Smart Grids

DotX picks the brains of researchers in EU project TESTBED

The EU project TESTBED aims at developing innovative solutions for Smart Grids. Smart Grids are new methods of electricity distribution. The current way of electricty distribution consists, roughly speaking, of centralised electicity producers, and decentralised consumers of electricity. However, there is an ever increasing number of decentralised electricity generators, such as wind turbines, solar panels, etcetera. Furthermore, their electricty generation depends on the wheather. The traditional electricty supplier method: just make sure to meet the demand, is inefficient: if there is no demand, one has to get rid of the electricity. The idea of Smart Grids (Smart electricty distribution) is to allow (some of the) consumer appliances to adjust their demand based on the price of electricity. Smart Grids are not yet widespread. However, there are locations where these ideas are likely to be explored soon, such as islands with local electricity networks.

DotX is not likely to actively contribute to Smart Grid research, but instead, we will pick the brains of the researchers involved and try to ‘steal’ their ideas and convert them into commercial applications. Is that bad? No, this is what the EU and the researchers want us to do!