MANY TOOLS, BIG $$$, FOR NEW ENERGY INTEGRATION

Smart Grid Renewables Integration; Transmission Upgrades, Energy Storage, Demand Response, Virtual Power Plants, and Microgrids as Enablers of Renewable Energy on the Grid

2Q 2012 (Pike Research)

“…[A broad set] of smart grid technology tools will be required for the successful integration of renewable energy at both the utility scale and on a distributed basis. These tools include static VAR compensators and synchrophasors within the transmission grid; advanced energy storage at the transmission, distribution, and residential levels; dynamic pricing demand response; virtual power plants; microgrids; and smart wind and solar technologies.

“Except for a limited number of geographies…the smart grid’s vaunted ability to aggregate and optimize renewables is largely relegated to PowerPoint presentations, pilot programs, and long range planning. The success record of smart grid renewables integration is a mixed bag, with European countries boldly plowing forward, while many U.S. utilities exhibit what has been described by a former California state regulator as “electrotrophobia” – the fear of change linked to greater reliance upon intermittent renewable energy resources…”

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“Pike Research anticipates that this situation will change over the next several years, creating a significant expansion of the market opportunity for smart grid technologies that enable the integration of renewables…

“…[A new] study provides market capacity and revenue forecasts [through 2018] for the following technologies: static VAR compensators; synchrophasors; transmission, distribution and residential advanced energy storage systems; demand response; virtual power plants and microgrids…”

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