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Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science

Smart Grid

Smart Grid Technology

The interoperable smart grid is a power grid in which devices, systems, and applications from different agents communicate and work together seamlessly. This is achieved through common standards and protocols. Communication and data exchange enable real-time monitoring and control and active customer participation.

Learn more about the potential of a and the .

Smart Grid Benefits

MORE

resilience in emergencies

ADDED

renewables profitability

$50 B

annual consumer savings

$15-35B

utility capacity savings

HIGHER

grid reliability

Smart Grid Challenges

The national electrical grids are in need of major investments and maintenance
Ìý ⇒Electricity infrastructure grade: C- (ASCE)
Ìý Ìý Ìý• Transmission and Distribution Lines (6.1 million miles!) are old
Ìý Ìý Ìý• 70% are 30 years or older
Ìý Ìý Ìý• They lose 5% of energy (enough to power all of Central America 4x).
Ìý Ìý Ìý• They do not always connect to where renewable energy is produced
Ìý ⇒Outages Annually
Ìý Ìý Ìý• Frequency increased from 1.2 to 1.42 per customer
Ìý Ìý Ìý• Length increased from 3.5 to 7 hours per customer
Ìý⇒Climate-driven weather events put additional stress on the system

Supply and demand are more difficult to align
Ìý Ìý⇒Population growth, electrification, and climate change drive demand increase:
Ìý Ìý Ìý • 2022: historical high for US electricity consumption (4.05 trillion kWh)
Ìý Ìý Ìý • Energy efficiency offsets demand but not fully – demand growth 1% p.er year until 2050
Ìý Ìý Ìý • 16% of households are energy poor
Ìý Ìý⇒Share of wind and solar has quadrupled and is predicted to increase further
Ìý Ìý Ìý • non-dispatchable, very dynamic, smaller, more decentralized; does not fit too well with the old T&D network
Ìý Ìý Ìý • still a small share US-wide: 9.9% wind, 4.7% solar (US Energy Information Agency, Electricity Data Browser).
Ìý Ìý⇒Solutions for grid-side, utility-scale energy storage (BESS) are emerging, several regionally

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The need for a different grid has only become more urgent, and PSU and its partners are working to meet this need with

Smart Grid

SEQUINS

Our Regional Innovation Engines Development Award will achieve energy equity and prosperity through an ecosystem that is Smart, EQUitable, INteroperable and Secure.

Smart Grid

The SEQUINS mission is to be an engine of regional innovation by coordinating and connecting the activities of academic institutions, new and established businesses, risk capital, and governments across the Pacific Northwest. 

Smart Grid

SEQUINS will promote development and innovation through five Engine Activities: 
1. Entrepreneurship and Business Development 
2. Use-inspired Research and Development
3. Interoperability and Standardization 
4. Consulting, Advocacy, and Policy Support
5. Workforce Development 

Smart Grid

These activities will foster smart grid technology ecosystem growth that enables large-scale participation based on open communication protocols, customer-driven transactions, privacy protection, state-of-the-art cybersecurity, and open-to-all practices.

SEQUINS PARTNERS

SEQUINS partners will innovate smart energy products and services based on the principles that technology must be dependable and safe, and under a common socio-technical framework.

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Galois, Inc.Ìý
Oregon MESA
Oregon State University
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
QualityLogic, Inc.
University of Oregon
Bonneville Power Administration
Business Oregon
City of Portland
EnergyTrust of Oregon

Heritage University
LinkOregon
Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
Pacific Northwest Center of Excellence for Clean Energy
Portland General Electric
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories
Technology Association of Oregon
University of Portland
U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
VertueLab
Worksystems, Inc.

Further details about the are available.

Powerize

Powerize

Led by PSU, The Powerize Northwest Consortium (PNWC)  is a group of 61 public, industry, higher education, and community organizations leveraging regional talent and assets to to become a global leader in the rapidly expanding energy storage and smart grid markets,  on pace to triple in a decade.

Solar Panel

PNWC is the recipient of strategy and planning grants to  scale the ecosystem necessary to unleash this potential. Members collaborate for a brighter energy future for all-- and to ensure that this catalytic economic opportunity is centered in Oregon and Washington.

PNWC MEMBERSÌý

  • PSU and other Oregon universities
  • PGE and other utilities
  • Intel
  • home-grown publicly-traded battery manufacturers ESS Inc. and PowinÌý
  • early stage battery companies such as Skip Tech
  • international renewable energy organizations with Portland footprints such as Avangrid
  • private-equity backed energy storage developers Akaysha and GridStor with Portland offices
  • government and quasi-governmental organizations such as City of Portland (Prosper Portland), State of Oregon (Business Oregon) and the Port of Portland; Pacific Northwest National Labs (PNNL)
  • private service firms located in Oregon but doing global energy development and consulting such as PowerSwitch and Galois
  • community organizations such as WorkSystems, Inc. and Meals on Wheels, whose Portland chapter is a national pioneer in energy resilience.

For more information, contact