Electricity and The GridBack to PSC 320 Main Website
Monday’s Class : The Electrical Grid
Before Class
- “The Grid” is the interconnected electricity generating facilities that carries this electrical power to all the consumers. The internet is to information as the grid is to electrical power. Read about it on wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_power_transmission
- Please watch Electrical Grid video and see Grid Slides.
- Learn about how electricity is purchased with the video Electricity Markets and see slides from first part of Markets/Crisis/Smart Grid
- Slides from Lecture 9 on Grid and Electricity Markets
- Remember Gapminder.org ? Please see this popular video by the recently deceased Hans Rosling.
- Please read how PG&E is under fire and in danger of bankruptcy again. In 2001, it was the California electricity crisis. What’s the crisis now?
- Consider joining Engineers for a Sustainable World (even if you are not an engineer).
During Class
Hand in PS #3
After Class
Wednesday’s Class
Before Class
Read though the self intervention reflections from your class.
See video: California Energy Crisis and the Smart Grid with slides from grid video.
What is “the internet of things”, and what might it have to do with “smart grid”?
* You MUST** check out the California Independent System Operator’s (CAISO) Webpage VERY IMPORTANT. In particular:
- Go to the “Today’s Outlook” and see the past and projected demand (consumption) of electricity in California.
- Consider what is the average electric power per California person.
- Check out today’s demand, and compare it to the “hour ahead” forecast and the “day ahead” forecast. Do they predict the demand pretty well? Why do you think this is important?
- Then click on “Supply” link and see what the different sources of electricity are.
- I posted (rudimentary) solutions to PS #3 on the main class website.
- What portion of our electricity is from wind, solar, and other sources? How about yesterday? Do you see a day coming when we will have excess renewable electricity? What time of day and time of year will this be? Is there a time when we will need to ramp up conventional facilities really quickly?
- Take a look at these articles… you can read them briefly or intensely as you like, but certainly make sure you understand the California Duck Curve and what we are doing to mitigate the challenges to stabilize the grid with increasing renewable energy. Read The Duck Has Landed. Here’s a more recent article April 24, 2017… the Duck is Underwater! Consider the question, “what is the marginal electricity at 9 PM? in the middle of the day? Is it ever nuclear?
- Curious about the Midterm? Why not look at last year’s midterm at the 2018 PSC-320 Website?
- Is thinking about the midterm stress you out? Did you know that this can be good for you? Please see this TED Talk. If you recognize that stress is getting you ready for the “big game” (or exam) it may well help you rather than hinder you and make you healthier!
During Class
- Discuss all this stuff and prepare for Midterm.
After Class
- Prepare
Friday: Class Meet outside Building 70!! We are going on our first field trip to Cal poly’s Solar Farm.
Take a quick look at the PG&E crisis update from Tuesday.
Here’s the document I took the cool rise of renewable energy graph from Wednesday… California Energy Commission – Tracking Progress on Renewable Energy
I posted solutions for PS#2 and PS#3 on main class website
Activity Section: Midterm #1
Hey, check out the table I found with regard to our discussion of criteria pollutants in different fuels:
Note that natural gas is way purer than coal and oil.
After Class