▲ Photo by Global Jeju Times team

[This article is written by a JDC Junior Journalist. The JDC Junior Journalist program is an educational project sponsored by Jeju Free International City Development Corporation (JDC). JDC Junior Journalist articles are only briefly edited by mentors before publishing.]

Surely, people need electricity in life. But in these days, people are worried about power shortages. A power shortage occurs when there is more consumer demand for electricity than the power grid is able to supply. There are many solution that people can solve this problem. One of the solution is the ‘Smart Grid’. The smart grid is a system that combines electrical production, transportation, consumption with information and communication technology.

The smart grid also in corporates renewable energy such as solar heat, wind power, waste energy, water power and so on. According to the guide in the KEPCO (Korea Electrical Power Corporation) Experience Hall, in Gujwa-eup, there’re two wind turbines and one produces 200 MW and another produces 300MW. Usually on family use 3~5 KW/24hr (1 MW is 1000 KW.) 1000 families can use the energy from wind turbines in one day. Currently on Jeju, there are 62 wind turbines.

According to the guide, in 2009, the smart grid first came on-line in Jeju. Possibly by 2020, the smart grid will extend to all of South Korea. There are plans to export the smart grid technology around the world by 2030.

Possibly one day people all over the world will benefit from this technology and be able to use energy resources in a more efficient and cost effective way., so that people can save money and energy, too. If so, the smart grid may become the hero of the power shortage and the people.