PICOwatt® Automates Curtailment
The word is out. Energy storage with batteries (or any other type of storage) is not as effective as curtailment technologies to furthering renewable energy and energy independence. Please see this
page or
PDF for a full report on curtailment.
The use of two-way communications, sensors, and distributed automation technology will dramatically improve the efficiency, reliability, and safety of power delivery and use.
Load Adjustment/Load Balancing
The total load connected to the power grid can vary significantly over time.
Believe it or not, the total power load depends on many individual choices of energy users. For example, the grid becomes unstable if a popular television program starts and millions of televisions draw current instantly, or many electric vehicles are plugged in all at once.
Automatic load reduction with intelligent sensors and switches from our PICO™ product line dramatically increases the strength of our Grid and provides a better chance for renewable energy sources to be effectively integrated.
Peak Curtailment/Leveling and Time Of Use Pricing
To reduce demand during the high cost peak usage periods, communications and metering technologies inform smart devices in the home and business when energy demand is high and track how much electricity is used and when it is used.
It also gives utility companies the ability to reduce consumption by communicating to devices directly in order to prevent system overloads.
Businesses and consumers see a direct economic benefit of using energy at off-peak times, including reducing energy cost of operation into their services, devices, and building construction decisions.
Sustainability
A flexible smart grid permits greater access to highly variable renewable energy sources such as solar power and wind power, even without the addition of energy storage.
PICO™ Technology enables existing network infrastructure to allow for many distributed feed-in points at the transmission-level. Rapid fluctuations in distributed generation, such as due to cloudy or gusty weather, present significant challenges to power engineers who need to ensure stable power levels through varying the output of the more controllable generators such as gas turbines and hydroelectric generators. PICO™ Technology is a bridge technology to enable improved flexibility and sustainability for energy consumers.
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