Roadmap to the Smart Grid
The process of developing our smart grid will likely take more than 20 years, with key milestones along the way. A significant milestone we’re looking forward to soon is completing installation of SCE’s smart meters to five million customers by the end of 2012. Another key milestone is enabling the many state and federal climate and energy policy objectives targeted for 2020. Our roadmap consists of four stages of evolution, each representing increasing system capabilities and complexity. This evolution will not follow a linear path, but will consist of four overlapping phases, which will unfold as innovations in smart grid technologies emerge and reach the commercial market.
Technology Evaluation & Testing
SCE is widely recognized as a leader in the evaluation, adoption and implementation of advanced technologies. We have achieved this leadership position through our rigorous and repeatable technology evaluation and testing processes. Our approach follows industry testing standards developed by the IEEE, the International Organization for Standards (ISO) and others.
Examples of SCE’s superior testing and evaluation processes are found at SCE’s Electric Vehicle Technical Center, where electric vehicle energy storage systems are tested, and at our Advanced Technology labs, where the smart metering infrastructure and customer HAN devices were tested. SCE’s transmission and distribution grid technologies are also examples of rigorous testing. In the area of production-based field tests, look to SCE’s Avanti “Circuit of the Future,” and, soon its Irvine Smart Grid regional demonstration.
For more information on technology testing please contact us.
THEMES OF THE SMART GRID
Customer Empowerment
Smart grid technology will help empower customers to become active participants in the energy supply chain by enabling them to manage their own energy consumption and their own role in reducing carbon emissions. Edison SmartConnect introduces a platform that can be used to provide future customer-centric technologies. SCE is pursuing opportunities to leverage our smart metering infrastructure to improve utility operations and customer service.
Renewable Integration
Today’s electric grid was not designed to integrate power generated by intermittent renewable sources. At SCE and throughout the industry and universities, experts are addressing the need to re-design our electric system. At the same time, SCE and others in the industry recognize that innovative energy storage technologies can help better integrate energy from intermittent sources, while also addressing fundamental changes such as bi-directional power flow on distribution systems. With a legacy of 20 years of technology evaluation and testing of battery storage technologies, SCE is actively supporting battery development.
Grid Efficiency & Resiliency
As SCE redesigns the electric grid for the 21st century, we are assessing future requirements for grid efficiency and resiliency, and evaluating technologies to make it happen. Grid efficiency means improving the electric system and capital efficiency through better intelligence and materials technology that optimize system planning and improve grid throughput. Resiliency includes the capability to automatically monitor, assess and control the grid and adapt to changing conditions. All this while meeting customer reliability and power quality requirements, and preventing catastrophic bulk-power system failures.
Integration & Connectivity
Connectivity makes the grid smarter. Fiber optic networks, advanced wireless technologies and smart metering will join forces with integrated automation and control systems to enable holistic management of the entire system. Multiple layers of cyber security will protect against intrusion. Our neighbors will benefit too: SCE's smart grid will share data in real time with the entire Western states grid.
Workforce Technologies
As SCE deploys smart grid technologies and systems, its work practices and tools will evolve to enable field workers to safely and effectively deploy, operate and maintain the smart grid. This sets the stage for workforce challenges, including managing an increasingly complex infrastructure, and replacing a workforce that is retiring over the decade, while maintaining an unwavering focus on safety. To address these issues, SCE is evaluating new safety and mobile workforce computing technologies to help improve the safety and effectiveness of its field and operations work force.