Maui selected for smart-grid demonstration

Japanese companies have chosen Maui as their demonstration project.  Read more at the Maui News and Maui Tomorrow’s previous article (scooping the Maui News) “With its high levels of variable renewable energy, Maui is a perfect location to test these Smart Grid technologies. Through this Japanese-U.S. partnership, we can demonstrate how these technologies can help solve Maui’s energy challenges and be used in other parts of the world, especially on other island systems such as ours,” said Richard Rocheleau, Director of the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute at the University of Hawaii. “Like Hawaii, Japan is looking for ways to better use clean energy on smaller electric systems that serve individual islands. By pooling our resources and our expertise, we can develop solutions that will help significantly increase our use of clean energy sources,” said Robbie Alm, Hawaiian Electric executive vice president. The project will include installation of smart controls in the Kihei area on Maui at the regional and neighborhood levels to improve integration of variable renewable energy resources, such as photovoltaic systems. These technologies include distributed control systems that will manage resources such as smart inverters to regulate output of photovoltaic systems, load control devices, and controls to manage electric vehicle charging stations and battery storage systems. This NEDO project will also collaborate with an existing U.S. Department of Energy-funded project by installing the same smart control systems within the project site in the Wailea area of Maui. In addition, to help prepare the Maui electric grid for widespread adoption of electric vehicles, the project will use an advanced charging management system to connect Maui Electric Company system controls with charging stations island-wide, allowing Maui Electric to actively manage electric vehicle charging to balance generation and load. With this advanced system, Maui Electric can make better use of the wind and solar power on the island. Installation of the smart grid technology is expected to begin in late 2012, with the project becoming operational in 2013. The demonstration project is scheduled to run from 2013-2015.