Smart Grid Update

Consumer demand response market to transform utilities into service companies

Jason Deign — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 15:35:38 +0000

Précis:

Utilities have a critical need to get consumers to help out with demand response. But what’s in it for the person on the street?

What has a power utility got in common with an estate agent? The answer, according to Richard St Clair, managing director of the metering company Elster in the UK, is that the average consumer is not particularly keen on hearing from either.

“You don’t want to interact with your utility,” he guesses. But utilities will need that to change. You have got something they want. And it is not just your money: increasingly, it is part of the energy you consume.

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Automated Demand Response hits Europe for first time

Elisabeth Jeffries — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:31:14 +0000

Précis:

Supply contracts look promising as an automated demand response (ADR) system common in the US is to be introduced in Europe for the first time. OEM acquisitions of ADR supportive technology is also ramping up.

The ADR, which depends on specialist software, provides utilities with two-way communication with energy management systems in commercial and industrial sites and is intended for up to 30 buildings in Bracknell, Berkshire. What are the benefits and why now?

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AlertMe CEO Mary Turner: "smart homes the new email"

Katherine Steiner-Dicks — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:17:04 +0000

Précis:

Following the recent partnership with Lowe’s, the second largest home improvement company in the world, Mary Turner, CEO of AlertMe, the UK-based smart home technology company, chats to Smart Grid Update about cracking the US market and being on the cusp of the next big technology revolution.

When a UK venture-backed business not only cracks the US retail market, but cracks it with a company with 1,725 stores in the United States, Mexico and Canada, and nearly $50bn in annual revenues and 15 million weekly shoppers, you know they’re onto something big.

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Role of nuclear energy in creating smarter US grid networks

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:06:06 +0000

Précis:

Nuclear consultant, Margaret Harding, offers her insights into how smart grid technologies can boost storage capacity on the already constrained US grid network. She also looks at how nuclear's demand response record could actually help solar projects and overall power stability across the US.

By Margaret Harding

The concept that smart grids are separate from, and conflict with, traditional grids has been discussed in recent times. A key fact that has to be understood is that the current electricity grid in the US is a demand system. That is, electricity is generated as it is demanded.

Very little storage capacity is available on the grid today. This makes electricity generation, transmission and distribution among the most complex systems in the world.

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Turning power grids into communication highways

Jason Deign — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:25:20 +0000

Précis:

Smart grid operators need to find ways to turn power networks into communications networks. And there is no shortage of options.

Yoav Zingher, director and co-founder of KiWi Power, has a neat way of summarising the value of his company’s demand response offering. “We’re trying to replace the power from peaking power stations,” he says. “We turn demand patterns into what looks like a power station.”

This matching of demand more accurately to output, rather than throwing more energy at the peak power problem, is at the heart of how smart grids can benefit utilities and their customers, and ultimately cut as much greenhouse gas as a host of renewable energies.

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China: Taking the lead on renewable energy storage

Paul French — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:19:34 +0000

Précis:

China’s State Grid Corporation has built the world’s biggest battery for wind and PV storage as a package of measures to manage an increasing number of energy sources threatening to overwhelm the country’s outdated grid infrastructure.

China recently announced the launch of its first commercial battery storage station for renewable energies - the world's largest to date.

The project, a joint venture between China's leading battery manufacturer BYD and the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC), has completed construction of the utility-scale project, located in Zhangbei, in central China's Hebei Province.

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Eastern protocols and the pan-Asian energy network

Jason Deign — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 12:13:36 +0000

Précis:

An ambitious plan to connect energy systems from China to Australia raises the question of whether such grand designs could help shape the nature of smart grid protocols in the region.

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Rescue plans on the rise to mitigate smart grid security risks

John Johnson — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:34:33 +0000

Précis:

Utilities are scrambling to come to grips with what one industry expert refers to as a “near state of chaos.” But a 'what if case by case scenario' approach could help alleviate future problems when the EV revolution arrives.

Pike Research analyst Bob Lockhart says that security issues facing the electrical grid continue to be a major topic of discussion as utilities around the world roll out smart grid deployments.

However, despite an increased focus on security, Lockhart says that the cyber security challenges faced by utilities are nowhere close to being resolved. He predicts that the industry will continue to face serious hurdles in the coming years.

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Smart grid communications networks: are we looking at them in the right way?

Gail Rajgor — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 11:58:57 +0000

Précis:

Joined up thinking by reverse engineering the big picture could create a truly holistic smart network that works for everyone

When it comes to designing smart grid communications networks the options are boundless. Utilities could opt for a fairly basic network that only does meter reading or diagnostics.

They could invest in more sophisticated systems which also integrate applications like commercial area networking capabilities, speech automation, SCADA functions, distribution automation, substation automation, equipment delivery tracking, and more besides.

Others could also integrate public services offerings, such as internet and Wi-Fi capability.

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Nordics to provide valuable smart grid lessons

Peter Taberner — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 11:10:53 +0000

Précis:

The power hungry Nordics are pressured to rapidly develop smart meter and grid networks to harness additional renewables and nuclear power plants. These nations will offer valuable lessons worldwide, notably as their advanced cross border grids come to fruition.

Finland and Denmark can claim to have made significant progress with their respective smart grids.

The Danes have managed to produce more power than most countries on its smart grid from renewables, even though its grid is yet to be fully rolled out, and with a plethora of pilot schemes from renewable energy projects in place, the trends it has set itself are set to continue.

Market drivers

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Pinpointing the market drivers to a successful smart meter market

Peter Taberner — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 11:56:44 +0000

Précis:

The smart grid technology and meter market may be lacking the kind of direction that it requires, but there is still a plethora of ideas and technology breakthroughs that threaten to advance the market in the future.

First of all we should remind ourselves just how important that smart grid communities actually are. There have been trial communities and urban scale implementations that have brought successes in crucial aspects of smart grid technology such as consumer savings. According to GTM research it is in the municipalities where smart grid initiatives are making their mark where they have water, electricity, public safety and services.

Role of social media

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Smart Communications for Energy Management 2012

admin — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 14:16:35 +0000

Event Date:

Tue, 2012-03-27 - Wed, 2012-03-28

Event URL:

http://www.smartgridupdate.com/smart-communications-forum/

Event Location:

Marriott Marquis Hotel, Atlanta, GA

Number of attendees:

120

Programme URL:

http://www.smartgridupdate.com/smart-communications-forum/agenda.php

Event Organiser:

Baruch Hecht

Event Organiser E-mail:

bhecht@smartgridupdate.com

Précis:

Optimize energy management with a robust, cost efficient, integrated communications network

Smart Grid: Are utilities preparing for the security threats?

ksdicks — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:41:56 +0000

Précis:

The bad news is smart grids could open up utilities to a whole host of new threats. The good news is they already know that, and may even be able to turn security into a value add.

By Jason Deign in Barcelona

A youth hacks into his smart meter and threatens to cut the power to the New York Stock Exchange unless his ransom demands are met. It sounds like the script to a Hollywood movie.

And while a hacker attack of this type might be theoretically possible, utilities are trying hard to ensure that this is as close to reality as it gets.

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CEA launches smart grid interface standards committee

ksdicks — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:25:07 +0000

Précis:

CEA launches smart grid interface standards committeeCompanies mentioned: Consumer Electronics Association, EPRI, ESB, European Investment Bank, and American Civil Liberties Union Vermont Chapter

Smart Grid Update Policy and Commission Brief 17 -23 November 2011

CEA launches smart grid interface standards committee

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) has launched a new Smart Grid committee to advance standardization of the Modular Communications Interface (MCI) specification.

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Smart Grid Update Policy and Commission Brief 7 – 16 November 2011

ksdicks — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:33:52 +0000

Précis:

South Korea passes world first smart grid legislationCompanies mentioned: South Korean Ministry of Knowledge Economy, Vermont Law School’s national smart grid research project, Naperville Smart Meter Awareness group, and IEEE

Smart Grid Update Policy and Commission Brief 7 – 16 November 2011

South Korea passes world first smart grid legislation

South Korean legislation on smart power grids will come into effect next week on November 25 as part of a government plan to reduce carbon emissions, stated a Bloomberg report.

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Germany: a nation crying out for smart grid implementation

ksdicks — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 11:38:43 +0000

Précis:

Germany’s rapid phase out of nuclear power paired with an equally rapid uptake of renewables and a dependency on Austrian imported energy has put Germany in a tight position when it comes to power stability.

By Elisabeth Jeffries

Current snapshot

The solar PV sector is unlikely to benefit greatly from the phase out of nuclear power in Germany – one of the biggest economies adopting this policy – unless major changes are announced to energy laws. Seven nuclear reactors were switched off this year, with several more due to be phased out in the period to 2022. To cope with the change over the coming winter, Germany has been relying on more power capacity in Austria and has also cut down on exports.

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HEMs and social media: the ideal match?

ksdicks — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 12:38:30 +0000

Précis:

Currently it is not really feasible to build a private carbon or energy exchange using social media tools. But with smart grid companies wising up to consumer engagement, it should be soon.

By Jason Deign in Barcelona

When was the last time you had an animated conversation with your friends about the merits of energy management? It’s not something that comes up often in a social setting, right?

Even David Leeds, who heads up the smart grid practice at GTM Research admits that on a personal level: “I live in New York City and life is so stressful I do not think having my home working at optimal levels is on my top-10 list of things to worry about.”

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