All you have to do to get a peek at the future of machine-to-machine (M2M) technology is take one look at the U.S. Department of Energy’s manifesto for reforming the nation’s electric grid.
Phrases like “integrated communications” and “killer apps” leap off the page as the department discusses the national initiative to make the electric grid “smart.” Among the five core technologies driving the effort: integrated communications that connect “components to open architecture for real-time information and control, allowing every part of the grid to both ‘talk’ and ‘listen.’”
Sound familiar?
M2M technology is positioned to play a key role in updating the nation’s inefficient, dangerously outdated electric grid. Under President Barack Obama’s Recovery Act, the Department of Energy will spend $4.5 billion as a down payment to “advance the development and deployment of a smart electricity grid that employs real-time, two-way digital communication technologies to allow users to connect directly with power suppliers.”
Thanks to the “Internet of machines” high-profile role improving the electric grid, the utilitarian technology is finally getting its day in the sun. The Department of Energy says that M2M technology will help monitor the grid, increasing its reliability, efficiency and security. Utility companies can get instant feedback on problems with the grid, like transformer outages.
M2M technology also will help utilities shift between energy sources, allowing them to integrate renewable energy like wind and solar into electricity generated from coal-burning power plants. In addition, the technology can help consumers save money by adjusting thermostats and appliances up or down in relation to the variable cost of power.
