Charlottesville, Va., heads toward “smart grid”

Perhaps you’ve heard references to the idea of a “smart grid,” and wondered what it really means?  The concept is on its way to becoming reality in a few cities across the country. 

The need is universally acknowledged: there are serious challenges facing the nation’s electric power infrastructure.  As envisioned by the the U.S. Department of Energy, the country needs to turn to techological advances in the short-term, and start working on a long-term future that will revolutionize the grid.  While plans and details may differ, the goal is to drastically improve the power grid in a myriad of ways to make it work more efficiently.  Energy and dollars will both be saved.

As an example, one utility — Dominion Virginia Power — is working with local officials to head down this path.  Charlottesville, Virginia is serving as a pilot project, and will be experimenting with innovations including time-based rates, remote meter-reading and outage monitoring, and tests of battery storage systems for renewable energy sources.  The utlity expects the average residential customer will not only receive better service, but will reduce energy usage by four percent or more.  As a large first step, thousands of “smart meters” are now being installed at homes and businesses throughout the city.  For details on this promising program, see the SmartGrid Charlottesville  page on the Dominion website.

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