Utilities are facing increased challenges related to water through population growth, droughts and operational issues including increases in electricity prices and, as a result, are in need of information that goes beyond meter reading and provides the intelligence to transform operations from reactive to proactive. via Smart grid for water transforms utility ops from reactive Continue reading →
utility
Can the right combination of technology and economic incentives get utility customers to turn down megawatts of power use fast enough to balance wind power’s ups and downs? Honeywell and Hawaiian Electric Co. (HECO) are going to try it out on the island of Oahu, using Honeywell’s automated demand response technology. Under the two-year pilot Continue reading →
As utility industry trade show DistribuTECH wrapped up last Thursday, attendees got a peek at not only new product offerings — from smart thermostats to software platforms that manage smart meter data — but also the potential for what a utility of the future might look like. via What the utility of the future looks like Continue reading →
Digi International announced a ZigBee-based home energy gateway that runs Linux on a Freescale i.MX28 processor. Compliant with the upcoming Smart Energy 2.0 standard, the “ConnectPort X2e for Smart Energy” enables ZigBee devices on a Home Area Network (HAN) to communicate with an energy service provider, says the company. The ConnectPort X2e for Smart Energy Continue reading →
The DistribuTECH Conference and Exhibition is host not only to receptions, conference sessions, live demonstrations of smart grid technology and some of the utility industry’s sharpest minds. The conference, held in San Antonio Texas from January 24-26, 2012, is also where leading companies choose to make announcements that change the industry. Here are a few Continue reading →
Home Automation, Inc. (HAI), leading manufacturer of integrated security and home automation products since 1985, announced that their wireless energy management suite has been certified as a golden unit for ZigBee ® Smart Energy Profile 1.1. ZigBee Smart Energy Profile 1.1 is the newest version available for product development, and supports the diverse needs of Continue reading →
GridMaven Utility Solutions, a division of SK Telecom Americas (SKTA), today announced the availability of GridMaven Network Manager(TM), an entirely new approach to optimizing utility smart grid communication networks. GridMaven Network Manager(TM) (GNM) is a powerful software product that sits atop utility communication networks, allowing operators to manage them as a system and ensuring real-time Continue reading →
Utilities and their partners can take away part of $100,000 in funds from the Clean Technology and Sustainable Industries (CTSI) Organization’s Utility Technology Challenge for their visions of utility-focused energy technology. The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is contributing $50,000 to the funding pool. via Utilities can win part of $100k CTSI pie – FierceEnergy.
ComEd has filed its 10-year, $2.6 billion infrastructure investment plan with the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC). The utility plans to invest $1.3 billion to strengthen the electric system and another $1.3 billion to add smart grid and advanced meter technology throughout northern Illinois. via Renew Grid: Content / New & Noteworthy / ComEd Files 10-Year Continue reading →
Cinterion, the global leader in cellular machine-to-machine (M2M) communication and a Gemalto company (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO), today announced that its EU3 M2M module won a 2011 Smart Grid Excellence Award from SmartGrid.TMCnet.com. The award honors innovative technologies that enable smart grid deployments for global utility companies. via Cinterion Receives “2011 Smart Grid Excellence” Award – Continue reading →
Energy industry software company Tendril is aiming to garner interest from developers working to build applications for smart energy meter systems and the growing number of smart appliances for the home. A new developer portal has been launched to provide tools suited to smart devices using open and proprietary communication protocols with support for Android, Continue reading →
POWRtec International Corp. POWT +25.00% , an innovative California-based energy monitoring company, is pleased to comment upon the recent innovations within home appliances compatible with smart meters. Smart energy meters allow consumers to control the energy usage within their households and allow the utility companies to measure usage and avoid overcapacity. This provides a win-win Continue reading →
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has released its annual report about the state’s efforts to modernize the electric grid. The report provides an overview of the commission’s recommendations for the smart grid, utility deployment plans, and costs and benefits to ratepayers. via Renew Grid: Content / New & Noteworthy / California Makes Strides With Continue reading →
I had plenty of opportunities to think about the smart grid in northern New Jersey this year. First, a hurricane cut my power for almost four days. Then a freak Halloween snow storm took half of my town off the grid for more than a week. My own power during that time period switched on Continue reading →
A health risk assessment expert asserts that radio frequency signals from smart meters are significantly weaker and more infrequent than those emitted by common devices such as cell phones and microwave ovens, and do not pose a health hazard to electric utility customer. via Radio Frequency Signals in Smart Meters Not a Health Risk.
Itron has announced that Electrica de Guayaquil, a state-owned electric utility in Guayaquil, Ecuador, has wrapped up the installation of Latin America’s first meter-to-cash smart meter system, which uses Itron technology. via Smart Grid: Latin America’s first smart meter project now complete.
Kansas City Power & Light has filed a request for new and enhanced energy efficiency programs under the Missouri Energy Efficiency Investment Act. The filing makes KCP&L the first utility to file a proposal under the act with the Missouri Public Service Commission. KCP&L began a series of energy efficiency pilot programs in 2005 as Continue reading →
FreeWave Technologies was chosen by Comision Federal de Electricidad for wireless data radio applications such as power consumption and substation monitoring, as well as control and monitoring of power networks. CFE is the only electric power utility company in Mexico. It generates, transmits and distributes power and energy to nearly 100 million customers and is Continue reading →
Wind generation is rapidly increasing worldwide, and this trend is expected to continue. But wind power is intermittent, and integrating large amounts of the resource onto current and future grids remains an issue for the electric utility industry. via North American Windpower: Content / New & Noteworthy / DOE Report Outlines Challenges Of Integrating More Continue reading →
Researchers from the United States Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have released a report that could help optimize the way electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrids connect to the electric utility grids that power them. According to the press release, the test procedures enable “engineers, designers and utilities to evaluate the performance Continue reading →
