What are green technologies?

Smart grid technology is a developing industry process that increases efficiency, reliability, and security of the electric power supply.  It does this by regulating fluctuating power generation sources, like wind turbines or solar panels, and automatically analyzing where power is needed, and managing the demand of electricity during times of peak energy use.  Electricity has to be produced and transported to where it is used the instant it is needed.  Fluctuating renewable energy sources, like wind turbines with variable winds or solar panels on a cloudy day, complicate system operation of the electrical grid because conventional power sources have to swing their loads to keep the electrical system stable and reliable.  Pumped hydro storage facilities can temporarily store wind power that isn’t needed just when it is produced.  Smart power meters can be used to enable time of day energy billing to shape the energy demand curve.  Predicting the weather accurately, predicting demand, and scheduling the operation of renewable and conventional energy generation can become very complicated.  Much of this has to be done through computer modeling, accurate guessing, and automated controls.

Smart grid also deals with managing energy and media in our homes.  The homes of the future will be able to manage their energy use and plan activities based on the expense of electricity.  We will be able to control appliance use, deliver media, and access the internet so we better make use of our time and energy dollars.

Lake Land offers several courses as part of this new green technology development: EET 065, Home Technology Integration, TEC 063, Electric Power Distribution, and TEC 067, Smart Grid Introduction.

Career pathways will include installation technicians for smart meters, computer technology, and home technology integration.  Meteorologists, computer simulation specialists, mathematical model developers, system operators, engineers, and power plant workers will be needed.  Managers of the new technology rollout, customer service representatives to explain the new technology, and technically trained administrators familiar with how the electrical system works will be needed as well.  As this new technology develops, workers with technical skills will be able to fill jobs that make our energy system more efficient.