Smart grid to address balance of power
Author: Swinburne Date Posted:21 July 2017
A Swinburne researcher is part of a team that has come up with a plan to upgrade Australia’s electricity network and save taxpayers billions of dollars.
The ageing electricity grid is one of the largest pieces of infrastructure in the country. But, it was built in an era when electricity flowed one way — from power stations to the consumer.
The system is no longer linear, as homes and business-owners increasingly install solar panels and supplement their network supply. Some feed excess electricity back into the grid, creating a two-way flow of electrons.
Distinguished Professor Qing-Long Han, Swinburne’s Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research Quality) says the grid sometimes struggles with this intermittent, two-way supply and demand. He says some power companies have restricted new solar connections because they don’t feel confident in their capacity to maintain a steady electricity supply with these fluctuating sources.
