California and Texas media have picked up on customer concerns surrounding new smart meters—surfacing questions on how new advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) devices will affect their bills, and apprehensions about the “accuracy” of these new solid-state devices. Current results of forensic activity have shown that, in general, meters are very accurate measurement device. However, activities that surround the meter-to-bill process can lead to many possible opportunities for error.

In the quest to develop viable solutions for energy storage, community energy storage combined with smart grid presents the greatest potential for integrating renewable energy resources, distributed generation, and demand response. Compared to larger batteries located in substations, community energy storage devices offer several advantages and can potentially overcome the top three barriers to storage development.

There is now an influx of variables weighing on the grid, as deployment of renewable energy technologies escalate, renewable portfolio standards grow, and electric vehicle demand increases. Today the electric system still operates in just-in-time delivery mode. Energy storage is a key component to reinvent our electric system infrastructure.

The Virtual Power Plant is the working title assigned to the modern electric system architecture and operations envisioned by utility industry leaders. The VPP integrates the operation of supply- and demand-side assets to meet customer demand for energy services in both the short- and long-term. It’s the evolution of the present-day power plant, so it can adapt to ongoing, rapid changes from electricity demand to information technology, and customer expectations, to name a few.

For decades, the energy market for electricity was represented with an inelastic demand curve. As this market adapts for smart grid operations and mechanisms develop for expanding consumer groups to change their consumption patterns, the market’s inelastic longevity wanes, and we must examine potential scenarios for effects on market prices.