Distributed energy refers to generation and energy management of energy that are decentralised and interactive. For example, heating, cooling and powering a commercial building using a combination of solar panels, micro turbines, fuel cells energy efficiency and load control. It is a collective term for distributed generation and demand management used together to make the electricity network more efficient and ultimately reduce greenhouse gases.
Distributed generation refers to all types of small generators of electrical power that are traditionally closer to the users than traditional centralised plants. Examples are solar panels, micro turbines, fuel cells and cogeneration.
Demand management refers to actions taken by a utility business to meet customer needs by shifting or reducing demand rather than increasing supply. In the context of electricity supply, demand management can take the form of pricing or other incentives that support distributed energy resources.
Grid means the entire electricity network and all the associated infrastructure and control technologies.
Intelligent Grid is an electricity network that uses distributed energy resources and advanced communication and control technologies to deliver electricity more cost-effectively, with lower greenhouse intensity and in response to consumer needs.
Transmission loss is the electrical energy that is “lost” when electrons are moved from one location to another, through cables and wires.
Fuel cells are a technology that converts chemical energy to electrical energy. The most common type use hydrogen as fuel which is combined with oxygen, producing waste water.
Micro turbines are small electricity generators that can be installed in buildings or other sites where extra energy supply is needed. A micro turbine can be powered by different sources including gas, steam or even run-of-river water flow.
Cogeneration is a way to make more than one kind of energy from a single fuel source. It is often used on the premises of site with large electricity, steam or heating needs like hospitals, hotels, and industry. And example would be using natural gas to make electricity and heat.
Smart meters are electricity meters that displays the amount of electricity being used at any time of the day.
Dynamic pricing / time-of-use pricing means charging the customer different tariffs according to when they use electricity, to encourage them to use off-peak electricity and avoid sharp peaks in demand.
Peak load means the time of day when the most electricity is being used in the network. The capacity of the network needs to match the peak load to avoid blackouts.
