This afternoon’s session of the Smart Grid Summit at the 20th Annual ITEXPO in Los Angeles addressed leveraging wireless broadband technology within the so-called “smart grid,” which updates traditional power grids by carrying electricity using digital technology.
Keynote speaker Kevin Suitor, vice president of corporate marketing of Ontario-based Redline Communications (News – Alert), discussed some of the pivotal factors necessary to successfully leverage the smart grids initiative, first noting the imperative for adequate support from utilities. Industry experts say smart grids could hold a key to improving electrical system efficiency and environmental footprint while making the system more reliable, with fewer outages.
Of the $43 billion federal appropriation allocated for the energy sector in the U.S. stimulus package, roughly $4.5 billion is aimed at smart grid projects. IT research firm Gartner (News – Alert) estimates that more than 150 million so-called “smart meters” to be installed worldwide in the next five years, with approximately 50 percent installed in North America.
via Smart Grid.
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