Smart Wires
The New Paradigm in Grid Management

Since the creation of electric grid, the physical infrastructure has remained largely unchanged for more than a century. It is often said that if Henry Ford comes back to life, he’d have no idea how to operate the modern car. Alternatively, if Thomas Edison returned, he would have no problem running our modern power system.

With the growth of distributed solar in recent years, electric vehicles, the continual improvements in energy efficiency and energy consumptions patterns have evolved. There has been an increased shift toward renewable energy generation sources on the utility scale. Now more than ever, it is imperative for utilities to revamp their grids to make them highly adaptive to the fluctuating supply and demand.

“Our energy needs are ever-changing, and now more than ever the future of energy demand and supply is highly uncertain,” says Gregg Rotenberg, President and CEO, Smart Wires. “It is time to convert the legacy transmission lines into Smart Wires.”

Headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, Smart Wires is a power flow control technology company that works with utilities around the globe to build dynamic electric grids for the future to ensure reliable, high-quality electricity service.

The company designs and manufactures advanced grid optimization solutions that optimize power flowing through transmission systems by increasing or decreasing the impedance to either push power from an overloaded line or pull power on to an underutilized line.

“The flexible solutions we provide can help electric utilities adapt their grid to the changes occurring in energy demand and supply, allowing consumers to easily access new renewable generation and reap the benefits,” adds Rotenberg.

Leveraging their patented modular power flow control devices, Smart Wires’ grid optimization solutions are highly scalable and modular, providing valuable optionality and flexibility to utilities as they seek to maximize the efficiency of their existing infrastructure.

Leading utilities around the world are recognizing that the existing grid, which is heavily reliant on fossil-fueled generation, will undergo massive change over the next several years. By deploying Smart Wires power flow control solutions, utilities can fully mod¬ernize their electric grids and manage power flow efficiently for the subse¬quent decades.

Smart Wires’ first family of technol¬ogy, Guardian™ devices, increase the reactance of a power line, relieving over¬loading conditions of that line by causing less power to flow along that path.

In addition, the firm has also rolled out a second family of products called SmartValve™ devices. This technology builds on the success of its predecessor and has expanded capabilities. SmartValve™ devices can increase or decrease the reactance of a line. This means power can be pushed off overloaded lines or pulled on to underutilized lines as grid conditions change.

All of Smart Wires’ solutions have much quicker installations compared to the conventional options currently used by utilities. Modular, flexible power flow control technology allows utilities to integrate variable renewable energy sources into the existing electricity infrastructure, without the need to reconductor or build new lines.

The flexible solutions we provide can help electric utilities adapt their grid the changes occurring in energy demand and supply, allowing consumers to easily access new renewable generation and reap the benefits

“At the core, what really differentiates us is how quick it is to install or move these devices. The idea of easily redeployable power flow control means that utilities can adapt their grid as conditions evolve, instead of making an investment in infrastructure that stays fixed for its 40-year lifetime,” explains Rotenberg.

Smart Wires’ most recent announcement is their mobile deployment method that addresses a wide variety of short-term and near-term challenges for network operators. Both Power Guardian and SmartValve devices can be installed on this platform. The mobile solution will help utilities resolve overloads and maintain reliable service during construction, maintenance, and other short-term activities.

Looking ahead, Smart Wires looks forward to working with more and more utilities across the globe to reimagine the way electric grids are planned and operated worldwide.