China’s Smart Grid pilot underway

Honeywell was selected to provide demand-side management to help reduce strain on China’s utility infrastructure.

By Source: SustainableBusiness.com March 4, 2011

Honeywell was selected to develop and implement China’s first Smart Grid pilot project and feasibility study for managing energy use in commercial buildings, also known as demand-side management.

The project is part of a grant agreement signed between the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) and State Grid Electric Power Research Institute (SGEPRI), sponsor of the project and a subsidiary of State Grid Corp. of China.

The pilot will center on automated demand response, advanced energy management and submetering. Honeywell will help connect State Grid and its customers to manage energy supply and demand, automatically adjusting electricity consumption and reducing strain on China’s utility infrastructure.

The demonstration will allow SGEPRI to assess the feasibility of broader deployment of Smart Grid solutions and support the development of standards and regulations. The institute will also examine the opportunities and challenges businesses face in linking their energy- and demand-management efforts with an increasingly dynamic electrical grid.

The grant agreement stems from the China-U.S. Energy Cooperation Program (ECP), an initiative started by USTDA and the National Energy Administration of China to spur joint business development in the clean energy sector.

A smarter electrical grid could help China manage the growing demand for energy and improve the reliability and efficiency of the country’s utility infrastructure by allowing electrical consumers to better manage how and when they use their energy based on availability and cost. It could also allow broader integration of renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar. The grid could help residents, businesses, and industry better control costs and be more energy efficient.

– Edited by Bettina Chang, Consulting-Specifying Engineer, www.csemag.com