The "Smart Grid" seems to be a buzz phrase du jour that is coming on strong.
Here are some examples of places I have seen the term come up:
Power Firms Grasp New Technology for Aging Grid
Silver Spring Networks fills coffers, eyes IPO | Green Tech - CNET News
GE Energy - Transmission and Distribution
Smart Grid Appliances to Call on AT&T
Lots of activity happening here recently.
Here are some examples of places I have seen the term come up:
Power Firms Grasp New Technology for Aging Grid
Utility PG&E placing bets in solar tech race | Green Tech - CNET NewsFaced with the threat of a major crisis from handling increased loads over electricity bottlenecks with 100-year-old gear, electric power providers are eying new technology to help shore up America's aging grid with about $17 billion in spending by 2010.
...
"If we don't invest in technology and we continue to have an antiquated system that's not able to predict problems before they happen, we'll be looking at increasing power quality problems and blackouts," said David Brewster, president of EnerNoc , a provider of so-called "smart grid" technology.
...
Xcel Energy has been applying new grid technology in Boulder, Colo., which it's dubbing the nation's first "SmartGridCity." And Dominion's Virginia Power unit has been offering smart meters to home owners to tell them how much energy they're using and how much it costs.
...In addition to its huge solar program, {PG&E} considered one of the most progressive and technology-savvy utilities in the U.S.--is in the process of rolling out smart-grid capabilities to 5 million homes. It is also exploring large-scale energy storage methods, including batteries, compressed air, and pumped hydro, executives said.
Silver Spring Networks fills coffers, eyes IPO | Green Tech - CNET News
...Smart-grid upstart Silver Spring Networks closed a round of funding on March 1, which the company hopes will be its last before going public ...
Silver Spring is one of the most established smart-grid companies in the burgeoning field. Founded in 2002, the company has a few large contracts with U.S. utilities, notably Pacific Gas & Electric, Florida Power and Light, and Pepco. It is negotiating deals with other utilities that could connect between 10 million and 12 million homes, Lang said.
The company makes software and chips to create a network that brokers communications between utilities and customers. For example, its products can be embedded in a smart meter so that it can send usage information to utilties in regular intervals and utilities can send electricity rate information to customers in real time.
From a technology point of view, Silicon Valley-based Silver Spring Networks is well known for its decision to use the Internet Protocol standard as the basis for its products.
"I believe that ultimately the trend is toward IP. It creates an open playing field," Lang said. "If the industry doesn't standardize on this, what are we going to standardize on?"
Speedy progress in California
Last July, Pacific Gas & Electric chose Silver Spring Networks as its supplier for a large-scale smart-grid project worth about $200 million, according to Lang.
He predicted that the roll-out of smart-grid gear to 5 million people will take two and a half years, rather than the five years as originally projected.
"The ramp-up is unbelievable. We are deploying over 100,000 homes a month and that will probably double next quarter," he said.
The massive government stimulus plan set aside billions of dollars for modernizing the grid, which includes smart-grid projects.
Lang said that Silver Spring Networks won't benefit directly from government incentives, but it will speed up existing projects. Its Florida Power & Light project is designed to bring smart-grid networking to 4.5 million people over the next four years, which could be shortened from the stimulus money, he said.
GE Energy - Transmission and Distribution
Smart Grid: Smart Grid News - Grid Modernization and the Smart GridGE has a comprehensive transmission and distribution portfolio with products and services that enable grid intelligence processes. These tools help utilities better manage assets and resources by converting data into knowledge that decision makers use to drive greater productivity and profitability.
Obama Feeling Smart (Grid)...Stimulus means $8.3B to grid, IDC predicts. Research firm IDC foresees a jump in technology sales owing to the Obama economic stimulus bill. High-tech provisions in the recently passed law could mean a $100B in revenue for technology companies. Money for Smart Grid and renewable energy will prime the pump for a total of $77B in spending, the report predicts (some of it from the required 50% match). The largest chunk, $66B, would go to renewable energy sources like solar and wind power. $8.6B could be spent on Smart Grid technology, such as smart meters. And another $3B could go to energy conservation technologies for commercial buildings, including programmable thermostats and other systems. Although Goldman Sachs has said that global technology spending could drop 9% this year, an IDC analyst expects the U.S. tech industry to expand by 0.1%....
When Does an Interest Start Being "Special"?
After years of railing against special interests, I find myself presented with a quandary. Special interests are lining up behind the Smart Grid technology I love and, in doing so, risk saddling this cool program with the baggage intrinsic to special interests.
Even as lawmakers spent yesterday grilling everyone from members of the DOE to representatives from Google about Smart Grids, the groundwork for a Smart Grid might already have been assumed. And, no, I’m not talking power lines and sub stations, I’m talking political donations....
Smart Grid Appliances to Call on AT&T
IBM Moving Smart Grids Up on the To-Do List | EcoGeek - Clean Technology...Smart Grid Appliances to Call on AT&T While consumers sometimes must watch their volume of text messages to limit phone charges, new smart meters will automatically reduce utility bills using the same wireless networks. Smart grid company currently SmartSynch provides technology to more than 100 utilities to connect their equipment to the grid via IP (Internet Protocol) communications. The company has now developed services and software that similarly enable consumer devices to talk the grid over AT&T's ubiquitous wireless networks...
etc....IBM Moving Smart Grids Up on the To-Do List
...IBM is putting smart grids on their front burner by preparing a technical framework that will help to efficiently and effectively put new technology into the old electricity distribution grid....
Lots of activity happening here recently.
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