From New Scientist:
It is 1:12 am in March 2030. In a suburban cul-de-sac there’s no movement except a hungry fox scavenging for bin snacks. At number 16, electrons begin to flow silently through a cable into the battery of an electric car. Upstairs, the occupants remain undisturbed.
While the household sleeps, its energy supplier sends a signal that demand is low and cheaper energy is available, automatically prompting the electric car to begin charging. But the setup doesn’t just benefit the family at number 16. By doing their bit to smooth electricity demand, they are helping the grid balance supply and demand, making it more resilient to power cuts, reducing carbon emissions and helping to keep their neighbours’ bills down too.
Most of us take for granted that the lights will come on when we flick the switch, but ensuring the grid always has the right amount of generation capacity to meet fluctuating demand is a constant conundrum. That will become more challenging for grid operators as demand for electricity increases and sources of power become more varied. Building more capacity to generate electricity might seem the obvious answer, but new research suggests another option—that changing the collective behaviour of ordinary consumers can make a huge difference.
More here.
Enjoying the content on 3QD? Help keep us going by donating now.