Technology is always evolving as though it’s pre-ordained to continually improve our lives in small ways. But every so often an innovation comes along that’s more fundamental than the rest because it replaces a whole category of product, makes us re-think how things are done, creates new expectations about how a service will be delivered, or even redefines people’s ideas about what they need.
For example, eyeglass makers who created the microscope not only displaced much of the medical equipment of the day, but allowed scientists to understand the workings of microbes, leading to the creation of public health programs, greatly improving lifespans, population, and general wealth. Reinforced concrete made possible skyscrapers and multiplied the number of people who could effectively inhabit the core of large cities. When ferromagnetism was being studied for data storage, who would have thought that it would lead to millions of people using cell phones as multimedia devices equipped with movie cameras and hundreds of hours of music? The outcome of a technical advance can be quite different than what its originators were aiming for.
Given the long investment cycles that are common in the power industry, technical innovations are intensely exciting and potentially threatening at the same time. Without warning, even the most carefully-constructed investment can be rendered obsolete by a new technology that is faster, cheaper, or more efficient than what came before. That may be pause for thought, but as anyone with a computer knows, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the user will pause very long before deciding to jettison the old in favour of the new.
The electric system, particularly as it evolves to what is being called the smart grid, has the potential to instantly transmit the benefits of new technology to millions of users spread over thousands of miles. With the impetus of climate change and other factors forcing the industry to think about capital turnover very carefully, the power sector is probably more exposed than most to the potential for rapid technological change.
In this issue of IPPSO FACTO we explore a range of technologies with the potential to start tidal waves in the power sector, forcing players to re-conceive the provision of electrical services, or at least to rethink their business models. What if electric vehicles effectively become a distributed energy storage network in which nearly every family is a participant? What if windows and roofs become energy collection systems in the winter and cooling aids in the summer? Can advanced batteries, flywheels and ultracapacitors help offset the intermittency of renewables, and facilitate the transition to a carbon neutral power system? Who would have thought that fuel cells would find synergies with pressure reduction turbines, but Enbridge has already demonstrated it. Software that makes buildings smarter can be extended to help manage the operations of the entire grid. The list goes on.
It takes an open mind to see the potential of something new. IPPSO FACTO invites you the reader, to investigate and imagine the possibilities. Read our stories on the following pages, let your mind explore, and let us know what you think might be on the verge of bearing fruit, even as it lies beyond the limit of our habitual modes of thinking. Like the microscope, some of the greatest possibilities may be right under our noses.
See also the following related stories in this issue of IPPSO FACTO:
Technology-driven opportunities for the power sector
Enbridge’s hybrid fuel cell breaks new ground
North America’s first large flywheels regulate power
Factors to consider in developing new storage technologies
IESO on storage