Duke Energy pushes digital technology to save energy

The future of Duke Energy’s power delivery system will have a lot to do with something called “Smart Grid,” an initiative to bring advanced digital technology to homes and businesses served by the utility, one of the nation’s largest. Smart Grid will be coming to Duke’s customers in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky at some as yet unspecified point, and will include a a slew of measures designed to save energy and money. A key element will be digital “smart meters,” to be installed on homes and businesses in place of the traditional electric meter.  At first, the meters will be a way to reduce the time and expense of onsite meter reading, but their greater value could come down the road. The technology will provide an electronic gateway so Duke can offer customers energy efficiency programs.
 
Initially, the meters are being proposed in Duke’s Indiana service area, allowing two-way electronic communication between the utility and the meters. Eventually, they could enable customers to monitor their real-time energy use online and create opportunities to trim energy use and save money. Smart Grid will also include a high-tech communications system along Duke’s  thousands of miles of power lines and new digital automation equipment capable of detecting and preventing power line trouble before outages or other problems develop is also planned. The Indiana proposal also includes a plan to install solar reflectors at customer homes if they want to participate. “The Smart Grid initiative would strengthen the reliability of our electricity distribution system using new, state-of-the-art equipment and sensors that would operate and communicate with each other through a unified computer network,” says Jim Stanley, president of Duke Energy Indiana.

Writer: David Holthaus
Source: Angeline Protogere, Duke Energy