THE SMART GRID TECHNOLOGY IN POLAND AS A PART OF GLOBAL ELECTRIC POWER SYSTEM

In the era of growing world demand for electricity, combined with clearly visible necessity of rational use and supplementation of fossil fuels, the global electric power system faces new challenges. Intensive development of the electrical energy production from renewable sources causes the necessity to include them in the global electricity production. This challenge is connected with applying of completely new ideas of comprehension and functioning of the electrical power engineering system. Computer technologies implemented in power engineering are trying to meet new challenges. These technologies allow to control the distributed generation system and adapt its state for the current and forecasted production of electricity. A holistic approach to the problem of the modern production of electricity has led to the development of Smart Grids. In the article the current state and prospects of the Smart Grid technology development in Poland as a part of global electric power system were presented. The current assessment was based on statistics of the projects, the sources of their financing and the Smart Grid technology applications. This analysis was compared with selected examples of the situation in other European countries. The prospects for the development of Smart Grid technology in Poland are shown in terms of geographical, legal and economic aspects. The special attention was paid to the relations between opening for implementing the new technology, renewable energy sources and behaviour of the electric power industry. In the summary, the authors focused on the presentation of elements, that stimulate the development of the Smart Grid.