Explainer Video Script

The CL&P Smart Grid.

You may have heard about smart grids, but practically speaking, what are they? And why are they important? Connecticut Light and Power has been employing smart grid technology since 1995, before the industry term was even coined. 17 years ago, we began systematically applying automation and remote control upgrades to our grid. In order to improve reliability to 1.2 billion residential customers. Today CL&P Smart Grid is among one of the most automated in the nation. Allowing it to work smarter, safer, and more reliably. in addition to these upgrades, in the future, smart meter technology could be used to enhance the grids automation, to deliver further efficiency, effectiveness and savings. A grid is made smarter by deploying the latest communications technologies that enable back and forth dialogue, digital controls and intelligence gathering. The good news is CL&P already has a grid that's smart. CL&P's grid is automated, and controlled remotely, so that it can process data, self- diagnose, and self- heal issues with a limited amount of manual intervention. Leaving a faster restoration with little power interruption. Transfer devices mounted along circuits called automated reclosers work with them over 20,000 on-board electrical circuits and sensors to enable the redirection of electrical currents in order to avoid or limit power interruption. When there's an interruption along a circuit, weather due to a fallen tree limb or a car crashing into a pole, thousands of people could be at risk of losing power. but because of our self monitoring reclosers, and advanced setting capabilities, they detect the fault, change the route, of the energy supply, and establish a new circuit, reducing power loss by 75%. Our smart grid is also a safer grid, 75% of the circuit coverage can be controlled remotely by a CL&P engineers from central system control. Lines can be remotely energized or de-energized, and in the event of an emergency, like a house fire or a car accident, allowing firework personnel to work faster and safer. The grid can also be set to different modes, depending on external factors, such as whether conditions, lightning mode for example prioritizes systems protection over optimization. The grid's accuracy, efficiency, and safety benefits results in operational savings. A grid of this magnitude requires a significant amount of maintenance, but our smart grid technology reduces the frequency which we send out people in trucks. Since now, many operations may be executed from central control. This can save us up to $3.5 million in 2011 alone. CL&P Smart Grid is a critical resource that delivers many benefits that customers and communities now and into the future. We're persuing 100% control of operations for circuit energizing. We are also investigating smart meters for outage detection, remote operated volt indicators for voltage optimization, even a distribution management system that's constantly monitoring real time electrical flows to monitor conditions for optimized energy needs. As CL&P continues to pave the way for the industry, bringing in 22nd century technology to the 21st century grid, and making an already smart grid even smarter.