Smart Grid Blog

A federal plan to wire the entire United States with high-speed Internet access will be key to creating a nationwide “smart” power grid for reducing wasted electricity, according to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski recently provided a preview of the National Purposes Update, a document that identifies opportunities for broadband deployment to improve health care, education, employment and energy efficiency.

via National Broadband Plan Crucial For ‘Smart’ Power Grids.

Software AG, a global leader in business infrastructure software, announced that they are partnering with Siemens to support the UK Government's “smart grid” and “smart metering” initiatives. The UK Government has set a target date of 2020 for installing smart meters in over 26 million homes country-wide. Siemens and Software AG have developed a demonstration with partners Electralink and eMeter to show how a central communications gateway can provide access to, and control of, smart meters. Power providers can use ElecraLink’s interim solution — the Smart Interoperability Portal(TM) — to start using smart meters immediately.

via NewsFactor Network | Software AG & Siemens Team on UK Smart Meter Project.

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) announced the formation of the Smart Energy Study Group.

The team, made up of three sponsoring member companies including CSR, Broadcom and Emerson, will work together to address Smart Energy initiatives sponsored by governmental entities and other organizations interested in energy management throughout the world.

via Bluetooth SIG Forms Smart Energy Study Group.

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group has formed a Smart Energy Study Group to explore application in smart electric grids. CSR, Broadcom and Emerson Electric are the initial members of the group.

The study group will explore possible applications of Bluetooth in all aspects of the smart energy market. It will form a strategy for Bluetooth Smart Energy and make recommendations based on its findings.

via EETimes.com – Bluetooth group explores apps in smart grid.

SmartSynch, Inc., a smart grid technology company utilizing standard IP communications via public wireless networks, announced today that it will provide the City of Griffin, Georgia with a complete smart metering system for its entire electric service territory. This month, Griffin Power will begin deploying IP-enabled residential and commercial SmartSynch SmartMeters™ utilizing existing public wireless networks. The City of Griffin is the first municipal utility to deploy a territory-wide, comprehensive smart metering system utilizing public wireless networks as the communications backbone.

via Your Renewable News – SmartSynch to Provide the City of Griffin, Georgia with a Complete Smart Metering System Serving Its Entire Service Territory.

Tantalus Systems Corp. announces that Johnson City Power Board (JCPB) has selected Tantalus for a system-wide Smart Grid communications network.

The JCPB provides electricity and related services to over 74,000 metered locations in Washington County, along with portions of Sullivan, Greene, and Carter counties in Tennessee, making it the tenth largest public utility within the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) system. Tantalus will provide the JCPB with a full-scale, two-way smart metering solution that supports interval and on-demand reads, remote connect/disconnect services, instant outage/restoration alerts, and over-the-air firmware upgrades.

via PR-CANADA.net – Tantalus Technology to Power Johnson City’s Smart Grid.

Nick Sinai, the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) director of the newly created energy and environment division, outlined how his organization will work with and manage the smart grid industry.  Sinai made his remarks at the Cleantech Investor Summit held on January 21 in Palm Springs, California.

via FCC outlines how it will manage smart grid industry.

Electric, gas, and water utilities have installed more than five million Sensus FlexNet™ communications system endpoints the company announced today. Sensus’ customers include large Investor Owned Utilities, small municipalities, and rural electric cooperatives.

via Sensus Exceeds Five Million Smart Grid Endpoints | Business Wire.

2010 year will be a major year for the wireless standard WiMAX and the smart grid, says Sprint’s national program manager for utilities Robert Gustin. Sprint, the third largest phone company in the U.S., owns a joint venture with carrier Clearwire focused on WiMAX, a nascent, high-speed wireless technology that has morphed into an alternative wireless option for cell phone companies’ next-generation networks. Get ready for some big moves and partnerships this year from Sprint and other players when it comes to a WiMAX smart grid, Gustin told us in an interview last Friday.

via Sprint: 2010 Is a Major Year for The WiMAX Smart Grid.

Verizon Wireless and Ambient Corporation have turned the switch on their jointly developed Open Smart Grid Communications Architecture, an integrated smart grid solution and open communications network for utilities companies deploying smart grid programs.

via Smart Grid.

A San Diego company says it has found a novel way to communicate through electricity lines, allowing it to transmit video to billboards, payment information to gas pumps and data about the operation of an electric grid to power companies without radio waves or additional wires.

via Communication via power lines? – SignOnSanDiego.com.

“Smart Grid” fulfills a comprehensive vision to improve the reliability, efficiency, and security of the electric network. The current grid (or network) becomes “smart” when the conventional electric system is augmented with communications infrastructure, data management, automation, and control technologies that provide for improved management of power production, distribution, and consumption by power producers, distributors, and energy users.

via An Introduction to Smart Grid | Energy Authority.

When it comes to smart grid deployments the need for “open” architecture using Internet Protocol has become resounding (IP is one of our Winners of 2009 on GigaOM Pro). Hey, even the phone companies — who have long built closed, proprietary networks — want to offer something in the ballpark of an open network. This morning Verizon Wireless announced that it is partnering with Ambient Corporation to offer customers an “Open Smart Grid Communications Architecture,” which they bill as “an open communications network” for utilities’ smart grid programs.

via Verizon Wireless: We’ve Got An Open IP Smart Grid Network, Too.

Verizon Wireless and Ambient Corporation (OTC Bulletin Board: ABTG) today announced the launch of their jointly developed Open Smart Grid Communications Architecture, an integrated smart grid solution and open communications network for utilities deploying smart grid programs.

The Open Smart Grid Communications Architecture accelerates the deployment of secure smart grids, saving utilities the operational investment and maintenance cost of deploying a proprietary communications network.  The Ambient Smart Grid®, operating on Verizon Wireless’ network infrastructure, leverages the reliability and breadth of the Verizon Wireless network.  The architecture provides utilities with private IP clouds of connectivity creating virtual private networks, allowing the utility to benefit from Verizon Wireless’ continuous investment in network security, speed and reliability.

via Verizon Wireless and Ambient Corporation Launch Open Smart Grid Communications Architecture — BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and BOSTON, Jan. 13 /PRNewswire/ –.

OpenPeak Inc., a leading provider of VoIP multimedia touch-screen device and telephony systems, announced today that its OpenFrame® 7E VoIP multimedia home energy management and communications platform has achieved ZigBee Smart Energy Certification by the ZigBee® Alliance.

via OpenFrame 7E MultiMedia Home Energy Management Device Achieves ZigBee Alliance Smart Energy Certification.