Smart grids vital to climate-neutral power supply in Europe

Information and communications technology (ICT) is playing a vital role in helping society meet commitments to sustainable development. The smart grid, which overlays the traditional electrical grid with an ICT network that includes smart meters, is key to the ambitious target for a climate-neutral power supply in Europe by 2050 – a declaration made by European electricity sector CEOs in March 2009.

InnoEnergy

InnoEnergy – one of three knowledge and innovation communities (KICs) established by the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) – will play a key role in realizing this target. Ericsson Research is part of the InnoEnergy community, which includes major players in research, education and industry such as engineering group ABB, business management software company SAP, energy supply company Vattenfall, and institutions such as Sweden's Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) and Uppsala University, and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany.

The digital age has seen the tumbling of boundaries between once distinct industries. ICT has been a crucial factor in this change. Whereas traditional telecoms companies previously had only a minor role to play in sectors such as transport or media, and vice-versa, the reality now is that they and other sectors are increasingly working in partnership.

Electricity is one sector that has benefited from this cooperation. With digital technology enabling machine-to-machine communication, consumers and industry will more easily manage energy consumption. This will enable peak load reduction and the balancing of consumption with the dynamic supply presented by renewable generation. Such control, and the ability to efficiently store or direct energy to where it is needed, is facilitated by the smart grid.

Craig Donovan, part of the sustainability research team at Ericsson Research, says it is logical for Ericsson to be a partner in InnoEnergy.

"Communication is the underlying enabler for the smart grid, so it is natural for us to be involved," he says. "By collaborating with other stakeholders in the smart grid arena, we are able to offer Ericsson expertise in ICT and combine this with power grid expertise to build a robust and sustainable energy system.

"Society benefits from smart grids by having better energy management, lower utility bills and a more holistic view of energy consumption. If we are using less energy, we are reducing CO2 emissions and directly reducing global warming."

Donovan says people will change their habits simply by knowing how much they consume.

"If consumers receive direct feedback showing how much electricity they have used during the day, or price signals from the utility, they can adjust their behavior to consume less or shift their consumption to non-peak periods. People could be encouraged to do their laundry at night when non-peak electricity tariffs are cheaper. Still, current regulatory constraints limit the full realization of these potential savings."

He adds: "The smart grid will also enable the integration of very small-scale wind and solar power to help consumers become 'prosumers' through active involvement in power generation."

There are six regional InnoEnergy co-location centers in Europe, each focusing on a theme related to the strength of that site. The center in Poland will research clean coal technologies, while renewable energy using large-scale wind, photovoltaics and wave power is being studied in Spain. The Swedish node will focus on the European smart grid and electric storage.

Our role in the InnoEnergy partnership means we will be an integral player in the smart grid arena.