'Smart Grid to Usher In a Smart New World'

The 2nd Smart Grid Week takes place in Seoul from Nov. 16-18

The government floated a plan to build smart grid hubs in each metropolitan area by 2016 by capitalizing on the outcomes of technology experimentation and business performances of the Jeju Smart Grid Test-bed.
To this end, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy (MKE) said it will establish plans for pushing smart grid hubs, including guidelines for designating smart grid hubs and detailed procedures, and smart grid hubs will be designated beginning in 2013.
Do Kyung-hwan, director general for Energy Industries at the MKE, unveiled the Smart Grid Vision and core tasks experts from industry, academia and research circles have explored in his lecture titled "The Direction of Smart Grid Policies" at the International Smart Grid Conference, which took place at COEX on Nov. 16 as an event of the 2nd Smart Grid Week.
Earlier in the day, in a speech at the ceremony to open the 2nd Smart Grid Week, MKE Vice Minister Kim Jung-gwan said, "Countries have jumped into a war to grab a technological upper hand in the global smart grid market." He also pledged the government's determination to push to implement policies and called for the general public to spread awareness toward the smart grid.
Vice Minister Kim said, "As the Act on Intelligent Power Grid goes into effect on Nov. 25, specialized smart grid hubs will be built according to each metropolitan area by 2016. This event will give people an opportunity to experience the smart grid, since public support and concern is needed."
Smart Grid Association Chairman Koo Ja-kyun, concurrently LSIS chairman, said, "On day one, visitors will be given the chance to take a look at the Jeju Smart Grid Test-bed and the current state of the world smart grid situation as part of efforts to get a better understanding of the smart grid." He stressed that as policies are implemented, government and related organizations should put forward their fullest efforts to explore technology amid cohesive relationships.
Dir. Gen. Do said the upcoming smart grid hubs will be divided into consumer-type hubs for apartment complexes and industrial real estate; transportation hubs for building electric vehicle infrastructure; new and renewable energy hubs; and convergence hubs.
The government plans to provide support for the creation of new service businesses within each smart grid hub such as energy management service (EMS), energy storage service (ESS), electric vehicle charging service (EVCS), virtual power plant (VPP) and demand response (DR).
The plans suggest strategies to create new smart grid services by facilitating related manufacturing markets such as information, telecommunications, control, software, battery, smart gadgets, advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), energy management systems, smart electric appliances, chargers, photovoltaic power, wind power, and power conversion systems.
The main events of the 2nd Smart Grid Week, organized by the Smart Grid Association and the Smart Grid Initiative, at COEX from Nov. 16-18 were the International Smart Grid Conference and World Smart Grid Expo 2011.
The 2nd Smart Grid Week began with an opening ceremony with Minister of Knowledge Economy Choi Kyung-hwan in attendance.
On day two, Nov. 17, the International Smart Grid Conference brought together renowned global smart grid experts, including Richard Schomberg, chairman of the IEC Smart Grid Strategic Group, and George Arnold, U.S. national coordinator for Smart Grid Interoperability.
The participants discussed the direction of standardizing the smart grid according to countries, companies, hindrances and solutions.
In particular, the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards had separate meetings with the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry on Nov. 16 and the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology on Nov. 18 to share information on standardization policies and discuss ways of offering support to the private sector.
World Smart Grid Expo 2011 attracted 120 foreign and Korean exhibitors who set up 400 pavilions. The exhibitors included Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor Co., LG U Plus and LSIS.
Among the exhibits were a wide array of smart electric appliances that cut down on power consumption or are remotely controlled via smart sensor technologies in the smart electric appliance and metering fields.
In particular, LSIS was the largest exhibitor of the fair, setting up 30 booths to display a wide array of smart grid total solutions ranging from the smart grid experience zone to power generation, transmission & distribution, and consumer solutions. They included photovoltaic power modules, inverters, super-voltage direct current transmission, distribution, and transformer automation systems as well as eco-friendly power equipment and building management systems. nw

(above) Dignitaries, including Vice Minister for Trade and Energy Kim Jung-gwan, cut the ribbon to open the 2nd Koreas Smart Grid Week at COEX on Nov. 16. (above, right) MKE Vice Minster Kim is surrounded by a group of kids touring World Smart Grid Expo 2011. Photos on courtesy of MKE