Japan, U.S. to cooperate on smart power grids

Friday 13th November, 06:10 AM JST

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8 Comments

5SpeedRacer5 at 09:19 AM JST - 13th November

And you know, it is a good thing too because US technology in this area is SO advanced that Japan can CERTAINLY benefit from this COOPERATION.

"rolls eyes"
SebastianFlyte at 09:43 AM JST - 13th November

In other words "look, we're basically broke, so if we agree to adopt your standards will you rebuild our grid for us and also lend us the money to do it".
societymike at 11:51 AM JST - 13th November

Gues you guys should have researched this area a little better. The US has the technology, so does Japan. M.I.T. has been working on large pod like capacitors to store energy for a long time.
5SpeedRacer5 at 12:55 PM JST - 13th November

Hey SocietyMike. You can read English. Keeping up on the Japanese research scene too?

I am quite sure that MIT has been working on that "for a long time." So I guess I agree with you. Whether they can develop it "in time" is another thing entirely.

Still waiting for US Bullet Trains and decent comprehensive recycling programs too. Maybe MIT should get right on that.
proxy at 01:07 PM JST - 13th November

It is rather sad but the US has a "third world" power grid. There are hundreds of companies that own part of the grid and interstate commerce laws, local laws and state laws really mess things up. It is worse than the crazy mixed up rail gauge problem in India. It is easier for New York to import power from northern Quebec than from Maine. States must give up their rights.

Flywheels are the way to go to store electricity.
5SpeedRacer5 at 01:39 PM JST - 13th November

I love flywheels too, but they are so dangerous if the bearings overheat. So much kinetic getting loose in populated area could be ugly. Maybe unpopulated areas though! Maybe that would work. There are better ways to store energy, though. People just are not being creative enough. People are blinded by the conversion inefficiencies into believing that electrical storage is the only way, but when you consider the costs of expensive materials, battery life, the instability of capacitors, etc., you are better off keeping it simple.

Even moving demand off-peak is doable, but people are unwilling even to do that.

This Hawaii project is more a proof of concept cakewalk for Japanese vendors than it is an actual learning experience.
stipend at 10:36 PM JST - 13th November

Smart Grid.. this was Key Lay's baby. The king of artificial scarcity and Herculean fraud - pre-Madoff. Where is he now? I'll miss seeing his name.

On its own Japan has good, clean nuclear energy. A declining population, a shrinking economy should ensure lower demands. No need for this crap. It's engineered redundancy to force new appliances on everyone. I've replaced my tv once already, don't want to do it again. And it's no one's business other than mine whether or not I've got my set on, or off.
stipend at 01:01 AM JST - 14th November

typo: Ken Lay, of Enron - of course