2. Smart grids

The smart grid is an evolution of traditional electricity grids towards greater reliance on communication, computing and remote control technologies to efficiently harness renewable energies. This significantly reduces the impact of our energy consumption on the environment.

The smart grid integrates a network of sensors (smart meters and synchrophasors or PMUs (see section § 2.1.1 )) scattered across both transmission and distribution networks. These devices provide near-real-time information on the state of the grid, as shown in figure