Across the world, countries are investing in smart grid technology as they strive to be good stewards of the environment and pass cost-savings to energy consumers. At Palladium, we manufacture lithium-based battery packs for smart meters, and our company is beginning to plan for and develop medium and large format lithium-based batteries that can store renewable energy. So, we’re always interested in sharing information on emerging smart grid projects. Below are a couple of the latest and greatest feats in the renewable energy movement:
China
According to the New York Times, China is the world’s largest fossil fuel consumer, accounting for more than a fifth of global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. To counteract its demand for power, the nation is developing an extensive smart grid system that some experts predict will grow from $22.3 billion in value to an impressive $61.4 billion by 2015.
Recently, China constructed what could be the world’s largest battery-based energy storage station that will supply the smart grid with clean energy. According to EarthTechling, the lithium-iron-phosphate system consists of 100 megawatts (MW) of wind power generation capacity, 40 MW of solar, 36 megawatt-hours (MWh) of battery-based energy storage and a smart power transmission system.
United States
Thanks to government incentives, states and municipalities across America are realizing the benefits of the smart grid. For example, Idaho Power just finished installing approximately 
a half million smart meters for rural residents. Two months ago, the U.S. government announced that it is taking energy conservation a step further with its new Green Button initiative. The program is bringing together utility providers, energy consumers and private industry to develop Internet and mobile applications (like Tendril Energize, pictured left), which will ultimately allow consumers to monitor and control their home energy usage from their smartphones. Green Button puts cost savings potential at the fingertips of smart grid energy consumers.
To learn more about Palladium’s expertise in emerging green technology, check out this recent article in Electronic Products entitled “Lithium batteries: Powering future smart grids,” written by our own Tom Larsen.
- Rebecca Kritzman, director of global marketing
