Getting ready for the next big solar storm

(PhysOrg.com) -- In Sept. 1859, on the eve of a below-average1 solar cycle, the sun unleashed one of the most powerful storms in centuries. The underlying flare was so unusual, researchers still aren't sure how to categorize ...

Researchers create tool to put the lid on solar power fluctuations

How does the power output from solar panels fluctuate when the clouds roll in? And can researchers predict these fluctuations? UC San Diego Professor Jan Kleissl and Matthew Lave, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Mechanical ...

Smart software for self-regulating smart grid

Siemens and the utility company Allgauer Uberlandwerk (AUW) in the city of Kempten, Germany, are testing the smart grids of the future. The tests focus on optimized power distribution and the use of a self-organizing energy ...

Smart grid development holds promise for U.S. jobs

Turning the electric power system into a smart grid, or so-called "energy Internet," has already created thousands of U.S. jobs and has the potential to create many more, says a new report by a Duke University research team.

'Smart' power grid needed for electric vehicles

(PhysOrg.com) -- While an upcoming Electric Vehicle Grand Prix may reflect a growing popularity of electric vehicles, their widespread adoption will require innovations to the power grid, say researchers at Purdue University.

Smart meters raise suspicions

Coast to coast, from Maine to Marin County, Calif., the number of homes being outfitted with smart meters that keep a close eye on homeowner electricity use is on the rise. And so is the number of folks who think smart meters ...

'Smart grid' would save energy, cut costs for US consumers

Momentum is building for a new energy "smart grid" that would overhaul the U.S.'s 100-year-old electrical power network. The impact would be huge –– from installation of a new web of electrical transmission lines ...

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