Smart Grid - Trying to learn what it is and what it isn't

In an effort to learn about the Smart Grid, I went to the Department of Energy (DOE) website and came upon this: http://www.oe.energy.gov/1165.htm.

The Smart Grid: An Introduction
Put it to Work

“The Smart Grid: An Introduction” (PDF 4 MB) is a publication sponsored by DOE’s Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability. It is the first book of its kind to explore – in layman’s terms – the nature, challenges, opportunities and necessity of Smart Grid implementation. Give one to key staff, your colleague, your lawyer, your accountant or your spouse…and watch the lights go on.

For additional information on the Smart Grid Book please contact DOE’s Director of the Federal Smart Grid Task Force, Eric Lightner at Eric.Lightner@hq.doe.gov. For hard copies of “The Smart Grid: An Introduction,” contact Kim Richardson at krichardson@energetics.com. Download a copy here: The Smart Grid: An Introduction (PDF 4 MB)

My "book" review:

I ordered a hard copy and have now attempted to read it twice. I shudder to think what the taxpayer spent on this glossy piece. First, it was rushed to me via Fed Ex - $$. It is a spiral bound book of 43 pages on very thick paper, full of color and pictures and buzz words ( "killer ap" is my favorite), full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. The simplest questions are not answered, barely answered, or have answers that make no sense. Please DO NOT order this booklet or recommend it to anyone else. One of the main points of the clean/green/sustainability movement is to reduce and eliminate waste. I shudder a second time to think how many trees died to make this booklet.

I won't waste my time or anyone else's going into detail of the problems with this document. So I will give just one of the more egregious examples and then move on to what what was good about it.

I'm having a hard time finding the basic definition of what is the smart grid. Page 2 tells me that before we get a Smart Grid we need a Smarter grid. That the Smart Grid is a decade or more in coming. Yet, what is the Smart Grid?

There is a lot of info about what the Smart Grid will do for me. Yet, what is the Smart Grid. Is there a 30 second elevator speech that just spits it out to the uninformed?

I think I found it on Page 10.... "The Smart Grid: What it is. What it isn't" is the title of the chapter. "The electric industry is poised to make the transformation from a centralized, producer-controller network to one that is less centralized and more consumer-interactive." Pages 11 and 12 go on to say "...two-way digital communication and plug-and-play capabilities that exemplify a smarter grid ...". Advanced Metering Infrastructure, visualization technology and phasor measurement units are then discussed. Are these the Smart Grid? or enablers?

Ah ha! Page 14 tells me the Smart Grid is NOT a smart meter. Energy sources such as wind, solar, and plug in hybrids are NOT the Smart Grid.

I give up.

What appears to be useful in this document? The last 4 pages.

Page 40 is a list of resources. I have not read them yet but they look as if solid info could be found on them.

Pages 41-43 are a Glossary of terms. Next to none of these terms were in the previous 40 pages, but it looks to be extremely useful to learn the lingo. Unfortunately, Grid, Smarter Grid, and Smart Grid are not defined.