News - September 2011

Packet Based Energy Delivery Systems - 30 Sep

By Bill St Arnaud

Internet engineers have long recognized the value of packet based networks, particularly those that support the end to end principle.

Packet based networks have many advantages over circuit based network architecture such as the ability to easily route around failures, to make more efficient use of network resources and to put the user or end device in control of the network.

In theory, building packet based energy delivery systems would also potentially enable a variety of new economic models or services. But the biggest challenge is finding a technology that would allow large power loads to be delivered and routed independent of each other from supplier to consumer. It is hard to imagine building an Ethernet switch or router that can process and handle packets of several hundred kilowatt-hours of power.

However a number of companies and green advocates are recognizing that the electric vehicle may be the ideal “packet” based power delivery system, which has the added advantage of already having an existing network infrastructure in place made up of our roads and highways. Rather than charging the eVehicle from stationary charging systems at home or business using power from the utility grid as is done today, a simpler architecture would be charge the vehicle as it moves, either through induction coils, or ultra-capacitor discharge plates embedded in the road bed every few kilometers or at stop lights and drive-through fast food restaurants or banks.

Existing stranded or stand alone green energy sources such as roadside windmills or solar panels could be used to provide power to the induction coils or ultra-capacitor discharge plates (sometimes referred to as pathway charging). Similarly these devices could be used to store and forward, or route power with every passing vehicle to enable delivery of power from a given source to destination. For example a fully charged eVehicle arriving at a stop light with an embedded induction coil or ultra-capacitor discharge plate could offload a significant portion of its power to another vehicle that might be passing through the same intersection on another route. The signaling and destination address of each “power packet” would have to be carried out of band by the automobile wirelessly communicating with the road embedded ultra capacitor or induction coil.

To date the deployment and adoption of electric vehicles has been hindered as they been simply as a one to one replacement for the traditional gas vehicle. But if the eVehicle could also be used not only for transportation, but as a low cost alternative to the utility grid, then it might have a much greater take up rate, as well as eliminating range anxiety. Imagine if your car could be used to deliver free, or almost free green power, from remote stranded power sources such as windmills and hydro facilities, not only to power the car, but also upon arrival at your destination, to power your home or business as well.

Mitsubishi, Honda and a few other eVehicle car companies are already starting to think along these lines.

For more details please see:

Green Investment Opportunity for small business - on the move electric car charging - http://green-broadband.blogspot.com/2010/04/green-investment-opportunity-for-small.html

How California suburban sprawl could be the answer to global warming - http://green-broadband.blogspot.com/2010/12/how-california-suburban-sprawl-could-be.html

Pathway Charging and Why Energy needs to be Free to reduce CO2 - http://green-broadband.blogspot.com/2011/01/why-energy-needs-to-be-free-to-reduce.html

Electric roads and Internet will allow coast to coast driving with no stopping and no emissions - http://green-broadband.blogspot.com/2011/05/electric-roads-and-internet-will-allow.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenIt%2FbroadbandAndCyber-infrastructure+%28Green+IT%2FBroadband+and+Cyber-Infrastructure%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher

Bombardier’s Primove - http://www.bombardier.com/en/transportation/sustainability/technology/primove-catenary-free-operation

Honda’s Roadside Electric Vehicle Charging - http://www.plugincars.com/honda-explores-electric-vehicle-solar-charging-106587.html 

A new look at an old idea: Powering autos as they move - http://green-broadband.blogspot.com/2011/03/new-look-at-old-idea-powering-autos.htm

Mitsubishi wants to use electric vehicles as mobile battery banks - http://www.greentelecomlive.com/2011/08/21/mitsubishi-wants-to-use-electric-vehicles-as-mobile-battery-banks/comment-page-1/#comment-75614

Mitsubishi Motors, Mitsubishi Electric, and Mitsubishi Corp., is set to trial a new energy storage system that will use electric vehicles as battery banks when they are parked.

The project, dubbed “V2X,” will be rolled out in a trial deployment at the parking facility of Mitsubishi Motors’ Nagoya plant by March 2012, and will use the batteries of electric vehicles as storage for energy generated by a set of solar panels on the roof, according to this report by Utility Products citing Electric Daily News.

The system is designed to take the energy generated by the solar panel and then store them in the batteries of the vehicles. While I’m not absolutely sure on the technical details, but the system seems to work by ensuring that none of the power generated by the solar panels are wasted by storing it inside the vehicles. The installation includes built in units that draw power from the vehicles as the grid requires power, including converting it to alternating current for general use.

I’m assuming that the system will have control mechanisms in place so it doesn’t drain the vehicles completely – so employees can get home, and that the vehicles will come into the facility with sufficient  storage capacity to make a difference.

Still, it is an interesting concept. After all, electric vehicles do have the potential to transport energy from one place to another. For example, all parking lots can have solar powered roofs, which will charge the vehicles during the day. Once fully charged, the vehicles can then be configured to pipe some of that power the home in the evening when the use gets home. That would enable every home with an electric vehicle to benefit from renewable energy to some extent – now that would be pretty cool.

What Future Energy? - 29 Sep 

All Energy Australia 2011 - 12-13 October, Melbourne

Australia – Electricity – The Carbon Price Scheme

In July 2011 the government launched its carbon price scheme, under this plan the 500 worst polluting companies in the country will have to pay a $23 price that would rise by 2.5% a year, before the government will move it to a market-based emissions scheme in mid-2015.

The scheme will cover 60% of the nation's carbon pollution apart from exempted agricultural and light vehicle emissions, with Treasury department models showing it would boost the consumer price index by only 0.7 per cent in the first year of the tax, in 2012-13.

The plan will cost $4.4 billion over four years to implement, but the bulk of this, $2.9 billion, is in the first year. Household and industry will be compensated. In overall terms, the cost of the carbon tax will push up the average household's costs by around $9.90 a week, while the compensation works out at $10.10. The government has offered tax cuts to low and middle-income households, as well as increased state pension and welfare payments.

Industry assistance will come from free carbon permits covering 94.5% of average costs for companies involved in the most emissions intensive and trade exposed sectors like aluminium smelters and steel manufacturers, while moderate emitting export industries would get 66% of permits for free.

The Government has the support from its minority plan and will start releasing draft legislation.

According to the Government, by 2020 the tax will have removed the emission equivalent of 45 million cars.

Australian Renewable Energy Agency

This new statutory authority will be established, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), with an independent board of directors and additional resources. It will incorporate the Australian Centre for Renewable Energy and the Australian Solar Institute. ARENA will provide funding for projects through a range of competitive grants programs. $3.2 billion in existing programs supporting research and development, demonstration and commercialisation of renewable energy technologies will be consolidated into ARENA, including:

• programs administered by the Australian Centre for Renewable Energy (ACRE);
• Australian Solar Institute;
• Australian Biofuels Research Institute;
• Solar Flagships Program;
• Low Emissions Technology Demonstration Fund renewable energy project;
• Connecting Renewables Initiative;
• Renewable Energy Demonstration Program;
• ACRE Solar projects;
• Geothermal Drilling Program;
• Second Generation Biofuels Program;
• Renewable Energy Venture Capital Fund; and
• Emerging Renewables Program.

ARENA will also receive significant future funding from:

• discretional dividends paid by the Clean Energy Finance Corporation; and
• a share of future carbon pricing mechanism revenue notionally allocated to the Jobs and Competitiveness Program should it be freed following Productivity Commission reviews.

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency will be part of the Resources, Energy and Tourism portfolio.

This is just a small part of what will be discussed at All Energy Australia 2011, 12-13 October in Melbourne. For more information please see: www.all-energy.com.au.

Smart Utilities Australia / New Zealand - 8 – 10 November 2011 - Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Sydney

Key smart grid projects

The major players building smart grids are mostly large energy retailers and producers supported by IT and telecommunications firms. Essential energy, Ergon and Ausgrid are perhaps the most active firms in this area. However, during 2010 others such as SP Ausnet and Endeavour Energy (formerly Integral) have also stepped up their activities here.

Fault detection isolation and restoration (FDIR)

Fault detection isolation and restoration (FDIR) is a key smart grid innovation for transmission and distribution companies. FDIR improves system reliability and saves on repair costs by automatically detecting and locating faults, rerouting service and speeding repair.

Victorian distribution companies (SP AusNet, Jemena and Citipower/Powercor) are targeting increased customer service levels, and in response to regulatory incentives have introduced measures that are currently delivering some of these benefits (eg, distribution feeder automation schemes). However, not all FDIR applications have been tested in all the relevant grid configurations such as mesh versus radial systems or in brownfield versus greenfield comparisons.

These applications provide an ideal environment for the Smart Grid/Smart City demonstration project to prove the benefits of integrated utility smart systems, as they typically require the inter-operation of a number of interdependent components that form the foundation building blocks of smart grids. Accordingly, FDIR would be a critical application to test in Smart Grid/Smart City. Some distributors, including Essential energy, have included some pieces of FDIR in their rate cases to the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) and are building business plans that illustrate the benefits of grid reliability systems.

Substation and feeder monitoring

Various network service providers throughout Australia have been deploying several types of condition monitoring systems for feeders and substation equipment, including power transformers. This is extremely beneficial in improving reliability as well as reducing operational costs for network service providers.

EnergyAustralia in particular has tested and begun deployment of distribution monitoring systems. However, the net benefits associated with remote control and monitoring are still not completely proven. Consequently Smart Grid/Smart City can help address this uncertainty and increase broader deployment of these substation and feeder monitoring systems.

Smart Utilities Australia / New Zealand Conference, 8 – 10 November 2011, Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Sydney will cover the latest smart grid solutions and technologies. For more information see: http://www.smartutilities-ausnz.com/  

If you have no power, energy efficiency is irrelevant - 21 Sep

By Bill St Arnaud

There are dozens, if not hundreds of research initiatives around the world looking at improving energy efficiency in computers and networks. Greentouch, Greenlight, GreenICT, etc are some typical examples. It is important to note that with energy efficiency we will only hope to reduce energy consumption and thereby lessen our dependence on coal and other dirty fuel sources. In the case of IT however, given its dramatic growth rate, the best we can hope for, in the short term, is to slow down the rate of growth of energy consumption.

But all these initiatives suffer from a single fundamental flaw in thinking – and that is the assumption that power from the grid will always be available, on demand and effectively unlimited.

In a rapidly warming world, with a growing dependence on renewable energy, means the reliability and availability of power from the grid is going to be less certain. Many jurisdictions such as California for example are committed to have 30% of their power from renewable resources. This means that on cloudy, windless days, the utilities will be scrambling to purchase power from out of state or shed low priority customers. Countries like Switzerland and Germany are also facing an impending power shortage because of their commitment to abandon nuclear power and to rely increasingly on renewable energy.

While energy storage and integrated grids will help mitigate some of the challenges of dealing with a greater percentage of renewable power in the energy mix, new energy architectures are needed on the demand side of the energy equation. So our future challenge will be more than simply reducing energy consumption but living in a world with frequent power outages as more of our energy comes from renewable sources.

A good example of this forward thinking of energy outages versus energy efficient is a recent project be undertaken by AMD, Hewlett Packard and Clarkson University funded by NYSERDA in New York State to carry out research in follow the wind/follow the sun cloud networks.

One of the challenges facing New York State is the number of stranded wind power assets that exist in the state, because “Nimbyism” has prevented the deployment of high voltage power lines to connect these facilities to the grid. As a result the state is funding this project to explore the idea of deploying small computing pods at each windmill linked together by fibre to build a follow the wind/follow the sun cloud/network.

Some further resources:
http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/research/dtg/www/files/publications/public/sa497/akoush-hotos11.pdf
www.greenstarnetwork.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFPvBjURlHA
http://green-global-economy.blogspot.com/
http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/research/dtg/research/wiki/CFTFP
http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/research/dtg/research/wiki/CFTFP

Smart Grid Maturity Model Update 2011 - 21 Sep

The Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon University released its 2011 Smart Grid Maturity Model (SGMM) update. The update announces Version 1.2 enhancements to the entire product suite and provides updates on the worldwide community of SGMM users and partners. The SGMM is a management tool to help utilities plan their smart grid journeys, prioritize their options, and measure progress as they move toward the realization of a modernized electric power grid.

The focus this year has been to improve the worldwide availability of SGMM Navigation, and they have accomplished that by enlisting seven partner organizations and training more than 30 SGMM Navigators.. SGMM Navigators are industry experts who have been trained and certified to guide utilities through the SGMM Navigation process, a five-step structured approach to applying the SGMM. The SGMM Partners are industry leaders who work directly with utilities to help them use the model as part of their roadmap and strategy development. The update document provides details on the seven partner organizations.

The update document, now in its third volume also provides news and information on the use of SGMM and revised community statistics for 2011. The SGMM community data demonstrates that the model is being used by a diverse set of utilities around the world, and repeat use data shows that utilities using the model are making progress with their smart grid implementations. The upcoming release of version 1.2 will leverage lessons learned from users to date and from partners to make the model easier to interpret and use.

With version 1.2, SGMM users will see the most significant changes within the Compass survey. Compass is a questionnaire-based assessment instrument that yields maturity ratings and performance comparisons of utilities using the SGMM.  They have reconstructed the Compass survey to collect a richer set of information about the utility and its performance to enable more sophisticated peer-to-peer comparisons and inform aspirations setting during assessments led by an SGMM Navigator.

The release of SGMM Version 1.2 also marks the end of the pilot license period. The licensing opportunity is now open to any organization that wishes to apply. This change will further support the global availability of SGMM technology. Over the last two years they have seen the SGMM applied to a variety of types, sizes, and geographical settings of utilities. With this release we wanted to create the opportunity for more organizations to become licensed SGMM partners. As more and more utilities participate and the SGMM experience base continues to grow, the more the model can be used to help inform the industry's smart grid transformation.

While there are many updates to the model, there were no significant structural changes, so organizations can still compare their V1.2 results with earlier versions of the SGMM. The SGMM V1.2 Model Definition Document, Matrix, and Compass Survey will be available for download on the SEI website later this year.

For more information or to download SGMM materials, visit the SEI website at http://www.sei.cmu.edu/smartgrid/.

About the Smart Grid Maturity Model (SGMM)

The SGMM is a management tool that helps utilities plan smart grid implementation, prioritize options, and measure progress.  Developed by utilities for utilities, the model is hosted by the SEI as a resource for industry transformation with the support of the US Department of Energy and input from a broad array of stakeholders. To learn more about the SGMM, visit http://www.sei.cmu.edu/smartgrid/tools/index.cfm.

About the SEI-Certified SGMM Navigator Process

SEI-Certified Smart Grid Maturity Model (SGMM) Navigators are industry experts who have been trained and certified to guide utilities through the SGMM Navigation process. Sponsored SEI-Certified SGMM Navigators deliver official licensed SEI SGMM Navigation process services on behalf of SEI Partner organizations. Navigators guide and manage an organization's Navigation process to determine its smart grid maturity. For more information on becoming an SEI-Certified SGMM Navigator Program, visit http://www.sei.cmu.edu/certification/sgmm/navigator/ 

Consumers Reveal the Smart Grid Benefits They Value Most - 21 Sep

In a new survey, consumers rank both the personal and societal benefits of smart grid technologies as very important to their consideration, support  and acceptance. The 2011 Consumer Pulse Survey, an American research project conducted for the Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative (SGCC) by Market Strategies International, conducted  in-depth analysis of the attitudes of 1,200 residential consumers to home energy  management, smart meters, and smart grid technologies in general.

They found consumers to be remarkably consistent in their evaluation of the benefits commonly associated with the smart grid and smart meters. The fact that respondents rated practical and financial concerns on par with environmental, conservation and energy independence issues tells much about what consumers value and the factors that may influence their energy decisions. The study reveals that many factors -- from a lower monthly bill to decreasing foreign energy imports -- encourage consumers to use the new technologies to manage energy usage.

Understanding the drivers of adoption can help energy and technology providers to develop messages and programs that meet consumer needs.

SGCC will release additional Consumer Pulse findings, including robust consumer segmentation, this month to SGCC members. Non members may access top-line findings at www.smartgridcc.org 

China to deploy 280 million Smart Meters by 2016 - 20 Sep

Modernizing the world’s electrical grid has been a long time in coming, with many parts of the grid more than 100 years old. Modernizing hasn’t been easy or cheap. Not only does the world’s electrical system require updates due to age, but as usage increases, and the building of more power plants becomes more difficult, upgrading the smart grid becomes a requirement, not an option. Deploying the smart grid requires hundreds of millions of smart meters. Worldwide, smart meter deployments continue to grow, driven in large part by very large deployments in China where new In-Stat research forecasts that the deployment of smart meters will reach 280 million by 2016.

“The smart meter is at the heart of the smart grid transformation, and even though infrastructure and customer education are also important, in these early days it’s all about the smart meter,” says Allen Nogee, Research Director. “Even without other changes, a smart meter allows a utility to offer a wider range of electric rates and to greatly reduce the cost of meter reading, which alone can eventually pay for the smart meter. With the large numbers of smart meter deployments forecasted, it naturally follows that many technology solutions will evolve, and that is exactly what is occurring.”

Recent In-Stat research found:

• Worldwide powerline is the clear leader in smart meter connectivity, connecting the meter back to the utility.  However, we are seeing an increasing number of wireless solutions including cellular, whitespace, and proprietary methods that use unlicensed spectrum and operate in a mesh configuration.
• China, the world’s biggest energy consumer, is also the biggest smart meter consumer.
• The number of smart meters deployed in the US per year will decrease after peaking in 2011, during which stimulus money drove utilities to update their meters, but worldwide, smart meter deployment will continue to grow.

For more information: http://www.instat.com/press.asp?ID=3257&sku=IN1104731WH 

U.S. and Europe to collaborate on smart grid standards development - 20 Sep

Europe and the US have identified Smart Grids as a major means for the necessary transformation of the power grid and to unlock the potential for innovation in the electric sector. Overall goals include reduction of carbon emissions and security of supply. Improved energy efficiency and usage of renewable energy are seen as key to reach these goals. Both measures call for modernization of our energy supply system leading to Smart Grids as key enabler for the required innovation. To promote this transformation both the US and EU have taken a number of actions including the EISA (2007) and ARRA (2009) in the US and the 3rd Package for the internal energy market (2009) in the EU. These have resulted in a number of standards initiatives like the NIST Interoperability framework4 in the US and a Smart Grid mandate in the EU. Similar activities have been started in other countries, e.g. in China, Japan, Korea and others.

Standardization of Smart Grids is not “business as usual”. The multi-sectoral nature of Smart Grids, the need for integration of multiple technologies, huge number of stakeholders, the necessary speed, the many international activities and the ever changing technical solutions make it a challenging task for standardization organizations worldwide. For reference or details see NIST interoperability report and EU report on standards for Smart Grids.

NIST and SG-CG promote a number of common positions and areas of collaboration to ensure a consistent set of standard. For the full report see: http://www.nist.gov/smartgrid/upload/eu-us-smartgrids-white-paper.pdf

Roadmap to Achieve Energy Delivery Systems Cybersecurity - 20 Sep

The U.S. Department of Energy recently released a report that aims to help public and private sectors figure out ways to protect the electric grid against cybersecurity breaches.

Energy delivery systems are critical to the effective and reliable operation of North America’s energy infrastructure. Our way of life is made possible by a vast network of processes that produce, transfer, and distribute energy as well as the interconnected electronic components, communication devices, and people that monitor and control those processes. Today’s highly reliable and flexible energy infrastructure depends on the ability of energy delivery systems to provide timely, accurate information to system operators and automated control over a large, dispersed network of assets and components. This vast and distributed control requires communication among millions of nodes and devices across multiple domains, exposing energy systems and other dependent infrastructures to potential harm from accidental and malevolent cyber attacks.

Cybersecurity is a serious and ongoing challenge for the energy sector. Cyber threats to energy delivery systems can impact national security, public safety, and the national economy. Because the private sector owns and operates most of the energy sector’s critical assets and infrastructure, and governments are responsible for national security, securing energy delivery systems against cyber threats is a shared responsibility of both the public and private sectors. A common vision and a framework for achieving that vision are needed to guide the public-private partnerships that will secure energy delivery systems.

For the full report see:
http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/Energy%20Delivery%20Systems%20Cybersecurity%20Roadmap_finalweb.pdf 

US utilities re-evaluating smart grid infrastructure - 19 Sep

The ongoing deployment of smart grid infrastructure including smart meters and distribution automation in the U.S. is prompting utility strategists to re-evaluate their organizations' back-end enterprise architectures in order to enable next-gen utility business and operational services, such as dynamic pricing, grid optimization, self-healing grids and renewables integration.

As utilities begin this re-evaluation, they are discovering an existing patchwork of legacy enterprise systems with little, architectural consistency. Utilities are beginning to understand the implications of outfitting their dated enterprise architectures with current information and operations technologies required to offer next-gen smart grid applications to both their in-house teams and end-users.

Record level of worldwide smart meter shipments - 19 Sep

Global smart meter shipments have grown 41% over the first quarter of 2011. Globally, smart meter manufacturers shipped 5.6 million smart meters bringing the total installed base to almost 90 million.

New research by IDC Energy Insights notes recent forecast projections show that 2011 growth will be significantly down compared to 2008, 2009, and 2010. The IDC Energy Insights Worldwide Quarterly Smart Meter Tracker results show that the smart metering industry is entering a period of global expansion and forecasts that the global installed smart meter base will reach nearly 490 million meters by 2015.

Forecasts show that smart meter shipments will grow significantly in EMEA, North America, and the Asia/Pacific regions in 2012, marking the first time since 2007 in which all three regions experienced simultaneous growth. Recent announcements, like the Holley Metering and Echelon deal show that China’s growth in smart meters will increase at the pace everyone has been expecting.

Growth in the next few years will be the result of expanding markets like China and Brazil It is expected that there will be continued momentum from Europe and North America as both regions have pending projects of scale. However, what will drive the industry back to years of 50% year-on-year growth will be China.

The smart metering market still faces daily challenges. Best practices are still being established, and utilities and vendors are still learning about security, protocol standardization, interoperability, and customer education. Growth in the next few years will introduce a group of new meter manufacturers that don't have the experience that industry leaders like Landis+Gyr, Itron, Sensus, Elster, and GE all have. 

Data analytics solutions - 13 Sep

The software killer apps for Smart Grid operations at both utility and regional grid levels will be found in data analytics solutions.

Sensing and communications technologies create massive volumes of data from thousands to millions of devices that range from meters to transformers, substations to transmission lines, and generation plants. This data gives utilities new information to revolutionize their operations and improve grid reliability, stability, and efficiency while reducing costs. But the new data could strain existing capacities of utilities to manage it. To realize the full benefits of the Smart Grid, data analytics solutions are needed to help utilities deal with the daily amount of data.

Data analytics solutions are already used in one part of the electrical grid. The electrical grid is a supply chain that consists of generation, transmission, distribution, and consumption. The transmission grid, which transports bulk power (electricity above 69kV), has been transforming into a smarter grid through remote wireless sensors and control devices that monitor line conditions and high-speed communications networks that transmit this data.

Data analysis also creates baselines using historical data to detect trends or patterns that will help grid operators identify pending failures and take corrective actions. Beyond these applications, analytics also aid in power system planning and modeling to integrate both traditional and intermittent renewable sources of generation into the grid and in the forensic analysis of failures.

The transmission part of the electrical grid is using Smart Grid communications technology and intelligent devices to improve grid reliability and stability. The distribution and consumption links in the electrical supply chain face different operational challenges, with implications for the rollout of data analytics killer apps.

Change in services driven by Sensing and monitoring information - 13 Sep

According to an Australian Communications and Media Authority report, information harvesting through sensing and monitoring is increasingly pervasive in many aspects of day-to-day life and is being used to drive changes in life-supporting sectors including areas such as; food, health, energy, environment, entertainment and social engagement.

The report, ‘Sensing and Monitoring – recent developments’ looks at changes in information and communications technology that support the collection, connection and analysis of data through sensing and monitoring. This data is then being used to drive changes in production and distribution processes and the reach of services in the Australian economy.

Sensing and monitoring provide the mechanism for the harvesting of digital data. Sensors are parts of machines that gather data and have an important role in the processing and transport of data. Monitoring is a process that observes a state in time or tracks changes in data sets to derive information.

The report also examines:

• the use of sensing and monitoring developments across particular industry sectors of the digital economy,
• potential implications of digital capabilities for users,
• while the information revolution can potentially empower both organisations and individuals, it is also creating a pervasive environment that is increasingly less private, shrouded in technology, and raising questions about ownership and use of gathered information.

The report found that consumer experience will continue to drive many aspects of sensing and monitoring in providing information to people. An example of this is the smartphone as a source of data. These phones have emerged as a device that meets the consumer-centric expectation by providing a rich human interface experience and the ability to acquire and sense information in a personalised environment.

The smartphone provides not only the data input and information output but, in some instances, the application platform as well. This can be challenging to providers as functional trade-offs are made between the machine and human interface. 

Microgrid work group established by the UN - 13 Sep

• Policy – appropriate regulations, policies and legal frameworks; subsidies; duties; taxes
• Technical – environmental impact; balancing technologies; system size and efficiency; high performance systems; best practice; training of local operators and users; maintenance, trade-offs with water, gas and fuel supply chain
• Financing – Offsetting high initial capital costs; private sector vs. community-run; tariff structure, incentives and loan guarantees.

A preliminary draft of the group’s work will be presented to the UN Secretary General in October 2011.

Benchmarking utility smart grid functionality - 13 Sep

Several rating systems are available to evaluate utility smart grid functionality relative to an ideal standard. The Smart Grid Maturity Model, was developed by IBM and turned over to Carneige Mellon University to maintain and extend in 2009. The model provides a framework to evaluate the current state of smart grid development in eight separate domains (e.g., grid operations, work and asset management, societal and environmental, etc.) using six levels of maturity ratings. The model has been applied at more than 120 utilities as of August, 2011.

The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) recently published a smart grid benefits rating system based on four categories: empowering consumers, creating a smart grid technology/services platform, facilitating sales of demand-side resources in wholesale markets and
reducing the environmental footprint. The EDF has applied this framework to evaluate several California utility smart grid programs.

For more info see: Evaluate your utility’s investment planning process.

ICEM 2011  - 12 Sep

Business R&D drops Down Under - 09 Sep

National smart grid network for the UK - 07 Sep

Smart metering and smart grid infrastructure has been taken seriously in the UK since 2007 when the then Labour government set in train the requirement for energy suppliers to install smart meters in most businesses by 2012. More in-depth measures were adopted in 2009, with proper strategic planning being formulated to put into practice the vision of how the country’s smart grid infrastructure should evolve. One of the plans was to develop a national smart meter scheme costing in excess of £8.6 billion to 2030. By 2020 up to 26 million electricity and 20 million gas meters will be replaced by a new company made up of the UK’s six principal power utilities – British Gas, EDF, E.ON, Scottish & Southern Energy, Scottish Power and RWE N-Power. The plan is in line with increasingly stringent EC rules on energy conservation and the requirement for Member States to procure a greater proportion of their energy needs from renewable sources and low-carbon sources.

To help maintain this impetus, the government and the utilities regulator Ofgem have supported a number of technology trials. Yet the vision goes far beyond technology: fundamentally, the challenge will incorporate necessary changes to the regulatory, legal, and commercial frameworks, as well as a massive cultural shift among consumers, whose cooperation, engagement and understanding of the benefits to themselves is crucial. To this end, smart grids supported by smart meters and smart appliances in their millions will be important cogs in an overall mechanism.

In mid-2010 the Coalition government first called for interest from companies to deploy a transmission network to support smart meter connectivity. Vodafone and O2 considered their existing mobile networks for the job, which had merit due to the networks’ comprehensive footprint, while a BT-led consortium suggested using a dedicated long-range, low-frequency radio network using low-end spectrum which could better penetrate buildings and so access places where meters are situated. The consortium included Arqiva, which has a national licence in the 28GHz band as well as frequencies in the 400MHz band, as also Detica and the smart meter manufacturer Sensus.

The government has recently announced contracts worth up to £4.59 billion to build a national wide area network (WAN) supporting smart meters. Uniquely in Europe, it plans to shoulder the cost of infrastructure as well as manage the data. Contracts are being split into three areas, encompassing northern England and Scotland, central England together with Wales, and southern England. Depending on the contract, each will run for between six and 15 years.

Henry Lancaster, senior researcher Europe, BuddeComm

Tokyo’s smart house - 01 Sep

Essential Energy focus on the consumer - 01 Sep

The roll-out of technology for the company’s first regional Intelligent Network (IN) trial in Bega and Tathra (South Coast NSW) is nearing the halfway mark, as residents prepare to play a role in helping shape an automated and intuitive electricity network for the future.

The trial, which combines the installation of advanced information technology on the electricity network and the integration of IN-home displays and meters has already connected more than 700 intelligent network meters, 22 line fault sensors, 46 remote switches, and other automated equipment to the network.

This network is providing the company with live data from the network which allows them to remotely monitor power quality and detect issues in real-time before customers are impacted.

Through its newsletter ‘IN The Loop’ the company is keeping the community up-to-date with the latest developments from the trial. The publication provides information on the range of technologies that the company is road testing, what’s happened so far and what’s coming up in the trial. It also invites people to log feedback or ask questions about the trial by dropping into their Essential Service Centre or by email.

The CSIRO and Essential Energy are in the process of designing individual customer packages to be introduced in the coming months. These free packages may include IN-Home displays, access to an online portal, energy advice and energy audits to help customers see and manage their energy usage in realtime.

For more information see: www.intelligentnetwork.com.au