The more I learn about renewable energy and the U.S. electric grid, the more I realize how inefficient our current way of producing power is. One stat I learned from a recent Volts podcast is that when you power an electric light with burned coal that was transmitted through the grid, 95% of the energy is wasted before the light is emitted.
So part of what renewable energy does is waste less energy, so there doesn't have to be as much energy produced in the first place.
On Tuesday the Star Tribune carried a story in that vein (gift link). One of our local electric co-ops is installing a series of basketball-sized spheres onto its transmission lines. They're called neurons, and they can allow more than 40% more electricity to go through the existing high-power lines.
That's because the lines, as is, run under-capacity for fear that they will overheat. The neurons monitor cable temperatures, as well as sagging lines and weather conditions, which makes them more efficient.
The president of the company that makes the neurons is quoted:
"Without software and sensors like this showing the actual temperature on the line, it's like driving without a speedometer. And when you're driving critical infrastructure, you do not want to speed, you want to be on the safe side."
The neurons make it safe to go faster, in effect, and make better use of the infrastructure we already have.
No comments:
Post a Comment