The Grid and how it is structured and maintained will continue
to be a critical tool in maintaining energy independence. What
changes need to be made to the grid to support a much larger
reliance on renewable electric energy?
Will our local micro-grids and national grids have the carrying
capacity to distribute electricity across the country? Our country’s
leaders need to work with utility companies to identify how the
electric grids will need to be developed to carry the load required
to maintain a country where electric vehicles out number fossil
fueled vehicles. The current electric utility grid structure would
not be capable of servicing an environment where electric vehicles
are dominant. A good energy risk mitigation plan should be
employed to identify how we move forward with the development
of renewable energy and maintain fossil fuel use till renewable
energy sources have the ability to replace our fossil fuel supplies.
One area that has lagged behind electrical energy production
is the storage of energy from renewable energy sources such as
wind and solar. Although the “Big Battery” at the Hornsdale
10 | highTECH NEWS | MAY/JUNE 2022
Power Reserve is able to provide 190 MWh of electricity, it
cannot maintain gigawatt hours of output. The electrical grid
will need very large and reliable energy storage facilities in the
future in order to take advantage of renewable energy sources
such as wind and solar. Battery storage is getting better, however
new batteries need to be able to store much more energy and last
longer to keep up with growing demand for electrical energy. Our
government needs to work with universities, private industries
and technology companies to identify the most promising energy
storage technologies that can provide safe, long lasting and dense
energy storage.
Fuel cells are similar to batteries however they consume
hydrogen and oxygen to produce electrical energy and, in some
cases, solid oxide fuel cells can consume some fossil fuels to
produce a clean electricity. The government needs to work with
universities and technology companies to perfect the fuel cell
technology and commercialize these types of energy production.
Additionally, our country needs to be looking at improving
our transportation systems such as rail and highway, while
identifying novel ways of integrating them with grid systems. It
will take a lot of work and many years to develop the technology
and infrastructure needed to completely wean our country
off of fossil fuels. Until the grid infrastructure and renewable
energy infrastructure are capable of replacing fossil fuels, we
need to continue to balance the use of fossil fuels with renewable
resources. Cutting off fossil fuels without thought as to how
that energy will be replaced is not only irresponsible but very
dangerous to the security of personal, local, state and national
security.
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Continued on page 18
Above, is Edward Kirkpatrick, PVI1, CSS, who works with ETA’s Research and Development. This photo shows an inverter at Ed’s home that powers
his solar panel system (pictured on the front cover). The inverter is connected directly to an electrical wiring panel with charge controllers. To the right
of that, is a critical load service panel. Just to the right of the critical load service panel, is the main service panel.