Summer never fails to bring the heat, and the increased temperatures have certainly made their presence felt this year. The energy industry in particular has been suffering, as extreme heat cost the United States $162 billion in 2024. Heat waves alone are enough to place significant stress on the energy grid, but when this is combined with the fact that an increasing number of people rely on air conditioning to keep their homes cool, this becomes a major issue. Power grids are doing their best to cope with the effects of the heat surge, but there are certain strategies that can be implemented to allow our energy grid to be more resilient.
Before getting into the solutions to the heat crisis, let's dive a little deeper into exactly how heat disrupts the energy generation process. As mentioned previously, heat waves in turn cause more people to use more air conditioning than normal. This is not just in homes, but also in places like businesses that are much larger and are open 24 hours a day, which places more strain on power grids. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg, as the production of energy is also slowed during heat waves. One example of this is natural gas turbines, whose production becomes approximately 25% less efficient in hot weather.
Thermal power plants are another area that is drastically affected by high temperatures, as they rely on water to cool down. When the weather is hotter, the water is warmer, meaning the plants cannot cool down as quickly, and energy production is slowed. It has even been noted that solar panels see a reduction in efficiency during heat waves, contrary to what might seem intuitive. This is because when a material that is acting as a conductor heats up, it causes the molecules that make it up to vibrate. When these molecules are vibrating instead of just flowing right through the solar panels, it can cause electron traffic jams. This means less solar energy can be produced because electrons cannot flow through solar panels as quickly.
While this all sounds very grim, numerous efforts are currently underway to help power grids cope with surging temperatures. One team of researchers recently discovered that adding graphene to copper wiring can assist with preserving its ability to act as a conductor even when the environment heats up. Graphene is a two-dimensional material that turns into graphite when it's stacked.
Additionally, programs like the Affordable Home Energy Shot, State and Community Energy Programs (SCEP), Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED), Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (DOE), and the Home Energy Rebates program are all doing work under the Department of Energy to try and make our energy grid as efficient as possible during heat surges.
In terms of infrastructure upgrades that would be able to make an impact, Edward Muljadi, the Danaher Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Auburn University, shared his ideal grid upgrades. He started by emphasizing the importance of investing in the grid, saying, "We need to build a grid that's smarter, stronger, and more flexible. That means investing in large-scale battery storage, improving transmission lines so they can handle higher loads, and modernizing substations with better cooling systems and monitoring tools." He also mentioned that real-time metering to monitor when energy flow dips and automated fault detection would increase the responsiveness of systems.
Muljadi then went into what he believes needs to happen from a policy side to improve the grid's efficiency, stating, "We need faster permitting for new infrastructure, incentives for utilities to modernize, and stronger demand-response programs. Updating building codes to improve insulation and reduce cooling needs is also key."
Vulnerable groups like elderly people and people with disabilities are more at risk for heat-related health complications than the average person. This means that it's extra important to ensure that nobody is left behind when the allocation of resources is being discussed. Many people are left in dangerous conditions with no way of escaping. Because of this, it is crucial to recognize that everybody deserves access to energy that is safe, accessible, and affordable.