A recent Heatmap article explains how network operators can easily cope with the increased loads and feeds they are facing today.
There are more and more electrical devices and vehicles and more energy is required. At the same time, record growth in renewable energy projects using wind and solar power is helping to make that energy available, but there are only so many cables to carry that load from farms to consumers. As a result, network operators in many regions are finding it difficult to build new lines quickly enough and are facing numerous administrative procedures.
New power lines require not only money for construction, but also easements and land purchases for laying the cables, environmental reviews, inspections, engineering approvals, permits and many other things. All of these costs are passed on to clean energy suppliers and customers. This makes the implementation of renewable energy not only slower but also more expensive than it should be.
However, grid operators have started using a different method to move more power without having to worry about all that hassle: they're running better cables along the same poles and towers. This doesn't eliminate all the costs and hassle of obtaining a permit, but it does mean that utilities now only need to apply for a maintenance permit to install new cables, rather than going through the entire process of building new lines alongside existing ones. . lines.
How does it work? Instead of suspending aluminum conductors in heavy steel cables that can warp under heat and stress, cable manufacturers offer conductors with lighter, stronger composite cores. This means that the power line can transport around twice as much energy over the same poles. This results in significantly higher material costs (two to four times more expensive than traditional steel core wire), but the savings in permits and inspections more than offset the cost difference, resulting in a much smaller upgrade overall.
The article goes on to share successful local implementations, including some in Texas. The process has allowed renewable energy projects to be completed ahead of schedule and under budget, making it a clear winner. The best thing is that this method can be used to make fantastic predictions for the future. Compared to regular grid expansions, this method will increase capacity fourfold by 2035 and could help the United States use 90% renewable energy by then.
There are places and situations where technology doesn't work, but not in many. The main obstacle to the technology is the lack of awareness among electrical companies and the fear of new technologies. In other cases, the grid operator makes profits from inefficient designs, so regulatory changes will likely be required to encourage the use of this technology instead of more expensive technologies.
But if grid operators and renewable projects can solve the problems, they will provide more than enough grid growth to make the most of the subsidies introduced under the Inflation Reduction Act. That alone is worth it!
Featured image by Jennifer Sensiba
Do you have any tips for CleanTechnica? Do you want to advertise? Would you like to suggest a guest for our CleanTech Talk Podcast? Contact us here .
Latest video from CleanTechnica TV
I don't like paywalls. You don't like paywalls. Who likes paywalls? At CleanTechnica we had a limited paywall for a while, but it always felt wrong and it was always difficult to decide what to put there. In theory, your best and most exclusive content is protected by a paywall. But then fewer people read it!! This is why we at CleanTechnica have decided to completely remove paywalls. But...
Thank you very much!
CleanTechnica uses affiliate links. View our policies here .
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire