Learn in the textbookSystems for Finance and Social Infrastructure
DefinitionA smart grid (スマートグリッド, next-generation power grid) builds communication functions into the power network so that electricity supply and demand can be tracked and controlled in detail.
ExplanationSmart meters (スマートメーター) in homes and businesses measure and report electricity use at short intervals, and the utility uses that data to adjust generation and transmission. This also makes it easier to keep supply and demand in balance when connecting solar and wind power, whose output changes with the weather.
AnalogyImagine putting a flow meter on every tap in town and letting the water plant decide how much to pump by watching how the water is used.
Memory hookA grid is a network of crossing lines, so a smart grid is a power-line network made smart.