World networks – Smart Grids

Yuriy Borovikov talked to the participants about Smart Grids in the world context and about efforts of countries advanced in the area of power engineering and energy-efficient technologies to implement projects in this field. Thus, according to the lecturer, China plans to invest $ 70 million into this area. “In 2008 South Korea established KSGI (Korea Smart Grid Institute), which will be involved into Smart Grid project execution”, said Yuriy Borovikov to the listeners. KSGI is planning to complete project execution by the year 2030. Project idea is the development of Smart Grid which will switch on power lines self-restoring after breakdowns, “smart” transport, power supply networks flexibility and reliability increase as well as energy consumption processes rationalization, construction of electro-charging stations for vehicles using accumulator batteries. Institute of Power Engineering of National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University vice-rector and director believes that implementation of such project will allow South Korea to diminish its energy import substitution by $ 46,9 billion by 2030. “Jeju-do island was chosen to implement pilot technologies of this project”, - says the speaker. According to him, “smart” power engineering system in Korea will be completely synchronized via communication satellites – from energy source to each individual house.

Smart Grid in Russia

Yuriy Borovikov emphasized in his speech that Smart Grid establishment concept in Russia is at its formation level. “At the moment pilot projects of Smart Grid development in Siberian Federal District, Far Eastern Federal District and Northwestern Federal District are being elaborated”, said Yuriy Borovikov. He also mentioned that in 2012 participants of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, which will take place on Russky Island in Russian Far East, will have a chance to learn about power engineering projects that are to become all-Russian Smart Grid elements.

Smart energy systems in conservative power engineering area

Yuriy Borovikov told listeners about the projects in power engineering area where he takes part in. “In the year 2010 Energy-efficient technologies cluster of Skolkovo Foundation displayed initiative to establish Smart Grid Competence Center”, shares Mr. Borovikov. Tomsk Polytechnic University set up Smart Grid Research and Development Center, LLC in order to become Skolkovo resident. “November 8, in Moscow, the certificate will be granted which proves that TPU Competence Center becomes the “Skolkovo” resident”, tells Yuriy Borovikov about the results achieved. According to him, this days TPU tries to engage Korean universities, which have already launched Smart Grid projects, into consortium to implement energy-efficiency projects in Russia. “It is planned to conduct research in the field of observability and controllability of power grids, smart grids topology and renewable energy sources integration”, observes Mr. Borovikov.

Projects implementation

“Today Tomsk Polytechnic University plans to implement a number of projects”, mentioned Yuriy Borovikov in his speech. One of the developments relates to grids hybrid simulation. The second one is aimed at working with decentralized energy sources which are especially essential for remote communities. “TPU Competence Center will not only conduct research but it will also act as orders performers for particular energy companies”, summarized his presentation IPE of NR TPU vice-rector and director.

LED lamps market

Dmitry Galkin showed to lecture participants on energy world map that in two coming years the best part of the planet population will stop using incandescent lamps due to their irrational and unacceptable energy consumption in terms of high energy-requiring innovative productions epoch. Such countries as Cuba, Australia and New Zealand have already rejected incandescent lamps and this year many South American countries have joined them. From January 1, 2011 in Russia it is forbidden to use incandescent lamps with capacity more than 100 W, total ban of incandescent lamps usage will be imposed in Russia in 2014.

Dmitry Galkin, who is a business manager of Fiztech-Energo, CJSC - an enterprise developing new generation LED technologies, - told about specifics of LED devices production in Russia. “In Russia there is a lack of constituent parts to manufacture competitive LED devices that is why we are forced to purchase them in other countries”, says Dmitry Galkin. According to him, the price of Russian constituent parts for LED devices is 2-3 times higher than the one of foreign analogue, and, in general, LED lamps price is quite high for end consumers. However, the lecturer noted that it would decrease quickly enough since production techniques do not cease to improve.

LED lamp features

Dmitry Galkin told about LED lamps technical properties. As he said, LED lamp can work up to 100 hundred hours being at the same time almost harmless for eyes. “Lamps have low energy consumption and do not demand any special measures to be utilized”, adds business manager of Fiztech-Energo, CJSC. The lecturer said that LED lamp with 10 W capacity gives the same light as incandescent lamp with 100 W capacity. One of the key LED lamps features, along with low energy consumption and long working time, is its beneficial effect on man vision due to its spectrum which is similar to the daylight one. Warranty liabilities for such lamps are given at least for 4 years.

LED production in Tomsk

Business manager of production association “Fiztech-Energo” told about company activity. Fiztech-Energo, CJSC is a subsidiary company of Fiztech, CJSC which takes approximately 40% of Russian and CIS manometer production market. Fiztech-Energo is involved into LED lamps and devices manufacture. Company equips with LED lamps both large industrial objects and living spaces. Dmitry Galkin presented projects on transition from incandescent lamps and luminescent light sources to light emitting diodes which have been already implemented in Tomsk. “For instance, although price of LED lamps for stare wells is quite high in comparison with conventional ones and it is 700-900 rubles, - said Dmitry Galkin, - they pay off in a year”.

Citizen’s feedback

Ivan Baranovsky, chief specialist of TomskNIPIneft, JSC

I attended lecture for the first time and I liked it. Lectures subjects are important for us. In our daily routine, preoccupied with work, we cannot follow all the trends and here we have a chance to get to know about new areas appearing in the sphere of technologies. Our company is concerned with Russian power engineering development at the moment.

Lecture format is interesting but we would like to see these events more widespread. It will worth making lectures cycle devoted to more “everyday” subjects interesting for a wide range of people and one more with specific subjects for experts in certain areas.

Daniil Khanin, head of Internet-advertising agency “Webreklama”

From the first speech about Smart Grid I did not understand completely what the project profit would be. I saw that it is a global project because we were shown a Korean island where the project is going to be implemented.

The project concept is clear – it is important to develop and upgrade the existing grids. In my view, it should not necessarily be Smart grid. It would be enough for everyone to come home, open their dashboards and check what is going on there. If we could optimize this we would already win in terms of economy.

In the second part the lecturer told us about devices with which we could reduce our electricity spending by times. That is more interesting for a wide range of people.

Anton Tobolkin, MaStEx technology developer, “Mathematic stock exchange” organizer

I liked the lecture. Lecturers spoke in popular science style, in very understandable manner. I am engaged into innovation activity, in another area, in fact, but I am still interested in related fields. The value of such lectures is that different people come, start communicating, exchange their opinions, and ask questions. For instance, plant manager may come and ask an ordinary person directly what he thinks about his plant’s lamps, avoiding, thus, intermediate chains which can misrepresent information like in Chinese whispers. 

Anton Kuleyev, first year student in Faculty of Electronic Engineering, Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics

I liked today’s lecture concerning LED light sources. Indeed, it is interesting and effective. I think that if we talk about less unprofitable, from the capacity point of view, light sources then we should talk about LED ones. It is essential now to upgrade the already existing systems, introduce something new. I am concerned with light emitting diodes subject and I am interested in our city development.

Such lectures are useful but it seems to me that not enough time was devoted to discussion. I would like to participate in discussion club on this subject with people empowered to develop our city. It would be really great if there would be workshops held simultaneously with lectures.

I like the lecture format – a combination of lecturer-professor and lecturer-businessman.

Svetlana Verina, TSU professor, principal engineer

It was the second lecture I attended. It was really interesting for me especially LED part from the consumer point of view, since eyes get very tired from luminescent lamps. I work a lot with computer and I would like luminescent lamps not to influence so much on my health. The use of LED lamps can improve intellectual work capacity, including students’ one, that would be great.

I believe that such lectures represent a very good initiative because townsmen have poor understanding of what kind of future technologies are coming to our city. The more people are aware of what is coming the quicker this future will come.