Planetary skin and data-driven microgrids to protect against natural disasters

Fires caused by electric grid failures are increasing at an alarming rate. Michael Enescu and Peter Enescu examine how the energy adaptive networks technology built on open source and used to monitor and control power grids forms a planetary skin that can be used to predict and avoid such disasters as the Napa and Paradise Fires.

Fires caused by electric grid failures are increasing at an alarming rate with complex problems involving local and global factors such as rapid weather changes or failing infrastructure unable to keep up with power fluctuations. To deal with climate change, green power is rapidly coming online, but accepting renewables into the grid creates complex issues with reverse power flows. The Napa fires last year, and perhaps the recent California Camp fire, may have been ignited by such power fluctuations. Michael Enescu and Peter Enescu examine the energy adaptive networks application previously used to monitor and control reverse power flows in microgrids and are now used to create a “planetary skin,” a mesh of devices that capture time-series data, analyze it in real time, and minimize power fluctuations in the grid. They highlight the system architecture, first deployments, examples, and collaboration required to address the challenge of gathering the data and analyzing it in real time reliably enough to take action to make communities safer, healthier, and more sustainable.