Smart Grid Blog

Chris Neisinger, executive director of network planning for Verizon, said the faster speeds not only make existing applications work better, but they also may usher in new services.

“We look at 4G as the opening for the ‘Internet of Things’ to connect smart meters, vehicles, telemedicine,” Neisinger said. “It’s really about enabling advanced applications and opening up wireless in new areas.”

via Carriers, consumers set sights on 4G – SignOnSanDiego.com.

Any smart grid is a telecommunications network for the utility and the communities it serves. 4G technologies provide any power utility with the most cost effective technology in monitoring the grid from power production to power consumption. Not only will a 4G smart grid read meters, they will also provide a range of cost saving services to the utility and the community as a whole. Mind Commerce’s new research 4G and WiMAX for the Smart Grid: Enabling Access, Applications and Affordability proposes WiMAX as a Last Mile or “Access” solution to provide a range of smart grid solutions or “Applications” which, when compared with other smart grid technologies such as Broadband over Power Line (BPL) come in at less than half the cost per household reached offering industry leading “Affordability” figures.

via 4G and WiMAX for the Smart Grid: Enabling Access, Applications and Affordability – Business Market Research Reports.

Smart grids represent a paradigm shift in electrical power distribution and management, incorporating advanced two-way communications and distributed computing capabilities for improved control, efficiency, reliability and safety. The smart grid offers a range of benefits for both consumers and utilities including real-time communication, monitoring and management of power delivery to homes and businesses, providing actionable information for reducing the consumers’ electricity costs and improving the management and control of the grid.

via 4G Leading the Way to a Smarter Grid.

A pilot program employing WiMax 4G communications and GE (GE 18.30, +0.01, +0.06%) smart meters has worked to allow Consumers Energy's Michigan customers to get the best out of their energy delivery infrastructure. This is the first-ever U.S. smart grid pilot program using this technology. The pilot seeks to demonstrate how real-time, wireless communications between meters in the home and the utility’s network management and control systems can improve efficiency and reliability for all.

via GE and Michigan’s Consumers Energy WiMAX Smart Meter Pilot Gives Utility Real-Time Power to Understand and Optimize Energy Delivery – MarketWatch.

The general feeling is that when the dust settles, Long Term Evolution (LTE) will be ahead of WiMax in the overall 4G bakeoff. Many observers suggest that WiMax could end up as a niche technology, while LTE, which is the favored approach of Verizon Wireless and AT&T, dominates.

If this is so, WiMax is making strides with at least one significant niche category: smart grid networking. Earth2Tech reports that startup Arcadian Networks has released the AE20r gateway, a WiMax-focused device. The story says that Arcadian, which owns spectrum in the middle of the country, sells smart grid services to utilities. The story notes other vendors in the smart grid/WiMax arena, including Grid Net, General Electric, Alvarion and National Grid.

via The WiMax/Smart Grid Partnership | Blogs | ITBusinessEdge.com.

Any smart grid is a telecommunications network for the utility and the communities it serves. 4G technologies provide any power utility with the most cost effective technology in monitoring the grid from power production to power consumption. Not only will a 4G smart grid read meters, they will also provide a range of cost saving services to the utility and the community as a whole.

via 4g And Wimax For The Smart Grid Enabling Access Applications And Affordability.

GE Energy Services, a supplier of power generation and energy delivery technologies, reportedly announced that its WiMAX (News – Alert) fourth-generation smart grid solution is installed by SP AusNet, a diversified energy business in Australia.

“SP AusNet is installing a highly capable smart grid communications system,” said Bob Gilligan, vice president of GE Energy Services’ transmission and distribution business, in a statement. “This smart grid solution will help the utility enjoy the immediate benefits of smart metering, while providing them with a powerful platform to readily adopt additional smart grid technologies to further improve energy efficiencies, improve reliability, empower consumers with information and integrate cleaner energy sources.”

via Smart Grid.