Electricity is a fundamental component in our modern world, and yet the basics of its creation and distribution haven’t altered fundamentally since the 19th century.

However, the energy transition is set to change all that.

As solar and wind power make their way onto the grid, a complete transformation of both the grid and the social and political structures around it is underway. This will have far reaching consequences, not just for the technology involved but also for the way we think about and manage the grid.

This clearly written and authoritative text book deals with every aspect of the transformation. Social, technical and regulatory, and is a must read for anyone who is serious about understanding the energy transition.

For the layperson there is an introduction to the basic concepts of grid stability, and how this has been achieved in the past and how renewables are challenging the rules.

There is an easy to understand explanation of the role of blockchain accounting systems, voltage and frequency control and the market mechanisms behind this.

For students of electrical engineering this will refresh the basic engineering concepts and bring them up to speed with the latest components of the new grid. Topics like local energy markets (LEMs), and synchronous generation and how that is achieved in the era of low inertia are also covered.

For the regulator and policymaker, there are chapters on how regulations are shifting in order for a new kind of peer to peer trading to become permissible; there is also an in depth analysis of the changing face of energy poverty across the world.

For electrical engineers who need to look beyond the electrons and phasor diagrams this is also a comprehensive guide to the complex emergent social structures that come with Peer to Peer trading.

And finally, for consultants who need to maintain a professional level of understanding of the grid, but also want a cogent analysis of grid vulnerabilities that became apparent after the Texas blackout, this book offers some definitive answers.

Never before has such a comprehensive treatment of the topic been attempted.

Whatever background you are coming from, this book is an essential guide to the future of the electrical grid as it changes to meet the demands of the new order.

Buy your own copy here