number of ways to improve the energy efficiency of resource extraction and processing, including using energy-efficient equipment, optimizing processes, and adopting best practices.

Buildings account for a significant portion of total energy consumption. Improving the energy efficiency of buildings can help to reduce energy consumption and emissions.

There are a number of ways to improve the energy efficiency of buildings, including improving insulation, upgrading heating and cooling systems, air conditioning, smart thermostats and using energy-efficient lighting i.e. LED. Many incorporate renewable sources as well, such as solar panels on the roofs.

Appliances and consumer electronics are also a big part of total energy consumption. Improving the energy efficiency of appliances and consumer electronics can help to reduce energy consumption and emissions.

There are a number of ways to improve the energy efficiency of appliances and consumer electronics, including using more efficient models, turning off devices when they are not in use, and properly disposing of old or broken devices.

The transportation sector is one of the most energy-intensive sectors of the economy. Improving the energy efficiency of transportation can help to reduce energy consumption and emissions.

There are a number of ways to improve the energy efficiency of transportation, including optimizing routes and consolidating shipments. In some cases, it may also be possible to substitute energy-intensive transportation modes with less energy-intensive alternatives. Interesting fact may be that with electric vehicles, the efficiency is estimated to be around 90%, meaning that only 10% of the energy is not directly used.

One of the most important benefits of energy efficiency is that it can help to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants. Greenhouse gas emissions are one of the main drivers of climate change, and they have a variety of negative impacts on human health, agriculture, and natural ecosystems. Reducing emissions of greenhouse gases is thus a key goal of many energy efficiency programs.

In addition to reducing emissions, making buildings more energy efficient can also save money on energy bills. This is because using less energy generally leads to lower energy costs. For example, switching to more efficient lighting can lead to significant savings on electricity bills. In some cases, the savings from energy efficiency measures can be used to offset the costs of implementing those measures.

Finally, improving the energy efficiency of buildings can also improve the competitiveness of businesses. This is because businesses that use less energy often have lower operating costs. In addition, energy efficient buildings often have higher resale values than their less efficient counterparts.

Overall, the benefits of energy efficiency are wide-ranging and significant. By reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants, saving money on energy bills, and improving the competitiveness of businesses, energy efficiency provides a key solution to many of the world’s most pressing problems.

A few words about energy efficiency

Get our informative PDF on smart charging and see how it works!

Krzysztof is our Head of Products and he leads the technical development behind the suite of our ready-made solutions. Throughout the years in Solidstudio, he gained an invaluable insight into the eMobilty industry’s requirements and is now more than qualified to share his knowledge with others.

Krzysztof Ciombor

As we move towards an era where oil will likely become less accessible or even regulated in some way due to global warming concerns and other issues such as pollution caused by fuel sources like coal fired power plants, 

electric vehicles are to become the transport of the future.

 With such a massive shift across all transportation branches, all hands on deck in terms of innovative solutions are needed.

Luckily, such industry ameliorations can be observed in every aspect there is to eMobility. From ever-enhancing electric cars with prolonged-battery lives to all kinds of charging facilities, eMobility is entering a whole new level.

Amongst these solutions, a big part is played by software and digital products. Namely, eRoaming, connected car data and smart charging are all here to stay and are only advancing at a speedy pace.

We have already covered eRoaming in one of our downloadable PDFs. To see more click 

A few definitions can be found in terms of what smart charging really is. Some of the widely circulating ones say:

Smart charging is a cloud-based technology that makes it possible to adjust how much energy is used by EVs based on the current state of the energy grid.

But what does it really mean in practice? One must look at smart charging as a complex, inter-connected ecosystem that enables real-time data exchange between:


Through smart charging, the charging stations may monitor, manage, and restrict the use of charging devices to optimize energy consumption. The optimization happens on the basis of collected data which gathers information such as:

renewable energy availability or lack thereof

Future-proof nature of smart charging allows for free-choice maneuvers in terms of the quality and quantity of features, leaving the room for any necessary add-ons. All that to ensure EVs will not pose a threat to the grid in times of high charging demand that’s likely to grow directly proportional to the growing popularity of electric cars.

careful monitoring of the energy consumption and thus, transferring the charging loads across available energy sources and adjusting the power accordingly. 

The shifts are to ensure the continuity of (untouched) energy flow for its other consumers, such as homes and facilities nearby.

Smart grids - what are they and how do they change the energy game?

15 DECEMBER 2022 • 15 MIN READ

Introduction

About our PDF