In a new study, researchers from Texas A&M University and industry have designed a smart technology that can help utility companies better serve communities affected by blackouts.
In a new study, researchers from Texas A&M University and industry have designed a smart technology that can help utility companies better serve communities affected by blackouts. The researchers said their single device works by improving energy delivery between home solar-power systems and the electrical grid.
“Our innovation lets solar energy consumers be less dependent on the external power grid. The same technology also allows the utility company to control energy distribution, which is particularly useful during power outages caused by storms and other natural disasters,” said Dr. Le Xie, professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. “So, It's a win-win scenario for both the consumer and the utility company.”
The study was published online in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ Journal of Emerging and Selected Topics in Power Electronics in April.
Over the last decade, a sharp drop in the cost of solar panels has encouraged more households to adopt solar power systems. In these homes, the current generated by rooftop solar panels is fed into an inverter before the electricity is ready for residential use and charging solar backup batteries. Another set of power electronics connects the solar panels and the batteries back to the grid.
Read more at Texas A&M University
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