Smart Grid and nanotechnologies: a solution for clean and sustainable energy

Environmental sustainability remains a big trend; topics such as climate change and global warming are generating a lot of discussion. Growing world energy demand from fossil fuels plays a key role in the upward trend in CO2 emissions and is the main source of human-induced climate changes. While energy systems around the world remain at vastly different stages of development, all countries share a common problem: they are far away from achieving sustainable energy systems. As levels of CO2 and other greenhouse gases continue to rise in the atmosphere, with historical maximums reached lately, sustainability in energy generation and energy efficiency principles is becoming ever more important. In this paper, we describe the effects that development of new technologies, such as Smart Grid and nanotechnology will likely have on reducing carbon emissions. We discuss the main requirements and features of Smart Grids to integrate energy efficiency, the enabler technologies, and expected benefits they will bring. As findings in this review paper document, recent progress suggests that Smart Grid can become an integral part of future clean energy solutions, while nanotechnology will likely become indispensable for the Smart Grid to fully evolve in the near future.