Smart grids - a smart idea?

WITH THE EU'S GOAL OF 20% RENEWABLES BY 2020, AND THE UK GOVERNMENT'S PLAN TO ROLL OUT SMART METERS TO ALL DOMESTIC CUSTOMERS BY THE SAME TIME, THE WAY HAS BEEN PAVED FOR SMART GRIDS. GLOBAL ENERGY CONSUMPTION IS SET TO TRIPLE BY 2050, AND POWER NETWORKS NEED TO TRANSFORM INTO INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS THAT WILL SAVE ENERGY, ACCOMMODATE INCREASING AMOUNTS OF RENEWABLES, AND ENSURE SUPPLY SECURITY.