Japanese technology group NEC Corp (TYO:6701), the University of Tokyo and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) have joined hands on a digital grid project to promote the use of renewables, the Nikkei Daily said today.
The digital grid will allow for electricity from small decentralised sources to reach hundreds of households on the grid depending on demand. The partners are to form a consortium to commercialise the technology, invented by University of Tokyo professor Rikiya Abe.
The difference between the digital grid and decentralised energy resource systems and smart grids is that it requires less investment. Decentralised energy resource systems and smart grids connect to utility grids, and thus require big outlays on power transmission and regulation equipment.
The newly formed consortium will seek to partner with heavy electric machinery makers and other firms to speed up the development of new technologies such as digital grid routers. Later this year, the partners are to test the technology at a facility of the US Electric Power Research Institute. Tests may also be conducted in Bangladesh.
NEC, the University of Tokyo and AIST plan to commercialise digital grids in three years. In developed countries, the technology will be marketed as a way to promote the use of green energy without costly investment. In emerging markets digital grids will be offered as an alternative to large-scale power infrastructure.
