What is the smart grid?

EU Automation's one page guide provides an insight into the smart technologies lighting the way to a more energy efficient future. The resource is designed for anyone with an active interest in the automation industry, who would like to know more about smart grids and their prospects for the future.

Industrial automation is a rapidly developing sector in which concepts like the Internet of Things (IoT) and Industry 4.0 are driving technological innovation. The benefits of sophisticated automation are being felt throughout industry, resulting in the development of intelligent systems like smart grids.

Jonathan Wilkins, Marketing Director, EU Automation, commented: "Interconnectivity between physical devices and communication networks, like the internet, is at an all time high. In the consumer tech world, this is resulting in two-way communication between our home appliances - like fridges, boilers and dishwashers - and ourselves, via smart phones and tablets.

"In the energy sector, the same advancements in automation and data analysis are making smart grids possible. Just as smart boilers let users know how much energy they're consuming, smart grids will be able to monitor the energy usage of an entire country in real time, allowing the grid to respond to changing demands. This also allows grid operators to make future usage predictions and better incorporate renewable energy into the system.

"Energy efficiency is currently an industry hot topic and so our one page guide to smart technologies and grids is designed for those interested in the future of sustainability."

The smart grid piece is the sixth instalment in the series of industry guides from EU Automation. These can all be found here.