LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND // It is a high-wire balancing act.
To modulate the flow of energy generated by a combination of solar farms, wind turbines and power plants to match a community's demand, you need to assess economic and environmental benefits on the world's most slippery abacus, power grids that have become more complex and less predictable.
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At the moment, the companies that run power systems rely mainly on algorithms to work out how to route power. But responding to a wide array of conditions while guaranteeing uninterrupted supply at all times, without limiting how much people can consume, has proven challenging and even ineffective.
In Al Hamra village of Ras al Khaimah, for instance, the energy from some half a dozen generators is distributed in a fixed and automatic way. That makes the system vulnerable to breakdowns and blackouts, repeatedly forcing families from their homes in the hot summer months.
Now a group of Swiss researchers plans to implement for the first time a smart power grid on a chip that they say will manage supply and demand thousands of times faster than any comparable system.
Using a single, cheap microchip - it costs about the same as a latte - the technology will dramatically speed up the response to sudden power failures, and even anticipate them before they happen.
Maher Kayal, a professor of electrical engineering and analog circuits who works in the Electronics Laboratory at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), has already managed to develop hardware for managing a network 1,000 times more quickly than existing technology.
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His team's latest chip, which will be tested on a large scale in Ras al Khaimah, can compute 10,000 times faster than real-time, allowing it to play out thousands of scenarios and calculate which is more likely. It emulates the power system and its behaviour in its mapped circuitry, working out the interplay between the currents and voltages from the various generators, the losses and resistances of the transmission lines and the power loads.
"As soon as you mismatch supply and demand, the whole system collapses, and this is why you see these blackouts," said Prof Kayal.
"But if we are faster than the real time, if we can create something on the silicon that is dedicated to the details of the grid, so that every single failure scenario or behaviour is pre-defined and anticipated, we have an answer for every disturbance and it is solved before it has even happened. Computers now are not able to solve such problems."
It was an inability of the grid to adjust quickly to an unexpected event - the sagging and then shutdown of a single high-voltage power line -that lay at the root of the 2003 blackout across much of north-eastern North America.
The Al Hamra pilot project is among several being run in Ras al Khaimah by EPFL, which has launched a new post-graduate programme in the emirate. Officials see the area as a clean slate for case studies and experimental research of energy systems, energy management and sustainable urban design.
This is the sort of long-term thinking that many in the Northern Emirates, including members of the FNC have called for amid recurring blackouts in Sharjah and Fujairah, particularly when demand peaks in summer.
In Al Hamra village, Prof Kayal's team will install plugs in homes to monitor the amount of energy being drawn from every socket in every room in every home.
That data will be fed to a website that will be open to the public. As well as providing a clearer picture of how power is distributed to different areas at different times, the project could also embarrass people into being more energy-conscious, he said.
"The future is about communicating energy - that is part of what makes energy smart," he said.
"If done right, we could generate less pollution, successfully introduce more and more green energy to the system, and at the end of the day spend less money after using the same amount of energy."
The chip could also be programmed to draw more power from renewable energy sources when they are more readily available, depending on climatic conditions.
The plugs could eventually allow users to control power when they are away from home, remotely switch electronics or air conditioning off and on. Temperatures for air or hot water could be adjusted by just a couple of degrees when the grid needs to be balanced.
"When you have top-down control and can optimise consumption minute-to-minute, and swap the percentage drawn from a source based on, say, how costly it is at a given time, you can dispatch in such a way to save money," Prof Kayal said.
Currently, systems that measure power demand typically have a 10-minute time lag, while plans for some wide-scale power management systems in other parts of the world would cut that to as little as two minutes. Still, that leaves a gap.
"We are blind in that time," said Theo Kyriakidis, a student who will be working on the project. "Any fault, such as a thunderbolt or equipment malfunction, could happen to the grid, but if we have already emulated thousands of these sort of scenarios we can actually predict the future."
The lightning risk, for example, is greater than one might expect. In 1999, a lightning strike sparked what at the time was the world's biggest blackout, with power lost to tens of millions of people in southern Brazil.
The chip, which Prof Kayal said would cost only a few dollars, could be reconfigured and programmed according to town or district by matching its tiny architecture to each detail of the power system.
But it is a way off yet. Although the Swiss-Swedish power company ABB, which is partly funding the project, has filed for a patent, work on the Ras al Khaimah pilot will not begin in earnest until next year, and it is likely to be five years before the system is commercially available.
econroy@thenational.ae
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
8 UAE companies helping families reduce their carbon footprint
Greenheart Organic Farms
This Dubai company was one of the country’s first organic farms, set up in 2012, and it now delivers a wide array of fruits and vegetables grown regionally or in the UAE, as well as other grocery items, to both Dubai and Abu Dhabi doorsteps.
www.greenheartuae.com
Modibodi
Founded in Australia, Modibodi is now in the UAE with waste-free, reusable underwear that eliminates the litter created by a woman’s monthly cycle, which adds up to approximately 136kgs of sanitary waste over a lifetime.
www.modibodi.ae
The Good Karma Co
From brushes made of plant fibres to eco-friendly storage solutions, this company has planet-friendly alternatives to almost everything we need, including tin foil and toothbrushes.
www.instagram.com/thegoodkarmaco
Re:told
One Dubai boutique, Re:told, is taking second-hand garments and selling them on at a fraction of the price, helping to cut back on the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of clothes thrown into landfills each year.
www.shopretold.com
Lush
Lush provides products such as shampoo and conditioner as package-free bars with reusable tins to store.
www.mena.lush.com
Bubble Bro
Offering filtered, still and sparkling water on tap, Bubble Bro is attempting to ensure we don’t produce plastic or glass waste. Founded in 2017 by Adel Abu-Aysha, the company is on track to exceeding its target of saving one million bottles by the end of the year.
www.bubble-bro.com
Coethical
This company offers refillable, eco-friendly home cleaning and hygiene products that are all biodegradable, free of chemicals and certifiably not tested on animals.
www.instagram.com/coethical
Eggs & Soldiers
This bricks-and-mortar shop and e-store, founded by a Dubai mum-of-four, is the place to go for all manner of family products – from reusable cloth diapers to organic skincare and sustainable toys.
www.eggsnsoldiers.com
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Jawan
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Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
MATCH INFO
Burnley 0
Man City 3
Raheem Sterling 35', 49'
Ferran Torres 65'
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday (All UAE kick-off times)
Cagliari v AC Milan (6pm)
Lazio v Napoli (9pm)
Inter Milan v Atalanta (11.45pm)
Sunday
Udinese v Sassuolo (3.30pm)
Sampdoria v Brescia (6pm)
Fiorentina v SPAL (6pm)
Torino v Bologna (6pm)
Verona v Genoa (9pm)
Roma V Juventus (11.45pm)
Parma v Lecce (11.45pm)
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Keep it fun and engaging
Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.
“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.
His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.
He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.
UAE rugby in numbers
5 - Year sponsorship deal between Hesco and Jebel Ali Dragons
700 - Dubai Hurricanes had more than 700 playing members last season between their mini and youth, men's and women's teams
Dh600,000 - Dubai Exiles' budget for pitch and court hire next season, for their rugby, netball and cricket teams
Dh1.8m - Dubai Hurricanes' overall budget for next season
Dh2.8m - Dubai Exiles’ overall budget for next season
The specs: 2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross
Price, base / as tested: Dh101,140 / Dh113,800
Engine: Turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder
Power: 148hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 250Nm @ 2,000rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed CVT
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
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