Smart Grid — Questions and answers
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What did the Northeastern blackout of 2003 show about the old power grid?
Choices
- That it was very strong and reliable.
- That it could easily stop power from being lost.
- That it was fragile and a small problem could cause huge blackouts. ✓
- That it could perfectly match power supply with what people needed.
Answer: That it was fragile and a small problem could cause huge blackouts.
From page 2
What was the main idea (the 'intellectual seed') behind the Smart Grid?
Choices
- To build more coal plants to make power.
- To make a system that only sends electricity one way.
- To create a system that can talk back and forth, moving both information and electricity. ✓
- To stop using any renewable energy sources like solar panels.
Answer: To create a system that can talk back and forth, moving both information and electricity.
From page 3
Who was one of the visionaries who helped create the big ideas for the Smart Grid?
Choices
- Engineer Lena Petrova
- Dr. Aris Thorne
- Amory Lovins ✓
- Marshall McLuhan
Answer: Amory Lovins
From page 4
What was a big problem when people first tried to build the Smart Grid?
Choices
- It was too easy to make all the devices communicate with each other.
- There were no cyber threats, so security was not an issue.
- The cost of making changes to the old system was very low.
- Getting all the different devices from many companies to use the same rules for talking to each other. ✓
Answer: Getting all the different devices from many companies to use the same rules for talking to each other.
From page 5
What two big changes helped turn the idea of the Smart Grid into something real?
Choices
- Building more power plants and using longer wires.
- Collecting lots of data instantly and having smart systems that react automatically. ✓
- Only using people to control everything and putting in old-fashioned sensors.
- Making fewer smart meters and keeping all the data in one small place.
Answer: Collecting lots of data instantly and having smart systems that react automatically.
From page 6
What does it mean for consumers to become 'prosumers' with the Smart Grid?
Choices
- They only use energy from the grid.
- They only make energy for the grid.
- They can both use energy and send energy back to the grid, like with solar panels. ✓
- They only manage how much energy their neighbors use.
Answer: They can both use energy and send energy back to the grid, like with solar panels.
From page 7
What helped convince governments and companies to invest in the Smart Grid?
Choices
- It was extremely cheap to build right away.
- Early test projects showed it could reduce energy use and fix power outages quicker. ✓
- Only a few scientists believed it would actually work.
- It only worked well in very small, isolated communities.
Answer: Early test projects showed it could reduce energy use and fix power outages quicker.
From page 8
What can the Smart Grid do during a heatwave?
Choices
- It calls people and tells them to turn off their lights.
- It automatically reduces non-important energy use to stop the system from overloading. ✓
- It ignores the heatwave and keeps everything running the same way.
- It tells electric vehicles to charge their batteries at the busiest times.
Answer: It automatically reduces non-important energy use to stop the system from overloading.
From page 9
How does the Smart Grid help the environment?
Choices
- It makes homes use more electricity, increasing energy use.
- It helps to use less renewable energy sources.
- It is a very important part of making energy cleaner and lowering carbon pollution. ✓
- It makes big factories and industries use more power.
Answer: It is a very important part of making energy cleaner and lowering carbon pollution.
From page 10