As reported on Forbes.com, there’s the grid, the evolving smart grid and then there’s no grid at all. That’s the paradigm that Tesla is exploring in a new patent application, Number 16/186390, which calls for controlling energy generation interactions (solar roofs, anyone? ) that bypass the electric grid. These devices could talk to each other to, “enable sharing of power, controlling power flow over the direct connections, and/or recording relative power flows between the devices,” the application says.

The reason such a grid-bypassing system is needed, Tesla says, is because of the growth of residential and non-residential solar photovoltaic systems (and other renewable energy sources). The problem, though, is old-school connections. The application says:

“Most of these alternative-source systems are connected to the grid using preexisting electrical cables and utility company infrastructure. As such, they are not equipped to effectively manage power flow between the systems without accounting for control and/or regulatory issues. Still, even ignoring utility infrastructure constraints, current systems lack intersystem interaction capabilities”

Keep reading on Forbes.com

 

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