One of the buzzwords making its way around the Renewable Energy space today is something called the Smart Grid. The Smart Grid is the next generation of the way we distribute electricity from the supplier to the consumer. The Grid being the electrical distribution network. Think of the way electricity is distributed today. An electrical generating station puts newly created electrons onto the Grid. When there is a demand for these electrons your home or business takes and uses these electrons from the Grid.
Pretty simple at low demand rates and everything works fine. But at high demand consumers begin to exceed the capacity of the GRID and decisions must be made avoid any problems. Remember the recent electrical interruptions caused by making the wrong decision? And with the proliferation of new ways to generate electricity, like Solar and Wind, we put electrons onto the Grid in a variety of different locations and times. How can we best manage these new electrical generators.
Welcome the Smart Grid.