Proactive technology watch
used to carry the conductors. The same goes for the IT and
In studies conducted with neighbouring countries, Elia is ex-
of ‘smart grids’. These are grids in which consumers are in-
amining use of high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) technol-
formed of electricity prices in near real time, allowing them
ogy. Converters at either end of a direct-current connection
to modify their consumption and thus control the size of their
transform alternating current into direct current and vice
bills. These grids of the future are also better at integrating
versa. Despite costing between 5 and 10 times more than
local production through cogeneration and renewable energy,
an alternating-current overhead connection, this type of con-
thereby balancing production and consumption at a lower
nection is set to become more and more common, either for
cost, even down to residential customer level (e.g. electricity
interconnections using undersea cables or when the distance
generated using photovoltaic cells).
telecommunication technologies underpinning the concept
between the place of production and the place of consumption is great. Elia is also committed to using technologies, such as hightemperature conductors, which allow transmission capacity to be increased without having to alter the design of the towers
Elia — Annual Report 2008 35