While true smart grids are still a vision for the future, the technologies and standards that will be needed have been the subject of research and development at ABB for some years now and many are already in use. With our broad portfolio of power technologies and control systems, ABB is taking the lead in providing a truly integrated solution for the development of the smart grid. The links on the left-hand menu of this page provide background information on some of the ABB technologies that will feature in the smart gird.
Smarter grids will also accommodate demand from consumers for better control over energy consumption. Residential smart meters, for example, will allow utility customers to take advantage of time-of-use pricing that was previously available only to large commercial and industrial users. In this context, integration of electric vehicle into existing power systems could become an important means of introducing renewable energy to the transport sector, as well as providing power storage facilities for the system in the form of vehicle batteries.