Vancouverites are the first in line for Nissan’s new LEAF electric car in 2011 — a year before global distribution. BC Hydro is gearing up for their arrival, blanketing the city with smart meters and upgrading its electricity grid to support the charging needs of the LEAF. Whether this car is a success, however, depends in part on the ability of owners to charge these cars effectively and take advantage of time-ofuse rates.
smart meter
Oracle announced the availability of Oracle Utilities Meter Data Management 2.0, a key component of the Oracle Utilities Smart Meter Platform, which helps utilities manage the vast quantity of customer energy and water consumption data gathered from smart meter deployments.
With Oracle Utilities Smart Meter Platform, utilities can organize consumption data and turn it into actionable intelligence — improving service, controlling operational costs and responding appropriately to meter-related events and alerts.
Smart meters make alternative energy sources eminently practical.
Ever try to meet a friend downtown when one of you has forgotten to bring his cell phone? Or find your way to an obscure location without a portable GPS?
via Smart Meters Signal More Flexible Power Grid | Sustainable Development.
Smart meter installations are being blamed for two house fires in Arlington this week. The problem isn’t the meters themselves, but instead what’s happening to electrical wiring.
Wellington Energy, an independent contract working for Pacific Gas & Electric, has been replacing PG&E’s older analog natural-gas meters with battery-powered “smart meters.”
A judge will rule in the next two weeks on whether or not a moratorium can be placed on PG&E’s Smart Meter program. San Francisco filed a petition with the California Public Utilities Commission back in June requesting a moratorium on the installation of the wireless meters. Judge Tim Sullivan has so far declined to place a moratorium on the meters, but will make a final judgment, he said, in the next two weeks.
via San Anselmo-Fairfax Patch, CA – Judge may rule on Smart Meter program.
The introduction of smart metering will see an exponential increase in the volume of data collected by utilities companies. Data centers will have to grow to keep up with the growth of data. At first glance, the opportunities for data services should be immense. However, few utilities are considering this option at present.
All homeowners are aware that every home hooked into the grid is equipped with a confusing round-faced electrical meter.
A bunch of dials and a rotating wheel can be seen in all but the newest models.
The province and B.C. Hydro are about to change all of this. In the place of those mechanical meters, in the next couple of years, will be an electronic version, able to transmit directly to B.C. Hydro. All meter readers will soon need to find new employment.
Two million central Maryland households and businesses are in line to be the first in the country to have computerized electricity meters, called smart grids, designed to save money and allow customers to select when they use the most power.
via ‘Smart Grid’ Decision Win-Win For Marylanders – WBAL-TV News Story – WBAL Baltimore.
Google’s PowerMeter is making huge strides in leapfrogging the lumbering smart meter installation process, with utilities slowly integrating them into the nation-wide smart grid upgrade. For a quick refresher: the smart grid is an electric grid that is wholly connected, from energy source to end user, so that everyone who participates in the grid can be more effective in minimizing energy consumption. On the consumer’s end, a smart meter enables a dialogue between the utility company and the building, allowing for real time pricing and detailed feedback on consumption habits. However, despite the fact that several utilities are racing to install the latest hardware in homes and buildings, could Google be making the effort a waste of time? It’s a question being asked as the company lands partnerships with more device manufacturers that consumers can get ahold of and use without waiting around for utility companies to get their act together.
via Does Google’s PowerMeter Make Smart Meters Irrelevant? : TreeHugger.
US industrial giant General Electric has suspended plans to set up a smart-meter assembly plant in Scotland that could have created more than 100 jobs, prompting Scottish officials to lobby London counterparts for a quicker roll-out of the technology.
GE viewed at least two Scottish central belt sites earlier this year in a bid to build a European assembly hub. It would have produced millions of smart meters from components manufactured in Eastern Europe or Asia, but GE has now put the plans on ice.
The Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) on Friday conditionally approved Baltimore Gas and Electric Co.’s (BGE) revised smart grid implementation plan.
As a result, BGE, a subsidiary of Constellation Energy (NYSE:CEG), will move forward with implementation of a multi-million dollar plan that will receive $200 million in support from the U.S. Department of Energy.
via Maryland Regulators Approve BGE’s Revised Smart Grid Proposal.
After weeks of testimony and 11th-hour changes to its big smart meter project, Baltimore Gas & Electric has gotten itself back into the good graces of Maryland state regulators. The utility announced Monday (PDF) that the Maryland Public Service Commission approved the redrawn project on Friday, meaning BG&E won’t have to return a $200 million Department of Energy stimulus grant for it.
The new smart meters from Oncor are not only highly accurate at measuring electricity usage, they are also proving to be a good tool at uncovering electricity theft.
via Smart meters help nab thieves – TDTNews.com – Temple Daily Telegram.
Having a smart meter installed can save your business money and encourage staff to use electricity more efficiently.
Smart meters provide completely precise, real-time measurements of your energy use. These measurements are sent to your supplier direct by the meter, so your bills will no longer be based on estimates.
Tennessee-based utility Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW) has selected SmartSynch Inc. as its technology partner for a three-year smart grid pilot program that will cover about 1,000 households.
American Electric Power (AEP) says it is bringing its gridSMART program to the territory of its Public Service Co. of Oklahoma (PSO) subsidiary. The pilot project will extend to more than 13,000 customers in Owasso, Okla.
PSO says the project includes the installation of smart meters, a two-way wireless communications network and automated power-restoration equipment on its distribution system.
via Renew Grid: Content / Projects & Contracts / AEP Subsidiary Set To Deploy Smart Grid In Oklahoma.
eMeter, the global leader in Smart Grid Management software, today announced that The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), a Taiwanese research organization that serves to strengthen the technological competitiveness of Taiwan, has selected eMeter’s EnergyIP information platform and customer Web portal for use in its upcoming Smart Grid pilot program.
Energy IP was chosen for its reliability and scalability, and proven success in the market. “eMeter is definitely one of the global leaders in providing information management software for the Smart Grid and that’s why ITRI invites eMeter to join this pilot project”, said the project leader, Dr. Eager Huang, of ITRI.
TXU Energy has announced a new multi-year purchase, installation, and service agreement with Comverge, Inc. The exclusive agreement enables TXU Energy to expand, with plans to deploy 100,000 smart energy efficiency devices such as TXU Energy iThermostats and TXU Energy PowerMonitors in homes and businesses throughout Texas by 2012.
Kamstrup has been selected by Finnish electricity suppliers Kymenlaakson Sähkö (KS) and Pohjois-Karjalan Sähkö (PKS) to provide 146,000 smart meters – 65,000 for KS and 81,000 for PKS – with RF-based automatic meter management for their deployment. Mitox and Empower will be the primary contractors and roll-outs are expected to be completed by the end of 2014.
