 Intelligent Power
Networks - IPN'sIPN's have been the Holy Grail of the global power industry
for quite some time.
Smart Grids are but a stepping-stone towards the development of Intelligent
Power Networks (IPNs).
Smart Grids v Intelligent Power
Networks (IPN's)
IPN's must be clearly
differentiated from “Smart Grids”.
Smart Grids refer essentially to
the use of advanced forms of electricity metering that enable better management
of electricity use on site (DSM - Demand Side Management), better pricing of
power according to time of the day and seasons, load levels on the grid, and
better management of existing grids.
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“Intelligent power grids or networks”
that “will
operate more like the Internet, as part of a complex web through which people
will supply electricity as well as downloading it”. Quoted in Pearce, Fred, 2000, “People Power”, in New Scientist, 18
November.
“Every node in the power network of the
future will be awake, responsive, adaptive, pricesmart,
eco-sensitive, real-time, flexible, humming - and interconnected
with everything else” Silberman, Steve, 2001, “The Energy Web,” in Wired
Magazine, July
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Two fundamental requirements for IPN's are:
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Highly efficient and cost-effective point-of-use
energy systems enabling the matching of grades of primary energy
inputs and energy use (such as electricity, hot water, process heat, air
conditioning, chilling and refrigeration), recycling of waste heat,
recycling of grey water, and energy storage, with extremely low capital,
operation and maintenance costs; and the
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Integration of millions of the above point-of-use
energy systems into IPN's.
Instead of being a centralised and
hierarchical one-way distribution system as in highly inefficient legacy
grids or even in emerging Smart Grids, with IPN's the grid functions like a
bank, with the many point-of-use systems ceaselessly depositing or
withdrawing electrons to the IPN. The benefits are high levels of synergy
and resilience, minimal cost, high flexibility, and ability to optimise the
competitive use of sustainable, renewable energy sources. |
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Greater Efficiencies can be obtained from Micro Generation
In most countries
a high percentage (e.g. in New Zealand currently about 74%) of electricity
is used to generate low-grade heat in the forms of
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hot water
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space heating,
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air conditioning
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refrigeration.
Instead it would
be more effective (and substantially cheaper) to use low-grade heat inputs (and
recycling waste heat) for low grade uses and to reserve electricity for higher
grade requirements (such as the operation of computers, electronic appliances,
lighting, etc.).
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