Taiwan relies on imports for 98 percent of its energy supplies, and, as an island nation, is unable to connect to electrical grids in other countries. The government has therefore set its sights on increasing renewable power to 20 percent of the nation's energy portfolio by 2025. With the traditional grid system now stretched to capacity, efforts to develop and roll out smart grid technologies are also underway to meet future demands as renewable energy facilities are connected to the grid on a large scale. Building a quality, efficient and eco-friendly smart grid for the new era will satisfy consumer needs for a better grid, provide domestic industries with learning opportunities, and boost peripheral industries. These efforts are expected to raise total annual industry output to NT$43 billion (US$1.4 billion) by 2025.
Priority strategies
■ Increase reliability of renewable resources: Employ smart prediction technologies combining artificial intelligence, big data analytics and meteorological data for the purposes of improving renewable energy production forecasts, lowering renewable energy output variability, and satisfying the grid connection demands of green energy operators. Help achieve the 2025 goal of generating 27 gigawatts (GW) of power from renewable sources by incorporating smart tech into energy storage systems and fuel-powered generators, and making renewable energy grid connections more reliable.
■ Improve quality of power supply to customers: Reduce power outage recovery time to five minutes in non-faulted areas by expanding usage of automated feeder and line switching, isolating faulted areas quickly, and using geographical data systems and real-time monitoring information. By 2025, power outage recovery time should be down to five minutes or less in 70 percent of cases annually.
■ Help customers conserve power: Help customers save more energy by installing home energy management systems (including smart electricity meters and information systems) and promoting time-of-use pricing and power conservation plans. Ease the load on power systems and stabilize supply by implementing demand response and load management measures, such as cost reduction incentives that encourage big power consumers to reduce peak-hour usage or switch to off-peak hours. The target is to increase customer participation in demand response programs to the tune of 2.8 GW (approximately 7 percent of peak load) by 2025.