POWER October 2021 - 43

TECHNOLOGY
ter, monitor, and control their loads on a
computer or mobile device. In May 2019,
North Carolina-based Atom Power introduced
the first digital solid-state circuit
breaker to be listed by Underwriters
Laboratories (UL). Its unique blend of
semiconductors and software makes
this circuit breaker the fastest in existence-30
to 100 times faster than most
mechanical circuit breakers.
Benefits for Utilities
Utilities stand to benefit from the installation
and use of digital solid-state
circuit breakers when it comes to loadside
management. Just recently, smart
meter technology has allowed utilities to
go beyond the substation, and monitor
and control power in the neighborhoods
themselves. Despite this advance, the
technology is not very granular-readings
are taken every 15 minutes and are
for the whole home, and not what's being
used inside.
a.m. and 8 a.m. when people shower before
work), and could tailor when breakers
are turned on and off throughout the
day to save power.
The utility also could use this information
to inform homeowners and encourage
them to spread out their use
of high-load devices. By " flattening the
curve " when it comes to power usage,
the utility can maximize its use of existing
capacity and minimize overburdening
the power grid.
Benefits to Homeowners
Digital solid-state circuit breakers offer
several benefits to homeowners. Once
a digital circuit breaker is installed,
there's no need to rewire a home's
power system or install multiple panels
and breakers to accommodate DERs.
The homeowner can view loads and
sources, and control power use from
anywhere, at any time, using a mobile
device. The ability to remotely manage
2. Atom Power's 20A (left) and 40A (right)
solid-state digital circuit breakers for the residential
market fit into 80% of existing homes,
according to the company. A 100% digital
breaker provides easy demand response, distributed
energy routing, and has built-in Wi-Fi
capability. Courtesy: Atom Power
Utilities stand to benefit from the
installation and use of digital solid-state
circuit breakers when it comes to load-side
management.
Digital solid-state circuit breakers (Figure
2) take the smart meter technology
one step further by placing the meter at
the edge of the grid (that is, the load center
in the home) so utilities have access
to information including what devices are
being used, where they are located, how
they are being used, and at what time
of day. Collectively, this information can
be used to construct a detailed analysis
of how power is being used within the
neighborhood at a household level, and
help utilities manage variability and make
decisions that lessen the burden on the
power grid.
A good example is managing coincidental
loads. Running too many highelectricity-consumption
loads at once
can strain the power system, potentially
leading to outages. If an entire neighborhood
had digital circuit breakers connected
to its water heaters, for example, the
utility could monitor when and for how
long each water heater is turned on. The
utility would be able to see when spikes
in demand occur (such as between 7
October 2021 | POWER
power allows homeowners to make
changes in real time based on their current
needs. This process helps maximize
energy efficiency, reduce wasted
power, and save money through utilitysponsored
programs.
Another benefit is the technology's
facilitation of demand management
and metering. Via an app interface, the
homeowner can view metrics such as
amps, volts, and power consumption,
and turn devices on and off. Over time,
the app builds a profile of the homeowner's
power use-what devices are
they using on a daily basis, for how
long, and where is that power coming
from and going? The app can even tell
if there's extreme weather (such as
a hurricane or ice storm) or a wildfire
close by so the homeowner can charge
their battery, car, phone, and other devices
to have as much power in reserve
as possible.
Electrification of everything is key to
a clean energy future. Maximizing the
use of available energy will be critical to
www.powermag.com
realize a clean energy future. DERs are
an essential part of this transition. Yet, in
order to usher in more DERs, the technology
must be there to make a homeowner's
life better than it was before.
It will not be an easy transition. Recent
blackouts in California and Texas
highlighted major vulnerabilities in the
current power grid and showed how
much work still needs to be done. Meanwhile,
EV adoption will have a significant
impact on the capacity of the power grid.
As barriers to EV adoption continue to fall
away, more consumers will invest with
greater frequency and this rising adoption
presents another challenge-and
opportunity-for utility providers. Creating
a strong DER network is essential to
support a reliable, efficient, and sustainable
power grid.
To pave the way for DERs and a clean
grid, smart, efficient solutions will be
needed to enable a smooth transition
to electrification. Digital circuit breakers
could be one answer; with their ability to
simplify power systems and demand response
through remote control, they are
easier and faster to scale and customize
than traditional mechanical circuit breakers.
Digital circuit breakers might be the
technology needed to advance the integration
of DERs into the power generation
landscape, accelerating the adoption
of EVs by making EV charging more costeffective,
safer, and easier to scale, and
by facilitating the integration of multiple
DERs in the home. ■
-Mike Harris is the chief technology
officer for Atom Power.
43
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POWER October 2021

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