Keilir Institute of Technology hosted a webinar with Humboldt State University on Smart Grid Technology on 14 September 2012. Around twenty students and staff from Keilir attended the webinar and partcipated in discussion afterwards, along with a group from University of Reykjavik.
The webinar was named "Smoothing the Peaks, Gridshare Smart Grid Technology to Reduce Brownouts on Micro-Hydroelectric Mini-Grids in Bhutan" and was an introduction to a project carried out by students at Humboldt on developing a smart grid solution to reduce electricity use and brownouts during peak loads in a small village in Bhutan.
The project was highly interesting and resulted in lively discussion after the presentation by the US students. Among the things discussed were the possibilities of introducing similar off-grid systems in Iceland, e.g. in rural coastal areas or islands and future joint projects between KIT and Humboldt relating to energy efficiency and use of renewable energy sources.
Additional webinars are planned at KIT in the future, in cooperation with US and European universities. They will be advertised on our website and on facebook.
Information about the Webinar
Humboldt State University in Arkata, California will present their U.S. Environmental Protection Agency funded project: Smoothing the Peaks, Gridshare Smart Grid Technology to Reduce Brownouts on Micro-Hydroelectric Mini-Grids in Bhutan to the Keilir Institute of Technology. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency funds student teams under the People, Prosperity, and the Planet (P3) program. The P3 program is a unique student design competition aimed at developing solutions for a sustainable future. P3 offers students hands-on experience that brings their classroom learning to life. Please join us in this interactive opportunity to learn about their project.
Humboldt State University will present the project "Smoothing the Peaks, Gridshare Smart Grid Technology to Reduce Brownouts on Micro-Hydroelectric Mini-Grids in Bhutan"
in a webinar with KIT on 14 September, from 15:00 to 16:30. The webinar is open for all and will be conducted via Skype in Keilir Institute of Technology Room A1.
Project Background
Village scale micro-hydroelectric systems in countries like Bhutan, Thailand, Peru, Laos and China provide renewable electricity to thousands of self-reliant farming communities in remote locations. While promising, many of these systems are plagued by a common problem: brownouts frequently occur in the evening during times of peak demand. In Bhutan and many other countries, these brownouts have been linked to the use of electric appliances such as rice cookers and water boilers. If demand could be more evenly distributed throughout the day, these systems could provide reliable, long-term electrification to these communities.
Approach
The Humboldt State University student team developed a “GridShare” device that uses smart grid technology to encourage load shifting. Changing the time of use of high power appliances can reduce the severity of brownouts on power-limited mini-grids, potentially increasing the utility of renewable energy mini-grids worldwide. Beyond the educational opportunities for students at Humboldt State University, the GridShare project has served as an educational tool for engineers working with the Bhutan Power Corporation who have learned about brownout issues and survey techniques, as well as new technologies for data collection and analysis.