Ambient urges collaboration in smart grids !!!
Jun 30, 2009 2:48 PM, By Sarah Reedy
Smart grid communications provider teams up with meter manufacturing Itron for complete smart grid offering
Ambient Corporation announced today it has signed a memorandum of understanding with meter manufacturer Itron (NASDAQ: ITRI) to integrate Itron’s smart grid and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) services with its smart grid communications platform. The combination of the two companies will offer a complete suite of smart grid functionality for the utility industry, but it’s just one of many partnerships that Ambient has planned, according to President and Chief Executive Officer John Joyce.
“The way I see this is that Ambient has been working on this communication backbone, which is a non-proprietary, high-bandwidth network that enables advanced metering, so we have in the past worked with other advanced metering companies, and we look forward to working with others as well,” Joyce said.
Ambient’s latest agreement with Itron will integrate Itron’s AMI application for the smart grid, called OpenWay, with Ambient’s standard-based smart grid equipment and technology to connect legacy equipment and advanced smart energy apps to the nation’s power grid. Itron’s AMI is currently in use in both consumer and commercial deployments for energy and water utilities. The company serves 8,000 utilities worldwide with products ranging from electricity, gas, water and heat meters to data collection and communications systems to AMI and automated meter reading (AMR).
As many utilities with AMI already in place look to build out smart grid capabilities, they have experienced pushback from their state regulators on the stranded assets they already made available to their customer base, Joyce said. Partnering with Ambient will enable Itron to pull those older meters already in place onto the smart grid platform, thus not leaving them stranded, and give utilities and their states the opportunity to move from advanced metering to smart grids, he said.
According to Joyce, state regulators are looking for the utilities to submit proposals for obtaining regulatory approval to do smart-grid pilots in anticipation of federal funding. That being said, not all utilities are waiting for the stimulus funds. For example, Ambient works with gas and electricity provider Duke Energy, which has already received approval from the state of Ohio to go beyond pilots and build out its smart grid platform. He anticipates that the stimulus funds will only further drive utilities to move from smart metering to entire smart-grid launches.
“You might have many utilities planning on receiving those funds before proceeding, but there is a great deal of interest,” Joyce said. “There is no doubt the stimulus package will help to support the buildout of smart-grid platforms, and many state utilities and regulators are looking to how that will play out in the next few months.”
Ambient’s technologies today run over Verizon Wireless’s cellular network, and the company entered into a joint marketing agreement with the carrier last year. Even as VZW’s markets the smart grid to its customers, however, Joyce said Ambient is also open to partnering with other telcos and IT companies like Google, Cisco and Microsoft, as they look to get a piece of the smart-grid opportunity.
Recently, AT&T has partnered with smart-meter provider SmartSynch and last week inked a deal with utility company Cooper Power Systems, while Qwest Communications partnered with Current Communications to sell smart grids to utilities. In general, Joyce said smart grids are a market that, by necessity, will be driven by many more partnerships and industry collaboration.
“Verizon obviously has a very wide network as they are advancing their technology, but there are going to be some utilities that prefer to work with other carriers,” Joyce said. “Just as we desire to work with more than one metering company, we look to work with more than one carrier. We see that as all complementary and important for the industry. Collaboration, especially at this stage, is very, very important.”
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Itron and Ambient Partner to Increase Smart Grid Functionality for Both Companies
Itron and Ambient Partner to Increase Smart Grid Functionality for Both Companies
LIBERTY LAKE, Wash. - June 30, 2009 - Itron Inc. (NASDAQ: ITRI) announced today it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Ambient Corporation for integration of Itron smart grid and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) solutions, and components, with Ambient Smart Grid® communications platform. The partnership enables a comprehensive and complete suite of smart grid functionality that Itron and Ambient will jointly market to utility customers.
Under terms of the agreement the companies will closely integrate Itron's leading advanced metering application for the smart grid, OpenWay®, with Ambient Smart Grid communications technology to seamlessly connect legacy equipment as well as advanced smart energy applications to the nation's power grid.
Itron North America senior vice president and chief operating officer Philip Mezey said, "This is further proof that the OpenWay architecture is adaptable to multiple networks in support of smart grid deployments. Building the smart grid requires unprecedented collaboration. Our partnership with Ambient will help both our companies extend smart grid benefits to more energy users."
The agreement covers multiple technologies from both companies, including Itron ERT® technology, used for automated meter reading (AMR); as well as Itron Fixed Network and OpenWay RFLAN communications. The partnership leverages Ambient's X-3000 node and AmbientNMS®, key components of Ambient Smart Grid solutions, and network capabilities utilizing Verizon Wireless' cellular networks.
John J. Joyce, president and chief executive officer of Ambient, said, "This partnership brings together Itron's core consumer and commercial AMI technologies with Ambient's high-capacity communications network for a complete 'utility to the home' smart grid solution."
Itron is a leading, global solutions provider to energy and water utilities, with more than 14 million OpenWay meters under contract.
Ambient designs, develops, and markets Ambient Smart Grid equipment, technologies and services.
About Itron:
Itron Inc. is a leading technology provider to the global energy and water industries. Our company is the world's leading provider of intelligent metering, data collection and utility software solutions, with nearly 8,000 utilities worldwide relying on our technology to optimize the delivery and use of energy and water. Our products include electricity, gas, water and heat meters, data collection and communication systems, including automated meter reading (AMR) and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI); meter data management and related software applications; as well as project management, installation, and consulting services. To know more, start here: www.itron.com.
About Ambient Corporation:
Ambient designs, develops and markets Ambient Smart Grid communications technologies and equipment. Using open standards-based technologies along with in-depth industry experience, Ambient provides utilities with solutions for creating smart grid communication platforms and technologies. Headquartered in Newton, MA, Ambient is a publicly traded company (OTCBB: ABTG). More information on Ambient is available at www.ambientcorp.com.
LIBERTY LAKE, Wash. - June 30, 2009 - Itron Inc. (NASDAQ: ITRI) announced today it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Ambient Corporation for integration of Itron smart grid and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) solutions, and components, with Ambient Smart Grid® communications platform. The partnership enables a comprehensive and complete suite of smart grid functionality that Itron and Ambient will jointly market to utility customers.
Under terms of the agreement the companies will closely integrate Itron's leading advanced metering application for the smart grid, OpenWay®, with Ambient Smart Grid communications technology to seamlessly connect legacy equipment as well as advanced smart energy applications to the nation's power grid.
Itron North America senior vice president and chief operating officer Philip Mezey said, "This is further proof that the OpenWay architecture is adaptable to multiple networks in support of smart grid deployments. Building the smart grid requires unprecedented collaboration. Our partnership with Ambient will help both our companies extend smart grid benefits to more energy users."
The agreement covers multiple technologies from both companies, including Itron ERT® technology, used for automated meter reading (AMR); as well as Itron Fixed Network and OpenWay RFLAN communications. The partnership leverages Ambient's X-3000 node and AmbientNMS®, key components of Ambient Smart Grid solutions, and network capabilities utilizing Verizon Wireless' cellular networks.
John J. Joyce, president and chief executive officer of Ambient, said, "This partnership brings together Itron's core consumer and commercial AMI technologies with Ambient's high-capacity communications network for a complete 'utility to the home' smart grid solution."
Itron is a leading, global solutions provider to energy and water utilities, with more than 14 million OpenWay meters under contract.
Ambient designs, develops, and markets Ambient Smart Grid equipment, technologies and services.
About Itron:
Itron Inc. is a leading technology provider to the global energy and water industries. Our company is the world's leading provider of intelligent metering, data collection and utility software solutions, with nearly 8,000 utilities worldwide relying on our technology to optimize the delivery and use of energy and water. Our products include electricity, gas, water and heat meters, data collection and communication systems, including automated meter reading (AMR) and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI); meter data management and related software applications; as well as project management, installation, and consulting services. To know more, start here: www.itron.com.
About Ambient Corporation:
Ambient designs, develops and markets Ambient Smart Grid communications technologies and equipment. Using open standards-based technologies along with in-depth industry experience, Ambient provides utilities with solutions for creating smart grid communication platforms and technologies. Headquartered in Newton, MA, Ambient is a publicly traded company (OTCBB: ABTG). More information on Ambient is available at www.ambientcorp.com.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Department of Energy Sets Funding Criteria for Smart Grid Applicants
By Douglas Streeks, Reporter-Researcher, BroadbandCensus.coom
WASHINGTON, June 28, 2009 – The Department of Energy on Thursday published eligibility criteria for applicants of so-called “smart grid” funding applicants, with up to $3.9 billion available in grants to support the upgrading the electricity grid.
The guidelines, released by Energy’s Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability Office, included instructions on who is eligible for funding, how the applicant may use the funds, timelines for funded projects, and functions the projects must be able to perform. Approximately $3.3 billion of the total is to be devoted to the Smart Grid Investment Grant Program; and $615 million for demonstration projects.
“These investments will be used to develop a smart, strong and secure electrical grid that will help integrate renewable resources onto the grid, deliver power more reliably and effectively with less environmental impact, and create new jobs across the country,” Energy Secretary Steven Chu said in a statement.
“By investing in updating the grid now, we will lower utility bills for American families and businesses, lessen our dependence on oil, and help advance a clean energy future for the nation,” he said.
The proposed projects must not last longer than three years and the applicant must provide at least 50 percent sharing for the total project costs, have no conflict of interest and be otherwise eligible for award, the application said.
In an initial announcement issued on Thursday, the department said that eligible applicants should include individual entities or teams of entities and that organizations eligible for both lead and supporting roles include electric power companies, government agencies, universities and colleges, electricity consumers, and private companies. Federal agencies are eligible only for supporting roles and not for funding, the department said.
The grants are for the development, storage, and transmission of digital information relevant to device, grid, or utility operations; sensing and localizing disruptions or changes in power flows on the grid and communicating such information instantaneously and automatically for purposes of enabling automatic protective responses; and dealing effectively with system security threats.
Any application or machine must have the ability to respond to such signals, measurements, or communications automatically; use digital information to operate functionalities on the electric utility grids that were previously electro-mechanical or manual; and use digital controls to manage and modify electricity demand, enable congestion management, assist in voltage control, provide operating reserves, and provide frequency regulation, according to the notice.
Eligible investments for SGIG funds, said the department, may include internal devices that allow appliances covered for purposes of establishing energy conservation standards to engage in smart grid functions and installation of devices or modification of electricity-using equipment to engage in smart grid functions; monitoring and communications devices to enable smart grid functions in transmission and distribution equipment; installation of metering devices, sensors, control devices, etc., to electric utility systems, retail distributors or marketers of electricity that are capable of engaging in smart grid functions; software that enables devices or computers to engage in smart grid functions; equipment that allows smart grid functions to operate and be combined or coordinated among multiple electric utilities and between that region and other regions; enabling distributed electricity generators to be monitored, controlled, or otherwise integrated into grid operations and electricity flows on the grid utilizing smart grid functions as well as distributed electricity generators owned and operated by persons other than electric utilities; and devices that allow electric or hybrid-electric vehicles to engage in smart grid functions.
The final rules reflect the input of more than 600 comments that the department received on the proposal solicitations, the Energy Department said. While the department had previously announced that while the maximum award limits for both programs were being increased, it said it will support projects of all sizes. Under the final solicitations, the maximum award for the Smart Grid Investment Grants will be $200 million; the maximum award for the Smart Grid Demonstrations will be $100 million.
http://broadbandcensus.com/2009/06/department-of-energy-sets-funding-criteria-for-smart-grid-applicants/
WASHINGTON, June 28, 2009 – The Department of Energy on Thursday published eligibility criteria for applicants of so-called “smart grid” funding applicants, with up to $3.9 billion available in grants to support the upgrading the electricity grid.
The guidelines, released by Energy’s Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability Office, included instructions on who is eligible for funding, how the applicant may use the funds, timelines for funded projects, and functions the projects must be able to perform. Approximately $3.3 billion of the total is to be devoted to the Smart Grid Investment Grant Program; and $615 million for demonstration projects.
“These investments will be used to develop a smart, strong and secure electrical grid that will help integrate renewable resources onto the grid, deliver power more reliably and effectively with less environmental impact, and create new jobs across the country,” Energy Secretary Steven Chu said in a statement.
“By investing in updating the grid now, we will lower utility bills for American families and businesses, lessen our dependence on oil, and help advance a clean energy future for the nation,” he said.
The proposed projects must not last longer than three years and the applicant must provide at least 50 percent sharing for the total project costs, have no conflict of interest and be otherwise eligible for award, the application said.
In an initial announcement issued on Thursday, the department said that eligible applicants should include individual entities or teams of entities and that organizations eligible for both lead and supporting roles include electric power companies, government agencies, universities and colleges, electricity consumers, and private companies. Federal agencies are eligible only for supporting roles and not for funding, the department said.
The grants are for the development, storage, and transmission of digital information relevant to device, grid, or utility operations; sensing and localizing disruptions or changes in power flows on the grid and communicating such information instantaneously and automatically for purposes of enabling automatic protective responses; and dealing effectively with system security threats.
Any application or machine must have the ability to respond to such signals, measurements, or communications automatically; use digital information to operate functionalities on the electric utility grids that were previously electro-mechanical or manual; and use digital controls to manage and modify electricity demand, enable congestion management, assist in voltage control, provide operating reserves, and provide frequency regulation, according to the notice.
Eligible investments for SGIG funds, said the department, may include internal devices that allow appliances covered for purposes of establishing energy conservation standards to engage in smart grid functions and installation of devices or modification of electricity-using equipment to engage in smart grid functions; monitoring and communications devices to enable smart grid functions in transmission and distribution equipment; installation of metering devices, sensors, control devices, etc., to electric utility systems, retail distributors or marketers of electricity that are capable of engaging in smart grid functions; software that enables devices or computers to engage in smart grid functions; equipment that allows smart grid functions to operate and be combined or coordinated among multiple electric utilities and between that region and other regions; enabling distributed electricity generators to be monitored, controlled, or otherwise integrated into grid operations and electricity flows on the grid utilizing smart grid functions as well as distributed electricity generators owned and operated by persons other than electric utilities; and devices that allow electric or hybrid-electric vehicles to engage in smart grid functions.
The final rules reflect the input of more than 600 comments that the department received on the proposal solicitations, the Energy Department said. While the department had previously announced that while the maximum award limits for both programs were being increased, it said it will support projects of all sizes. Under the final solicitations, the maximum award for the Smart Grid Investment Grants will be $200 million; the maximum award for the Smart Grid Demonstrations will be $100 million.
http://broadbandcensus.com/2009/06/department-of-energy-sets-funding-criteria-for-smart-grid-applicants/
Thursday, June 25, 2009
U.S. to spend $3.9 billion on "smart" power grid: Chu
Thu Jun 25, 2009 8:04pm EDT
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced on Thursday $3.9 billion in "smart grid" funding aimed at making power transmission around the country more flexible.
Addressing utility executives at an industry meeting, Chu said the funds would help create a system to allocate electricity more efficiently, whether through improved power lines or by allowing batteries in hybrid cars to feed back into the grid when needed.
"Right now, the way we distribute energy, it's like plumbing, it's down the hill," he told reporters at a news conference after his speech to the Edison Electric Institute conference in San Francisco.
Asked about people objecting to high-voltage power lines being built near their homes as part of a smart grid, Chu said he would appeal to U.S. national interests.
"People didn't like interstate highways in their backyard," he said. "But it was done for the sake of national security, and I would say even more so we will need a transmission distribution system for our national security."
Chu also said in his speech that California would receive $90 million from his department to spend on energy efficiency measures.
(Reporting by Braden Reddall; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced on Thursday $3.9 billion in "smart grid" funding aimed at making power transmission around the country more flexible.
Addressing utility executives at an industry meeting, Chu said the funds would help create a system to allocate electricity more efficiently, whether through improved power lines or by allowing batteries in hybrid cars to feed back into the grid when needed.
"Right now, the way we distribute energy, it's like plumbing, it's down the hill," he told reporters at a news conference after his speech to the Edison Electric Institute conference in San Francisco.
Asked about people objecting to high-voltage power lines being built near their homes as part of a smart grid, Chu said he would appeal to U.S. national interests.
"People didn't like interstate highways in their backyard," he said. "But it was done for the sake of national security, and I would say even more so we will need a transmission distribution system for our national security."
Chu also said in his speech that California would receive $90 million from his department to spend on energy efficiency measures.
(Reporting by Braden Reddall; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Microsoft wants your Hohm to use the smart grid
Joining its competitor Google, Microsoft is taking a stab at providing an online service that allows users to track their energy use, joining it with a recommendation engine that will provide advice on how to bring that use down.
By John Timmer | Last updated June 24, 2009 6:52 PM CT
Today, Microsoft took the wraps off a new Web service dedicated to managing energy use. Called "Hohm" (presumably, a play on the combination of "home and "Ohm"), the product will take advantage of smart grid data on energy use when it's available. Even when it's not, however, Hohm will allow users to input their own details and share the results of their efficiency efforts, adding a bit of a Web 2.0 sheen to matters. The move comes after a number of other major IT powers, including Google and Cisco, have announced their own efforts in the area, suggesting that a lot of people think this market is about to take off.
The Hohm service itself is a bit of a hybrid of a number of services. From the smart grid perspective, a growing number of hardware makers are producing equipment that uses standardized methods of structuring and reporting data. That allows just about anyone to plug into the data, provided they're willing to work with utilities to obtain it. At the moment, Microsoft has lined up four utilities that will work when the service starts up, but they're certainly going to be working hard to bring more on before then. Two smart meter companies were also in on the announcement, indicating that Microsoft has already started validating the input from some of the existing hardware.
The data, however it's obtained, will be stored using Redmond's cloud offering, Windows Azure. The people behind Hohm have undoubtedly benefited from the experience of those who've built Microsoft's medical records service, which also uses Azure.
Even if your utility isn't offering up data to Microsoft, Hohm will make it possible to both enter your own manually, or set up any metering hardware or smart appliances to report in to Hohm. Microsoft is definitely positioning this as a "you get out of it what you put in" type situation—the more information a user provides, the better monitoring and efficiency suggestions they'll get back out from the service.
Those suggestions will come courtesy of analytical tools that Microsoft has licensed from the DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. When concrete information is available, such as monthly power usage and a roster of home appliances, Hohm will offer up specific suggestions for cutting energy use. In the absence of anything specific, data on typical consumption by region will be used instead, although that clearly runs the risk of recommending that you do something that you've previously done.
The last facet is a bit of Web 2.0. Users will apparently have the opportunity to compare notes on different energy saving techniques and discuss matters among themselves. Tying everything together—input from other users, from Berkeley Labs' energy use models, and from the users' own data—will be Bing search technology. Microsoft is definitely eating its own dog food on this one.
At the moment, the company is only accepting requests for accounts in anticipation of the day that Hohm is ready for a closed beta. In February, the company gave enterprises running Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 a free tool dubbed the Environmental Sustainability Dashboard for tracking their environmental impact and energy consumption.
The move by Microsoft is an obvious recognition of a large and largely untapped market. Surveys show that most home users are interested in energy monitoring programs, and that their interest is largely driven by the potential for savings on their monthly bills. Although there are a number of companies already aiming to take a piece of that market—not only Google, but a number of small and innovative companies as well—most of them are limited by the fact that smart grid deployments are only just getting off the ground.
Microsoft is taking a bit of a calculated risk by allowing Hohm to work even in the absence of any hard data. This may give it an advantage over the companies that are waiting for the hardware deployments to catch up. But, in the absence of this data, there's the chance that users will be dissatisfied with the sort of general conservation advice that Hohm offers, and will wind up waiting for smart grid deployments as well.
By John Timmer | Last updated June 24, 2009 6:52 PM CT
Today, Microsoft took the wraps off a new Web service dedicated to managing energy use. Called "Hohm" (presumably, a play on the combination of "home and "Ohm"), the product will take advantage of smart grid data on energy use when it's available. Even when it's not, however, Hohm will allow users to input their own details and share the results of their efficiency efforts, adding a bit of a Web 2.0 sheen to matters. The move comes after a number of other major IT powers, including Google and Cisco, have announced their own efforts in the area, suggesting that a lot of people think this market is about to take off.
The Hohm service itself is a bit of a hybrid of a number of services. From the smart grid perspective, a growing number of hardware makers are producing equipment that uses standardized methods of structuring and reporting data. That allows just about anyone to plug into the data, provided they're willing to work with utilities to obtain it. At the moment, Microsoft has lined up four utilities that will work when the service starts up, but they're certainly going to be working hard to bring more on before then. Two smart meter companies were also in on the announcement, indicating that Microsoft has already started validating the input from some of the existing hardware.
The data, however it's obtained, will be stored using Redmond's cloud offering, Windows Azure. The people behind Hohm have undoubtedly benefited from the experience of those who've built Microsoft's medical records service, which also uses Azure.
Even if your utility isn't offering up data to Microsoft, Hohm will make it possible to both enter your own manually, or set up any metering hardware or smart appliances to report in to Hohm. Microsoft is definitely positioning this as a "you get out of it what you put in" type situation—the more information a user provides, the better monitoring and efficiency suggestions they'll get back out from the service.
Those suggestions will come courtesy of analytical tools that Microsoft has licensed from the DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. When concrete information is available, such as monthly power usage and a roster of home appliances, Hohm will offer up specific suggestions for cutting energy use. In the absence of anything specific, data on typical consumption by region will be used instead, although that clearly runs the risk of recommending that you do something that you've previously done.
The last facet is a bit of Web 2.0. Users will apparently have the opportunity to compare notes on different energy saving techniques and discuss matters among themselves. Tying everything together—input from other users, from Berkeley Labs' energy use models, and from the users' own data—will be Bing search technology. Microsoft is definitely eating its own dog food on this one.
At the moment, the company is only accepting requests for accounts in anticipation of the day that Hohm is ready for a closed beta. In February, the company gave enterprises running Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 a free tool dubbed the Environmental Sustainability Dashboard for tracking their environmental impact and energy consumption.
The move by Microsoft is an obvious recognition of a large and largely untapped market. Surveys show that most home users are interested in energy monitoring programs, and that their interest is largely driven by the potential for savings on their monthly bills. Although there are a number of companies already aiming to take a piece of that market—not only Google, but a number of small and innovative companies as well—most of them are limited by the fact that smart grid deployments are only just getting off the ground.
Microsoft is taking a bit of a calculated risk by allowing Hohm to work even in the absence of any hard data. This may give it an advantage over the companies that are waiting for the hardware deployments to catch up. But, in the absence of this data, there's the chance that users will be dissatisfied with the sort of general conservation advice that Hohm offers, and will wind up waiting for smart grid deployments as well.
Smart Grid Bubble? Heck No. Home Energy Management Bubble? Yep
Mon Jun 22, 2009 3:06pm EDT
By Katie Fehrenbacher - Earth2Tech
CNET’s Martin LaMonica raised the interesting question last week: Is there an investment bubble building around the smart grid? He cites the opinions of several investors worried about too much money being invested by venture capitalists, corporations like Cisco and IBM, and even governments. From my perspective,, there is one clear area of the smart grid that is seeing too much investment from venture capitalists, specifically — home energy management tools — but much of the smart grid investments coming from IT firms and the federal government just represent the first phase of funds that will help build a potentially huge market. At this point I don’t see unreasonable amounts of money being invested into many other areas of the very nascent smart grid sector.
First off, it’s hard to make such blanket statements about the smart grid as a whole. It will be made up by many types of technologies (both hardware and software) that have various attractive and not-very-attractive business models. We know we’ve been guilty of using the general smart grid term in headlines (that’s the problem with having a word-count limit) and lumping the billions of smart grid stimulus funds together, but the infrastructure will actually be very complex. At the moment a lot of companies are just starting to scratch the surface when it comes to discovering possible areas of innovation.
But venture capitalists have clearly been flocking to the home energy management space. It’s a favorite for VCs partly because they can easily understand it — it looks (and is) about connected gadgets, software and wireless communications. At this point the amount of VC-backed companies is really starting to get out of control. Earlier this month both home energy management dashboard companies Tendril and AlertMe raised multimillion-dollar rounds; last week home energy management startup EcoDog raised $4.6 million. Here are 10 startups that are offering home energy management tools and another that is using open source to make the products even cheaper (and result in lower margin for the companies that make the tools). Never mind the huge, blue chip companies that are also building these tools, like GE.
Ultimately a lot of these home energy management ventures are offering very similar options, typically a ZigBee-based wireless sensor kit that connects energy data from a meter (smart or not), and possibly appliances, to a viewing device, like an energy dashboard or a PC. This market is either a consumer electronics play (difficult in terms of scale and margins for a startup) or a utility partnership play (less to do with the tech and more to do with the relationships created.)
Some companies are trying to differentiate themselves by offering only the software management piece, and there could be some successes for those that can seal strong partnerships, like that of Lixar SRS and Cisco. But Google’s free PowerMeter will make a pure software play pretty difficult as well — a startup’s software had better be significantly better than what a team of Google programmers can create, which costs the user nothing.
So basically there are a lot of new, young companies trying to sell the same things. That could be beneficial for consumers (more choice) but will not be beneficial to the companies themselves. Expect a lot of these new firms to get bought up cheaply or even fold.
Other areas of the smart grid are maturing. Cisco entered the smart grid space to tackle end-to-end communications networking, while Silver Spring has turned into a well-established, well-funded firm in that sector. But end-to-end communications networking hasn’t yet produced a bubble, not by any means. Utilities and power companies are still moving relatively slowly to upgrade the power grid, and the communications portion of the smart grid could still grow to be worth as much as $20 billion a year over the next five years, according to Cisco.
There are even some areas of the smart grid that haven’t seen much investment. Smart-charging software, which would manage the rate at which electric vehicles charge, comes to mind. One of the only companies that’s developed a product in this space is V2Green, and it was quickly bought up by GridPoint. If we’re all going to be plugging our cars into the grid, there’s a huge untapped opportunity out there.
By Katie Fehrenbacher - Earth2Tech
CNET’s Martin LaMonica raised the interesting question last week: Is there an investment bubble building around the smart grid? He cites the opinions of several investors worried about too much money being invested by venture capitalists, corporations like Cisco and IBM, and even governments. From my perspective,, there is one clear area of the smart grid that is seeing too much investment from venture capitalists, specifically — home energy management tools — but much of the smart grid investments coming from IT firms and the federal government just represent the first phase of funds that will help build a potentially huge market. At this point I don’t see unreasonable amounts of money being invested into many other areas of the very nascent smart grid sector.
First off, it’s hard to make such blanket statements about the smart grid as a whole. It will be made up by many types of technologies (both hardware and software) that have various attractive and not-very-attractive business models. We know we’ve been guilty of using the general smart grid term in headlines (that’s the problem with having a word-count limit) and lumping the billions of smart grid stimulus funds together, but the infrastructure will actually be very complex. At the moment a lot of companies are just starting to scratch the surface when it comes to discovering possible areas of innovation.
But venture capitalists have clearly been flocking to the home energy management space. It’s a favorite for VCs partly because they can easily understand it — it looks (and is) about connected gadgets, software and wireless communications. At this point the amount of VC-backed companies is really starting to get out of control. Earlier this month both home energy management dashboard companies Tendril and AlertMe raised multimillion-dollar rounds; last week home energy management startup EcoDog raised $4.6 million. Here are 10 startups that are offering home energy management tools and another that is using open source to make the products even cheaper (and result in lower margin for the companies that make the tools). Never mind the huge, blue chip companies that are also building these tools, like GE.
Ultimately a lot of these home energy management ventures are offering very similar options, typically a ZigBee-based wireless sensor kit that connects energy data from a meter (smart or not), and possibly appliances, to a viewing device, like an energy dashboard or a PC. This market is either a consumer electronics play (difficult in terms of scale and margins for a startup) or a utility partnership play (less to do with the tech and more to do with the relationships created.)
Some companies are trying to differentiate themselves by offering only the software management piece, and there could be some successes for those that can seal strong partnerships, like that of Lixar SRS and Cisco. But Google’s free PowerMeter will make a pure software play pretty difficult as well — a startup’s software had better be significantly better than what a team of Google programmers can create, which costs the user nothing.
So basically there are a lot of new, young companies trying to sell the same things. That could be beneficial for consumers (more choice) but will not be beneficial to the companies themselves. Expect a lot of these new firms to get bought up cheaply or even fold.
Other areas of the smart grid are maturing. Cisco entered the smart grid space to tackle end-to-end communications networking, while Silver Spring has turned into a well-established, well-funded firm in that sector. But end-to-end communications networking hasn’t yet produced a bubble, not by any means. Utilities and power companies are still moving relatively slowly to upgrade the power grid, and the communications portion of the smart grid could still grow to be worth as much as $20 billion a year over the next five years, according to Cisco.
There are even some areas of the smart grid that haven’t seen much investment. Smart-charging software, which would manage the rate at which electric vehicles charge, comes to mind. One of the only companies that’s developed a product in this space is V2Green, and it was quickly bought up by GridPoint. If we’re all going to be plugging our cars into the grid, there’s a huge untapped opportunity out there.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Are We Smart Enough for the Smart Grid?
Are We Smart Enough for the Smart Grid?
Rich Duprey
June 19, 2009
Much of what's charging the Smart Grid investment discussion these days centers on software and devices that convey graphic information to consumers on their energy usage. Like jamming your foot on the accelerator of a new Fusion Hybrid from Ford and watching the green vine on its digital dashboard wilt and shed leaves, the visual feedback on smart meters from running your air conditioner during peak hours can lead to educated behavior modification.
Lovely Rita, meter maid
But the Smart Grid is more than just gee-whiz technology. While Itron (Nasdaq: ITRI), General Electric (NYSE: GE), and even Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) are giving consumers the tools to make better energy choices, just like the Fusion's digital display, there are other equally promising areas not getting the same attention as the meter maids.
To a certain extent, that's the nature of this emerging industry trend. Where solar, ethanol, or similar alt-energy platforms require substantial investments to build out the industry, the Smart Grid allows start-ups to develop software tools and networking devices to collect and organize the data on consumption to become the 10-baggers of the next decade.
Besides, investing in Google means you're also investing in its search-engine prowess. Buying GE also buys you a piece of its lighting, technology, finance, and health-care businesses. These might not be bad plays, but we're looking for Smart Grid investments.
The electric slide
Before we look at what else is out there, maybe we need to back up a bit and define what it is we're talking about.
Right now, the country's electric grid isn't all that smart. In fact, it's really pretty dumb. It was designed to do one thing: send electricity from the utilities into our homes. That was good enough for Grandma, but the U.S. consumes 100 quadrillion BTUs of energy each year, with much of it going to waste.
The promise of the Smart Grid is the development of a two-way communication system enabling utilities and grid operators to better manage and monitor the flow of electricity usage and channel it to where it's most needed. At the same time, consumers can take matters into their own hands -- through smart meters or appliances and electronic devices that can communicate with the grid -- to save money and make better energy decisions.
Between these two endpoints are plenty of opportunities for investors to profit.
Utilities and Grid Operators. The first pieces in the puzzle are the utilities and grid operators. Pacific Gas & Electric is one utility with an ambitious program to install 10.3 million smart meters across its entire grid by 2011. Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) and Sempra Energy are also implementing programs to meter up their customers.
Smart Grid Networks. You don't need to clog up the Internet or even rebuild it to get the data flowing from one end of the transmission line to the other. Privately held Trilliant and Silver Spring Networks are two companies doing the backhaul work of collecting the data from the smart meter and sending it to the utilities. They're using small communities of communication equipment called mesh networks to send the data back and forth.
Look out, though, because they might find themselves bumping up against Cisco (Nasdaq: CSCO), which is offering end-to-end, secure communications for the Smart Grid. It promises improved reliability, reduced costs, and lower risk for utilities, and could allow Cisco to emerge as a major contender for attention, even if it is partnering with Silver Spring in Miami.
Demand response aggregators. Paying companies not to use energy during peak periods is a novel approach to scarcity management. Demand response aggregators assist consumers and businesses in remotely reducing their electrical consumption during peak demand periods. In return, utilities and grid operators pay them for the lower demands they place on the system. Two of the larger demand response aggregators are Comverge (Nasdaq: COMV) and EnerNOC, though several privately held companies like C-Power and EnergyConnect also act as intermediary agents, enrolling customers and taking responsibility for delivering the financial rewards to them.
Until recently, going after the residential customer didn't offer the same bang for the buck as getting large commercial and industrial clients on board, since individuals aren't as financially motivated to monitor and manage their energy usage. According to a 2008 Nielsen Claritas study, consumers are more likely to enroll in an online bill payment system than to participate in more "complicated online services." Real-time pricing, load management, and time-of-use rates all have very low adoptions rates. Yet as a critical mass of devices and opportunities develop, expect to see the residential user included in more demand response programs.
Energy management software. Whether it's the smart meter or the smart appliance, it's being run by software that establishes communication between the device and the grid operator. Echelon (Nasdaq: ELON), for example, provides homes and businesses with energy-aware devices that can react in real time to conditions existing on the grid.
A smart idea
The Smart Grid encompasses a variety of developing technologies, disciplines, and industries that seem confusing at first blush, but make a lot of sense as you dig further into them. Investors can leverage the public's nascent interest in green tech by plugging into these and other Smart Grid companies. It not only makes sense; it's smart, too.
Rich Duprey
June 19, 2009
Much of what's charging the Smart Grid investment discussion these days centers on software and devices that convey graphic information to consumers on their energy usage. Like jamming your foot on the accelerator of a new Fusion Hybrid from Ford and watching the green vine on its digital dashboard wilt and shed leaves, the visual feedback on smart meters from running your air conditioner during peak hours can lead to educated behavior modification.
Lovely Rita, meter maid
But the Smart Grid is more than just gee-whiz technology. While Itron (Nasdaq: ITRI), General Electric (NYSE: GE), and even Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) are giving consumers the tools to make better energy choices, just like the Fusion's digital display, there are other equally promising areas not getting the same attention as the meter maids.
To a certain extent, that's the nature of this emerging industry trend. Where solar, ethanol, or similar alt-energy platforms require substantial investments to build out the industry, the Smart Grid allows start-ups to develop software tools and networking devices to collect and organize the data on consumption to become the 10-baggers of the next decade.
Besides, investing in Google means you're also investing in its search-engine prowess. Buying GE also buys you a piece of its lighting, technology, finance, and health-care businesses. These might not be bad plays, but we're looking for Smart Grid investments.
The electric slide
Before we look at what else is out there, maybe we need to back up a bit and define what it is we're talking about.
Right now, the country's electric grid isn't all that smart. In fact, it's really pretty dumb. It was designed to do one thing: send electricity from the utilities into our homes. That was good enough for Grandma, but the U.S. consumes 100 quadrillion BTUs of energy each year, with much of it going to waste.
The promise of the Smart Grid is the development of a two-way communication system enabling utilities and grid operators to better manage and monitor the flow of electricity usage and channel it to where it's most needed. At the same time, consumers can take matters into their own hands -- through smart meters or appliances and electronic devices that can communicate with the grid -- to save money and make better energy decisions.
Between these two endpoints are plenty of opportunities for investors to profit.
Utilities and Grid Operators. The first pieces in the puzzle are the utilities and grid operators. Pacific Gas & Electric is one utility with an ambitious program to install 10.3 million smart meters across its entire grid by 2011. Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) and Sempra Energy are also implementing programs to meter up their customers.
Smart Grid Networks. You don't need to clog up the Internet or even rebuild it to get the data flowing from one end of the transmission line to the other. Privately held Trilliant and Silver Spring Networks are two companies doing the backhaul work of collecting the data from the smart meter and sending it to the utilities. They're using small communities of communication equipment called mesh networks to send the data back and forth.
Look out, though, because they might find themselves bumping up against Cisco (Nasdaq: CSCO), which is offering end-to-end, secure communications for the Smart Grid. It promises improved reliability, reduced costs, and lower risk for utilities, and could allow Cisco to emerge as a major contender for attention, even if it is partnering with Silver Spring in Miami.
Demand response aggregators. Paying companies not to use energy during peak periods is a novel approach to scarcity management. Demand response aggregators assist consumers and businesses in remotely reducing their electrical consumption during peak demand periods. In return, utilities and grid operators pay them for the lower demands they place on the system. Two of the larger demand response aggregators are Comverge (Nasdaq: COMV) and EnerNOC, though several privately held companies like C-Power and EnergyConnect also act as intermediary agents, enrolling customers and taking responsibility for delivering the financial rewards to them.
Until recently, going after the residential customer didn't offer the same bang for the buck as getting large commercial and industrial clients on board, since individuals aren't as financially motivated to monitor and manage their energy usage. According to a 2008 Nielsen Claritas study, consumers are more likely to enroll in an online bill payment system than to participate in more "complicated online services." Real-time pricing, load management, and time-of-use rates all have very low adoptions rates. Yet as a critical mass of devices and opportunities develop, expect to see the residential user included in more demand response programs.
Energy management software. Whether it's the smart meter or the smart appliance, it's being run by software that establishes communication between the device and the grid operator. Echelon (Nasdaq: ELON), for example, provides homes and businesses with energy-aware devices that can react in real time to conditions existing on the grid.
A smart idea
The Smart Grid encompasses a variety of developing technologies, disciplines, and industries that seem confusing at first blush, but make a lot of sense as you dig further into them. Investors can leverage the public's nascent interest in green tech by plugging into these and other Smart Grid companies. It not only makes sense; it's smart, too.
The buzz is building for ‘smart grid’ power system
H. JOSEF HEBERT THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: June 20, 2009
WASHINGTON -- Thomas Alva Edison, meet the Internet. More than a century after Edison invented a reliable light bulb, the nation's electricity distribution system, an aging spider web of power lines, is poised to move into the digital age.
The "smart grid" has become the buzz of the electric power industry, at the White House and among members of Congress. President Barack Obama says it is essential to boost development of wind and solar power, get people to use less energy and tackle climate change.
What smart-grid visionaries see coming are home thermostats and appliances that adjust automatically depending on the cost of power; where a water heater may get juice from a neighbor's rooftop solar panel; and where on a scorching hot day, a plug-in hybrid electric car charges one minute and the next sends electricity back to the grid to head off a brownout.
It is where utilities get instant feedback on a transformer outage, shift easily among energy sources, integrating wind and solar energy with electricity from coal-burning power plants, and go into homes and businesses to automatically adjust power use based on prearranged agreements.
"It's the marriage of information technology and automation technology with the existing electricity network. This is the energy Internet," said Bob Gilligan, vice president for transmission at GE Energy, which is aggressively pursuing smart-grid development. "There are going to be applications 10 years from now that you and I have no idea that we're going to want or need or think are essential to our lives."
Hundreds of technology companies and almost every major electric utility company see smart grid as the future. In Virginia, Dominion plans to install smart meters and equipment throughout its service area over the next few years as part of a $600 million plan.
Such interest got a boost with the availability of $4.5 billion in federal economic recovery money for smart-grid technology.
But smart grid won't be cheap; cost estimates run as high as $75 billion. Who's going to pay the bill? Will consumers get the payback they are promised? Might "smart meters" be too intrusive? Could an end-to-end computerization of the grid increase the risk of cyberattacks?
Today's grid is seen by many as little different from one envisioned by Edison 127 years ago. The hundreds of thousands of miles of power lines that crisscross the country have been compared to a river flowing down a hill: an inefficient one-way movement of electrons from power plant to consumer. There is little way to provide any feedback of information to the power company running the system or those buying the electricity.
"The heart of a smart grid is to make the grid more flexible, to more easily control the flow of electrons, and make it more efficient and reliable," said Greg Scheu, head of the power-production division at ABB North America, a leading grid technology provider.
"The meter is only the beginning," said Alex Huang, director of a grid technology center at North Carolina State University. He said that instead of power flowing from a small number of power plants, the smart grid can usher in a system of distributed energy so electricity "will flow from homes and businesses into the grid, neighborhoods will use local power and not just power flowing from a single source."
There are glimpses of what the future grid might look like.
On the University of Colorado campus in Boulder, the chancellor's home has been turned into a smart-grid showcase as part of a citywide $100 million demonstration project led by Xcel Energy. The home has a laptop-controlled electricity-management system that integrates a rooftop solar panel with grid-supplied power and tracks energy use as well as equipment to charge a plug-in hybrid electric car.
Florida Power & Light is planning to provide smart meters covering 1 million homes and businesses in the Miami area over the next two years in a $200 million project. Smart meters are being distributed by utilities from California to Delaware's Delmarva Peninsula.
"We've got about 70 [smart-grid] pilots all over the country right now," said Mike Oldak, an expert on smart grid at the Edison Electric Institute, which represents investor-owned utilities.
Center Point Energy, which serves 2.2 million customers in the metropolitan Houston area, expects to spend $1 billion over the next five years on smart grid. Residential customers are seeing an additional $3.24 a month on their electric bills, but Center Point says that should be more than offset by energy savings.
An Energy Department study projects energy savings of 5 percent to 15 percent from smart grid.
"This pays for itself through efficiency and demand reduction, and if you don't look at it from that perspective, you won't get your money back," said Thomas Standish, group president for regulated operations at Center Power Energy.
The cost and payback have some state regulators worried.
"We need to demonstrate to folks that there's a benefit here before we ask them to pay for this stuff," said Frederick Butler, chairman of New Jersey's utility commission and president of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners.
Energy Secretary Steven Chu said the current grid inhibits greater use of renewable-energy sources such as wind and solar that "will need a system that can dispatch power here, there and everywhere on a very quick basis."
But Chu and others also worry about security. "If you want to create mischief, one very good way to create a great deal of mischief is to actually bring down a smart-grid system. This system has to be incredibly secure."
And there is the issue of intrusion.
"Is the average consumer willing to pay the upfront costs of a new system and then respond appropriately to price signals? Or will people view a utility's ability to reach inside a home to turn down a thermostat as Orwellian?" Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said at a recent hearing on smart grid.
Published: June 20, 2009
WASHINGTON -- Thomas Alva Edison, meet the Internet. More than a century after Edison invented a reliable light bulb, the nation's electricity distribution system, an aging spider web of power lines, is poised to move into the digital age.
The "smart grid" has become the buzz of the electric power industry, at the White House and among members of Congress. President Barack Obama says it is essential to boost development of wind and solar power, get people to use less energy and tackle climate change.
What smart-grid visionaries see coming are home thermostats and appliances that adjust automatically depending on the cost of power; where a water heater may get juice from a neighbor's rooftop solar panel; and where on a scorching hot day, a plug-in hybrid electric car charges one minute and the next sends electricity back to the grid to head off a brownout.
It is where utilities get instant feedback on a transformer outage, shift easily among energy sources, integrating wind and solar energy with electricity from coal-burning power plants, and go into homes and businesses to automatically adjust power use based on prearranged agreements.
"It's the marriage of information technology and automation technology with the existing electricity network. This is the energy Internet," said Bob Gilligan, vice president for transmission at GE Energy, which is aggressively pursuing smart-grid development. "There are going to be applications 10 years from now that you and I have no idea that we're going to want or need or think are essential to our lives."
Hundreds of technology companies and almost every major electric utility company see smart grid as the future. In Virginia, Dominion plans to install smart meters and equipment throughout its service area over the next few years as part of a $600 million plan.
Such interest got a boost with the availability of $4.5 billion in federal economic recovery money for smart-grid technology.
But smart grid won't be cheap; cost estimates run as high as $75 billion. Who's going to pay the bill? Will consumers get the payback they are promised? Might "smart meters" be too intrusive? Could an end-to-end computerization of the grid increase the risk of cyberattacks?
Today's grid is seen by many as little different from one envisioned by Edison 127 years ago. The hundreds of thousands of miles of power lines that crisscross the country have been compared to a river flowing down a hill: an inefficient one-way movement of electrons from power plant to consumer. There is little way to provide any feedback of information to the power company running the system or those buying the electricity.
"The heart of a smart grid is to make the grid more flexible, to more easily control the flow of electrons, and make it more efficient and reliable," said Greg Scheu, head of the power-production division at ABB North America, a leading grid technology provider.
"The meter is only the beginning," said Alex Huang, director of a grid technology center at North Carolina State University. He said that instead of power flowing from a small number of power plants, the smart grid can usher in a system of distributed energy so electricity "will flow from homes and businesses into the grid, neighborhoods will use local power and not just power flowing from a single source."
There are glimpses of what the future grid might look like.
On the University of Colorado campus in Boulder, the chancellor's home has been turned into a smart-grid showcase as part of a citywide $100 million demonstration project led by Xcel Energy. The home has a laptop-controlled electricity-management system that integrates a rooftop solar panel with grid-supplied power and tracks energy use as well as equipment to charge a plug-in hybrid electric car.
Florida Power & Light is planning to provide smart meters covering 1 million homes and businesses in the Miami area over the next two years in a $200 million project. Smart meters are being distributed by utilities from California to Delaware's Delmarva Peninsula.
"We've got about 70 [smart-grid] pilots all over the country right now," said Mike Oldak, an expert on smart grid at the Edison Electric Institute, which represents investor-owned utilities.
Center Point Energy, which serves 2.2 million customers in the metropolitan Houston area, expects to spend $1 billion over the next five years on smart grid. Residential customers are seeing an additional $3.24 a month on their electric bills, but Center Point says that should be more than offset by energy savings.
An Energy Department study projects energy savings of 5 percent to 15 percent from smart grid.
"This pays for itself through efficiency and demand reduction, and if you don't look at it from that perspective, you won't get your money back," said Thomas Standish, group president for regulated operations at Center Power Energy.
The cost and payback have some state regulators worried.
"We need to demonstrate to folks that there's a benefit here before we ask them to pay for this stuff," said Frederick Butler, chairman of New Jersey's utility commission and president of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners.
Energy Secretary Steven Chu said the current grid inhibits greater use of renewable-energy sources such as wind and solar that "will need a system that can dispatch power here, there and everywhere on a very quick basis."
But Chu and others also worry about security. "If you want to create mischief, one very good way to create a great deal of mischief is to actually bring down a smart-grid system. This system has to be incredibly secure."
And there is the issue of intrusion.
"Is the average consumer willing to pay the upfront costs of a new system and then respond appropriately to price signals? Or will people view a utility's ability to reach inside a home to turn down a thermostat as Orwellian?" Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said at a recent hearing on smart grid.
Friday, June 19, 2009
NIST releases report on Smart Grid development
NIST releases report on Smart Grid development
Author: RP news wires
Issue: /
The U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology on June 18 released for public review a report* that identifies issues and proposes priorities for developing technical standards and an architecture for a U.S. Smart Grid. The Smart Grid is a planned nationwide network that will use 21st century information technology to deliver electricity efficiently, reliably and securely, while allowing increased use of renewable power sources.
The nearly 300-page report, developed and delivered to NIST by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), is available on the NIST Smart Grid Web site.
NIST will accept public comments on the report for 30 days after the publication of an upcoming notice in the Federal Register announcing the report’s availability.
This report is part of the first phase of NIST’s three-phase plan, announced in April, to expedite development of key standards for the Smart Grid.
“Widely adopted interoperability standards will enable integration, effective cooperation, and secure two-way communication among the many networked elements of a smart electric power grid,” said George Arnold, NIST national coordinator for Smart Grid interoperability. “This report is an important step forward in that process.”
Under the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007, NIST has “primary responsibility to coordinate development of a framework that includes protocols and model standards for information management to achieve interoperability of smart grid devices and systems…”
NIST is working closely with the Department of Energy, the lead agency in the federal Smart Grid effort.
Earlier this year, NIST awarded a contract to EPRI for assistance in developing the standards framework. EPRI technical experts have compiled and distilled recommendations from a variety of Smart Grid stakeholders, including technical contributions taken from two EPRI-facilitated, two-day, public workshops. The EPRI report also incorporates contributions from six expert working groups established by NIST in 2008, and a cybersecurity coordination task group established in 2009. Hundreds of people have participated in the road mapping process to date.
NIST will use the EPRI report in drafting the NIST Smart Grid Interoperability Standards Framework. The NIST document will describe a high-level architecture, identify an initial set of key standards, and provide a roadmap for developing new or revised standards needed to realize the Smart Grid. Release 1.0 of the NIST Smart Grid Interoperability Standards Framework is planned to be available in September.
A third public EPRI-sponsored Smart Grid interoperability-standards workshop will be held in early August to engage standards-development organizations in responding to unaddressed, high-priority needs identified in the draft standards road map.
Ultimately, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) determines whether sufficient consensus has been reached to implement final standards and protocols necessary for Smart Grid functionality and interoperability. NIST’s role is to identify and submit to FERC recommendations for the final product.
As a non-regulatory agency, NIST promotes U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life.
* Report to NIST on the Smart Grid Interoperability Standards Roadmap (Contract No. SB1341-09-CN-0031 — Deliverable 7) Prepared by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), June 17, 2009.
Author: RP news wires
Issue: /
The U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology on June 18 released for public review a report* that identifies issues and proposes priorities for developing technical standards and an architecture for a U.S. Smart Grid. The Smart Grid is a planned nationwide network that will use 21st century information technology to deliver electricity efficiently, reliably and securely, while allowing increased use of renewable power sources.
The nearly 300-page report, developed and delivered to NIST by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), is available on the NIST Smart Grid Web site.
NIST will accept public comments on the report for 30 days after the publication of an upcoming notice in the Federal Register announcing the report’s availability.
This report is part of the first phase of NIST’s three-phase plan, announced in April, to expedite development of key standards for the Smart Grid.
“Widely adopted interoperability standards will enable integration, effective cooperation, and secure two-way communication among the many networked elements of a smart electric power grid,” said George Arnold, NIST national coordinator for Smart Grid interoperability. “This report is an important step forward in that process.”
Under the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007, NIST has “primary responsibility to coordinate development of a framework that includes protocols and model standards for information management to achieve interoperability of smart grid devices and systems…”
NIST is working closely with the Department of Energy, the lead agency in the federal Smart Grid effort.
Earlier this year, NIST awarded a contract to EPRI for assistance in developing the standards framework. EPRI technical experts have compiled and distilled recommendations from a variety of Smart Grid stakeholders, including technical contributions taken from two EPRI-facilitated, two-day, public workshops. The EPRI report also incorporates contributions from six expert working groups established by NIST in 2008, and a cybersecurity coordination task group established in 2009. Hundreds of people have participated in the road mapping process to date.
NIST will use the EPRI report in drafting the NIST Smart Grid Interoperability Standards Framework. The NIST document will describe a high-level architecture, identify an initial set of key standards, and provide a roadmap for developing new or revised standards needed to realize the Smart Grid. Release 1.0 of the NIST Smart Grid Interoperability Standards Framework is planned to be available in September.
A third public EPRI-sponsored Smart Grid interoperability-standards workshop will be held in early August to engage standards-development organizations in responding to unaddressed, high-priority needs identified in the draft standards road map.
Ultimately, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) determines whether sufficient consensus has been reached to implement final standards and protocols necessary for Smart Grid functionality and interoperability. NIST’s role is to identify and submit to FERC recommendations for the final product.
As a non-regulatory agency, NIST promotes U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life.
* Report to NIST on the Smart Grid Interoperability Standards Roadmap (Contract No. SB1341-09-CN-0031 — Deliverable 7) Prepared by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), June 17, 2009.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
IEEE, industry players in race to help modernize smart grid
By Brian Fuller, Contributing Editor -- 6/17/2009
Electronic Business
Engineers and industry officials have started the clock ticking after a “historic” meeting in Santa Clara to begin to frame standards to help modernize the North American power grid, which has remained virtually unchanged for a century.
IEEE’s P2030 group, founded in March, met June 3 to 5 at Intel’s Santa Clara headquarters, gathering 150 people together to begin the work of identifying existing standards, as well as technology holes that need to be fixed to deliver on smart grid interoperability. It was one in a series of related national meetings in the past six weeks, from Washington to Santa Clara, from government to the private sector, to build frameworks and begin work around standards. Some $4.5 billion in federal stimulus money is targeted toward the smart grid construction, a figure that’s estimated to be at least a tenth what the overall industry investment will be.
“The big event here was bringing together the [IEEE] energy information and communication society groups into a unified group to do a unified project and cut across technologies,” said Dick DeBlasio, who is an IEEE standards board member and chair of the Standards Coordinating Committee (SCC) 21. “It was historical from that point of view.”
“Our goal coming into the meeting was to get the process started and people together and in active dialogue,” said Lorie Wigle, general manager of Intel’s Eco-Technology program. “There was a really good outcome in the willingness and desire for the companies to continue to talk between meetings to make forward progress.”
DeBlasio said the IEEE standards work during the next 12 to 18 months will focus on systems rather than “switches and relays.” At the conclusion of the meeting at Intel, three task forces were formed to tackle the next stage of standards work:
Task Force 1 (IEEE P2030 TF-1), Power Engineering Technology, lead by Sam Sciacca and Tom Prevost
Task Force 2 (IEEE P2030 TF-2), Information Technology, led by Bob Grow
Task Force 3 (IEEE P2030 TF-3), Communications Technology, led by Stefano Galli and Bob Heile.
Why now?
The need for a grid upgrade emerged starkly last summer, when oil prices soared and concern over the future of fossil fuel availability intensified. That coincided with popular understanding that the technology the industry’s brought to bear in computing, communications and consumer devices has obvious applicability in energy distribution, monitoring, and management.
The new “energy efficiency” mantra is generally defined as an ecosystem in which home appliances talk wirelessly to a device that lets consumers understand their power usage and control their consumption; in which utilities talk to homes to manage energy loads at times of peak demand; in which utilities better manage the distribution of new, “bursty” modes of power generation such as solar and wind.
Two things make electricity unique and a challenge for smart grid: Lack of flow control and electricity storage requirements.
“Change either of these and the grid delivery system will be transformed,” said DeBlasio, an engineer with the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo.
The IEEE work is being done in the context of a framework emerging at the federal level from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Shortly after a smart grid standards workshop April 28 to 29, Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke hosted a Washington meeting with NIST and announced 16 standards that are essentially locked down—no debate necessary.
These include:
ANSI C12.19/MC1219-Revenue metering information model
DNP 3-Substation and feeder device automation
IEC 61850-Substation automation and protection
IEEE 1686-2007-Security for intelligent electronic devices
Open HAN-home area network device communication
ZigBee/Home Plug Smart Energy Profile-Home area device communications.
The near-term roadmap, according to NIST’s George W. Arnold, includes the initial phase between now and September in which existing consensus standards (including the 16 identified) are recognized; the establishment between now and 2010 of a public-private standards panel to provide recommendations for new and revised standards to be recognized by NIST; and testing and certification later in 2010.
While there are many existing standards and emerging technologies to work with, there are many unresolved issues.
Gaps in some of the standards—notably IEEE power engineering specs—need to be filled or updated, according to Arnold. These include IEEE 1547 (physical and electrical interconnections between utility and distributed generation), IEEE 1588 (precision clock synchronization), and IEEE C37 (standard electrical power system device function, originally published in 1928).
The third task force’s work (communications) may be more challenging, Arnold suggests, describing the communications infrastructure for the smart grid as “the wild west.” DeBlasio went him one further: “Communications is basically a two-way wire with a tin can at the end. There’s not a lot of advanced communications within the utilities.”
While most of mac/phy layer standards are IEEE’s, guidance will be needed on their application to the smart grid, and additional standards may be needed, as well, Arnold said.
Within the home, ZigBee seems to have emerged as the leading wireless communications factor, although powerline and other approaches haven’t been dismissed.
The interface between the home and the utility, though, may or may not emerge as a point of contention. While it’s generally up to individual utilities to choose their communications backhaul (because they own that customer relationship), there are a number of competing ways to update the technology, according to Lucian Ion, strategic marketing manager for smart grid and energy technology solutions at National Semiconductor. These include looking at cellular, WiMax or hybrid mesh/wired configurations—even FM radio, he added.
“There isn’t a clear standard from how you get it from the home. That’s more of an issue of a biz model of how each utility is able to secure a backhaul spot,” Ion said.
In addition, engineers and industry leaders will be examining how to handle emerging technologies that will add load to the grid—plug-in electric vehicles, for example, that charge in a garage overnight. That requires coordination among a number of standards bodies.
The next SCC 21 meeting is set for October, according to DeBlasio, who added that IBM has tentatively agreed to host that gathering in New York state.
The three task forces will meet several times between now and then, and DeBlasio said he has asked each task force to put together a straw man on which standards are solid, and which could be updated.
Electronic Business
Engineers and industry officials have started the clock ticking after a “historic” meeting in Santa Clara to begin to frame standards to help modernize the North American power grid, which has remained virtually unchanged for a century.
IEEE’s P2030 group, founded in March, met June 3 to 5 at Intel’s Santa Clara headquarters, gathering 150 people together to begin the work of identifying existing standards, as well as technology holes that need to be fixed to deliver on smart grid interoperability. It was one in a series of related national meetings in the past six weeks, from Washington to Santa Clara, from government to the private sector, to build frameworks and begin work around standards. Some $4.5 billion in federal stimulus money is targeted toward the smart grid construction, a figure that’s estimated to be at least a tenth what the overall industry investment will be.
“The big event here was bringing together the [IEEE] energy information and communication society groups into a unified group to do a unified project and cut across technologies,” said Dick DeBlasio, who is an IEEE standards board member and chair of the Standards Coordinating Committee (SCC) 21. “It was historical from that point of view.”
“Our goal coming into the meeting was to get the process started and people together and in active dialogue,” said Lorie Wigle, general manager of Intel’s Eco-Technology program. “There was a really good outcome in the willingness and desire for the companies to continue to talk between meetings to make forward progress.”
DeBlasio said the IEEE standards work during the next 12 to 18 months will focus on systems rather than “switches and relays.” At the conclusion of the meeting at Intel, three task forces were formed to tackle the next stage of standards work:
Task Force 1 (IEEE P2030 TF-1), Power Engineering Technology, lead by Sam Sciacca and Tom Prevost
Task Force 2 (IEEE P2030 TF-2), Information Technology, led by Bob Grow
Task Force 3 (IEEE P2030 TF-3), Communications Technology, led by Stefano Galli and Bob Heile.
Why now?
The need for a grid upgrade emerged starkly last summer, when oil prices soared and concern over the future of fossil fuel availability intensified. That coincided with popular understanding that the technology the industry’s brought to bear in computing, communications and consumer devices has obvious applicability in energy distribution, monitoring, and management.
The new “energy efficiency” mantra is generally defined as an ecosystem in which home appliances talk wirelessly to a device that lets consumers understand their power usage and control their consumption; in which utilities talk to homes to manage energy loads at times of peak demand; in which utilities better manage the distribution of new, “bursty” modes of power generation such as solar and wind.
Two things make electricity unique and a challenge for smart grid: Lack of flow control and electricity storage requirements.
“Change either of these and the grid delivery system will be transformed,” said DeBlasio, an engineer with the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo.
The IEEE work is being done in the context of a framework emerging at the federal level from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Shortly after a smart grid standards workshop April 28 to 29, Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke hosted a Washington meeting with NIST and announced 16 standards that are essentially locked down—no debate necessary.
These include:
ANSI C12.19/MC1219-Revenue metering information model
DNP 3-Substation and feeder device automation
IEC 61850-Substation automation and protection
IEEE 1686-2007-Security for intelligent electronic devices
Open HAN-home area network device communication
ZigBee/Home Plug Smart Energy Profile-Home area device communications.
The near-term roadmap, according to NIST’s George W. Arnold, includes the initial phase between now and September in which existing consensus standards (including the 16 identified) are recognized; the establishment between now and 2010 of a public-private standards panel to provide recommendations for new and revised standards to be recognized by NIST; and testing and certification later in 2010.
While there are many existing standards and emerging technologies to work with, there are many unresolved issues.
Gaps in some of the standards—notably IEEE power engineering specs—need to be filled or updated, according to Arnold. These include IEEE 1547 (physical and electrical interconnections between utility and distributed generation), IEEE 1588 (precision clock synchronization), and IEEE C37 (standard electrical power system device function, originally published in 1928).
The third task force’s work (communications) may be more challenging, Arnold suggests, describing the communications infrastructure for the smart grid as “the wild west.” DeBlasio went him one further: “Communications is basically a two-way wire with a tin can at the end. There’s not a lot of advanced communications within the utilities.”
While most of mac/phy layer standards are IEEE’s, guidance will be needed on their application to the smart grid, and additional standards may be needed, as well, Arnold said.
Within the home, ZigBee seems to have emerged as the leading wireless communications factor, although powerline and other approaches haven’t been dismissed.
The interface between the home and the utility, though, may or may not emerge as a point of contention. While it’s generally up to individual utilities to choose their communications backhaul (because they own that customer relationship), there are a number of competing ways to update the technology, according to Lucian Ion, strategic marketing manager for smart grid and energy technology solutions at National Semiconductor. These include looking at cellular, WiMax or hybrid mesh/wired configurations—even FM radio, he added.
“There isn’t a clear standard from how you get it from the home. That’s more of an issue of a biz model of how each utility is able to secure a backhaul spot,” Ion said.
In addition, engineers and industry leaders will be examining how to handle emerging technologies that will add load to the grid—plug-in electric vehicles, for example, that charge in a garage overnight. That requires coordination among a number of standards bodies.
The next SCC 21 meeting is set for October, according to DeBlasio, who added that IBM has tentatively agreed to host that gathering in New York state.
The three task forces will meet several times between now and then, and DeBlasio said he has asked each task force to put together a straw man on which standards are solid, and which could be updated.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
DUKE ENERGY Smart Grid: Virtual Power Plant video tour in southeast Charlotte, N.C.
Virtual Power Plant in Southeast Charlotte, N.C.
Posted by: Paige Layne on: June 8, 2009
The McAlpine Creek area in southeast Charlotte, N.C. — an area bordered by Carmel and Rea Roads and Hwy. 51 — is a test bed for distributed generation resources and smart grid technologies. An electric power substation on Hwy. 51 is flanked by more than 213 solar arrays, and soon a large battery will be installed at the site to store energy generated by the solar panels or at existing power plants when energy is available, but in low demand. Additionally, 100 customers are participating in a residential energy management pilot program that gives them the tools and information needed to develop an “energy profile.” Once their energy profiles are set, participating customers can use the information to manage their air conditioners, water heaters and other appliances to use less energy, save money and help the environment.
The solar panels, battery and energy management systems together create a virtual power plant capable of generating enough energy for 55 homes for one year.
Here’s how it works.
What energy can be.
Posted by: Paige Layne on: June 4, 2009
Duke Energy’s power grid is an engineering marvel that has delivered affordable, reliable electricity to over 4 million homes and businesses in the Southeast and Midwest for more than a century. But with rising costs and a desire to cut emissions, we must find ways to continue to meet our customers’ energy needs while reducing the impact on the environment. To do this, we’re deploying smart grid technologies to create an “energy Internet” capable of digital two-way communications. This digital connection will pave the way for a host of new opportunities, including new energy efficiency programs, the use of more renewable energy and new ways for Duke Energy to work with our customers to use less energy, save money and help the environment.
Todd Arnold, Duke Energy’s senior vice president of smart grid and customer systems, explains how.
“Energy Internet”requires the right communication platform
Posted by: Duke Energy on: May 20, 2009
Having the right communication platform is a critical part of the design and functionality of a smart grid. Duke Energy Vice President and Chief Technology Officer David Mohler explains why Internet Protocol-based open standards is the best approach for our company, customers and the industry.
Posted by: Paige Layne on: June 8, 2009
The McAlpine Creek area in southeast Charlotte, N.C. — an area bordered by Carmel and Rea Roads and Hwy. 51 — is a test bed for distributed generation resources and smart grid technologies. An electric power substation on Hwy. 51 is flanked by more than 213 solar arrays, and soon a large battery will be installed at the site to store energy generated by the solar panels or at existing power plants when energy is available, but in low demand. Additionally, 100 customers are participating in a residential energy management pilot program that gives them the tools and information needed to develop an “energy profile.” Once their energy profiles are set, participating customers can use the information to manage their air conditioners, water heaters and other appliances to use less energy, save money and help the environment.
The solar panels, battery and energy management systems together create a virtual power plant capable of generating enough energy for 55 homes for one year.
Here’s how it works.
What energy can be.
Posted by: Paige Layne on: June 4, 2009
Duke Energy’s power grid is an engineering marvel that has delivered affordable, reliable electricity to over 4 million homes and businesses in the Southeast and Midwest for more than a century. But with rising costs and a desire to cut emissions, we must find ways to continue to meet our customers’ energy needs while reducing the impact on the environment. To do this, we’re deploying smart grid technologies to create an “energy Internet” capable of digital two-way communications. This digital connection will pave the way for a host of new opportunities, including new energy efficiency programs, the use of more renewable energy and new ways for Duke Energy to work with our customers to use less energy, save money and help the environment.
Todd Arnold, Duke Energy’s senior vice president of smart grid and customer systems, explains how.
“Energy Internet”requires the right communication platform
Posted by: Duke Energy on: May 20, 2009
Having the right communication platform is a critical part of the design and functionality of a smart grid. Duke Energy Vice President and Chief Technology Officer David Mohler explains why Internet Protocol-based open standards is the best approach for our company, customers and the industry.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Knight Capital Group, Inc. to Webcast Smart Grid Conference on June 16th
Reminder: Knight to Webcast Smart Grid Conference on June 16th
JERSEY CITY, N.J., June 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Knight Capital Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: NITE) will webcast a one-day conference in New York titled Creating the Smart Grid on Tuesday, June 16, 2009, beginning at 8:00 a.m. ET. The conference will feature the country's leading thinkers on U.S. energy independence and security, including a keynote address by Michael Morris, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of American Electric Power.
The conference will be webcast at www.knight.com/ourofferings/corporateaccess.asp. Participants should log on at least 10 minutes prior to the 8:00 a.m. ET start.
The schedule of speakers for the Creating the Smart Grid conference is available at http://www.knight.com/invites/smartGrid/pdf/SmartGridConferenceAgenda2.pdf.
Following the conference, a replay will be archived at www.knight.com.
Corporate issuers and institutional investors interested in learning more about Knight Corporate Access should email knightcorporateaccess@knight.com.
JERSEY CITY, N.J., June 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Knight Capital Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: NITE) will webcast a one-day conference in New York titled Creating the Smart Grid on Tuesday, June 16, 2009, beginning at 8:00 a.m. ET. The conference will feature the country's leading thinkers on U.S. energy independence and security, including a keynote address by Michael Morris, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of American Electric Power.
The conference will be webcast at www.knight.com/ourofferings/corporateaccess.asp. Participants should log on at least 10 minutes prior to the 8:00 a.m. ET start.
The schedule of speakers for the Creating the Smart Grid conference is available at http://www.knight.com/invites/smartGrid/pdf/SmartGridConferenceAgenda2.pdf.
Following the conference, a replay will be archived at www.knight.com.
Corporate issuers and institutional investors interested in learning more about Knight Corporate Access should email knightcorporateaccess@knight.com.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Future For U.S. Electric Grid discussed at house hearing Today
A A House Energy & Commerce Subcmte. held a hearing
on the future of the U.S. electric grid. Lawmakers will consider proposals for new legislation giving the federal government more involvement in the development of transmission lines. In April, Rep. Markey co-sponsored legislation to protect the nations energy grid from cyber attacks.
Washington, DC : 3 hr. 57 min.
on the future of the U.S. electric grid. Lawmakers will consider proposals for new legislation giving the federal government more involvement in the development of transmission lines. In April, Rep. Markey co-sponsored legislation to protect the nations energy grid from cyber attacks.
Washington, DC : 3 hr. 57 min.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Duke Energy- North Carolina utility moving ahead on smart grid technology
Published: 6/11/2009
A North Carolina utility company is moving customers closer to the time when they will save more money and energy with help from smart grid technology.
Duke Energy announced this week it will be working with Cisco Systems to bring smart grid technology to its 11 million customers. The two companies have entered into a three-year partnership that will feature two-way digital communication to increase efficiency and use less energy.
The companies are comparing their effort to an "energy internet" that will replace the current analog electric grid with advanced digital technology. The improvements will be added to the electric grid as well as to individual homes in five states.
The internet-protocol based open standards to be used in the project will also have the important benefit of easily accommodating new energy technologies that may be introduced in the coming years.
Duke indicated that in Ohio alone, its plans calls for installing more than 700,000 electric smart meters and 450,000 natural gas meters, while in Indiana, 800,000 residents would receive smart meters.
A North Carolina utility company is moving customers closer to the time when they will save more money and energy with help from smart grid technology.
Duke Energy announced this week it will be working with Cisco Systems to bring smart grid technology to its 11 million customers. The two companies have entered into a three-year partnership that will feature two-way digital communication to increase efficiency and use less energy.
The companies are comparing their effort to an "energy internet" that will replace the current analog electric grid with advanced digital technology. The improvements will be added to the electric grid as well as to individual homes in five states.
The internet-protocol based open standards to be used in the project will also have the important benefit of easily accommodating new energy technologies that may be introduced in the coming years.
Duke indicated that in Ohio alone, its plans calls for installing more than 700,000 electric smart meters and 450,000 natural gas meters, while in Indiana, 800,000 residents would receive smart meters.
"GE is focusing on buying "technology-driven companies" whose products will help modernise and improve the efficiency of power grids worldwide"
GE T&D unit confirms eyeing $5 bln in sales
Wed Jun 10, 2009 12:33pm BST
PARIS, June 10 (Reuters) - General Electric Co's (GE.N) transmission and distribution unit is still aiming to reach $5 billion in annual sales within five years, despite the economic crisis, a senior executive said on Wednesday.
Bob Gilligan, vice president of the transmission and distribution unit, which currently has sales of just over $2 billion, confirmed the target and told a news conference: "We view the T and D market place as having very strong underlying market dynamics."
The T&D unit makes products that help deliver electricity, including transformers, electricity meters and energy management software.
He said the unit would grow because emerging markets were building new infrastructure while mature markets had ageing infrastructure that needed to be renovated and upgraded.
"We also see the need for more intelligence to be brought in to the grid globally to support renewable power. So all those things are favourable for the industry over the long term. Therefore this is an area that GE will continue to invest in," he added.
While about 80 percent of GE's T&D equipment sales come from North America, Gilligan said he would like to see an equal share of sales in Europe.
To grow, the company is focusing on buying "technology-driven companies" whose products will help modernise and improve the efficiency of power grids worldwide.
When asked whether GE would be interested in buying the power transmission and distribution (T&D) unit of French reactor maker Areva (CEPFi.PA) if it was up for sale, Gilligan replied:
"I will not comment, but Areva is an important player in the T&D space, and everyone is interested to see how it plays out because (the company) has a very good position."
Last month, a source close to the situation told Reuters that Areva would consider selling the profitable business as part of measures to fund investment needs estimated at over 10 billion euros.
Sources close to the matter have said in the last few weeks that the cash-strapped French government, which indirectly owns more than 90 percent of Areva, was reluctant to opt for a capital increase as requested by Areva's management, and favoured instead the sale of the T&D business. (Reporting by Muriel Boselli, editing by Will Waterman)
Wed Jun 10, 2009 12:33pm BST
PARIS, June 10 (Reuters) - General Electric Co's (GE.N) transmission and distribution unit is still aiming to reach $5 billion in annual sales within five years, despite the economic crisis, a senior executive said on Wednesday.
Bob Gilligan, vice president of the transmission and distribution unit, which currently has sales of just over $2 billion, confirmed the target and told a news conference: "We view the T and D market place as having very strong underlying market dynamics."
The T&D unit makes products that help deliver electricity, including transformers, electricity meters and energy management software.
He said the unit would grow because emerging markets were building new infrastructure while mature markets had ageing infrastructure that needed to be renovated and upgraded.
"We also see the need for more intelligence to be brought in to the grid globally to support renewable power. So all those things are favourable for the industry over the long term. Therefore this is an area that GE will continue to invest in," he added.
While about 80 percent of GE's T&D equipment sales come from North America, Gilligan said he would like to see an equal share of sales in Europe.
To grow, the company is focusing on buying "technology-driven companies" whose products will help modernise and improve the efficiency of power grids worldwide.
When asked whether GE would be interested in buying the power transmission and distribution (T&D) unit of French reactor maker Areva (CEPFi.PA) if it was up for sale, Gilligan replied:
"I will not comment, but Areva is an important player in the T&D space, and everyone is interested to see how it plays out because (the company) has a very good position."
Last month, a source close to the situation told Reuters that Areva would consider selling the profitable business as part of measures to fund investment needs estimated at over 10 billion euros.
Sources close to the matter have said in the last few weeks that the cash-strapped French government, which indirectly owns more than 90 percent of Areva, was reluctant to opt for a capital increase as requested by Areva's management, and favoured instead the sale of the T&D business. (Reporting by Muriel Boselli, editing by Will Waterman)
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
ComEd picks GE, Silver Spring for smart grid pilot
June 9, 2009
Redwood City, Calif.-based Silver Spring Networks continues to expand in Australia, announcing new partnership with power distributors.
Commonwealth Edison put its stamp of approval on GE Energy and Silver Spring Networks today, in a move that could benefit ComEd’s 3.8 million customers across northern Illinois. The announcement was coupled by Silver Springs continuing its international expansion, adding two new Aussie electricity distributors today.
ComEd, a subsidiary of Chicago-based utility services holding company Exelon (NYSE:EXC) is recommending GE Energy and Silver Spring for its proposed Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) pilot, a smart grid deployment expected to empower customers to manage their energy consumption.
More ...
Redwood City, Calif.-based Silver Spring Networks continues to expand in Australia, announcing new partnership with power distributors.
Commonwealth Edison put its stamp of approval on GE Energy and Silver Spring Networks today, in a move that could benefit ComEd’s 3.8 million customers across northern Illinois. The announcement was coupled by Silver Springs continuing its international expansion, adding two new Aussie electricity distributors today.
ComEd, a subsidiary of Chicago-based utility services holding company Exelon (NYSE:EXC) is recommending GE Energy and Silver Spring for its proposed Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) pilot, a smart grid deployment expected to empower customers to manage their energy consumption.
More ...
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Duke Energy Enlists Cisco in Smart Grid Efforts
Duke Energy Enlists Cisco in Smart Grid Efforts
Jeff St. John June 9, 2009
The Charlotte, N.C.-based utility will enlist the networking giant in a broad range of smart grid efforts. It's the second U.S. utility to publicly announce a partnership with Cisco in its big push into what it believes will be a $20 billion per year market.
Duke Energy said Tuesday it has enlisted Cisco Systems in a three-year project to build out an "end-to-end, smart grid communications architecture," becoming the second U.S. utility to enlist the networking giant in its smart grid efforts.
Cisco announced its big push into smart grid technologies last month, shortly after it was named as a partner for a one-million smart meter project being undertaken by Florida Power and Light in Miami (see Cisco Wants to Be Everywhere in Smart Grid) and A Million Smart Meters for Miami).
Charlotte, N.C.-based Duke, for its part, has taken a go-slow approach to its smart grid efforts, compared to other utilities now deploying millions of smart meters to their customers. Duke has so far installed about 60,000 smart meters in Cincinnati, working with smart meter provider Echelon Corp..
Later this year the utility plans to start a five-year project to bring more than 700,000 smart electric meters and 450,00 smart natural gas meters to its Ohio service territory. Duke also is seeking regulator permission to install about 800,000 smart meters in its Indiana service territory.
Duke is also testing a so-called "microgrid" project in Charlotte, involving about 100 homes connected to a solar photovoltaic power plant and both large and small-scale energy storage. It also intends to install so-called distribution automation hardware and software to improve distribution grid reliability in both Ohio and Indiana.
Cisco and Duke said that the architecture they're deploying would be based on Internet protocol – no surprise, given Cisco's emphasis on IP as a common standard for smart grid technology.
Beyond that, the two companies didn't provide many specifics on their plan, other than to say they would test a variety of communications hardware and software on the grid, as well as devices in customers' homes aimed at reducing their electricity consumption (see The Smart Home, Part I).
While Duke didn't specify which equipment providers it would work with, it has been testing multi-modal communications devices from smart meter networking company SmartSynch and smart grid communications technology provider Ambient Corp. (see SmartSynch's Smart Grid in a Box).
And of course, Cisco has said it will develop rugged, weatherproof routers and servers to serve in utility applications.
Jeff St. John June 9, 2009
The Charlotte, N.C.-based utility will enlist the networking giant in a broad range of smart grid efforts. It's the second U.S. utility to publicly announce a partnership with Cisco in its big push into what it believes will be a $20 billion per year market.
Duke Energy said Tuesday it has enlisted Cisco Systems in a three-year project to build out an "end-to-end, smart grid communications architecture," becoming the second U.S. utility to enlist the networking giant in its smart grid efforts.
Cisco announced its big push into smart grid technologies last month, shortly after it was named as a partner for a one-million smart meter project being undertaken by Florida Power and Light in Miami (see Cisco Wants to Be Everywhere in Smart Grid) and A Million Smart Meters for Miami).
Charlotte, N.C.-based Duke, for its part, has taken a go-slow approach to its smart grid efforts, compared to other utilities now deploying millions of smart meters to their customers. Duke has so far installed about 60,000 smart meters in Cincinnati, working with smart meter provider Echelon Corp..
Later this year the utility plans to start a five-year project to bring more than 700,000 smart electric meters and 450,00 smart natural gas meters to its Ohio service territory. Duke also is seeking regulator permission to install about 800,000 smart meters in its Indiana service territory.
Duke is also testing a so-called "microgrid" project in Charlotte, involving about 100 homes connected to a solar photovoltaic power plant and both large and small-scale energy storage. It also intends to install so-called distribution automation hardware and software to improve distribution grid reliability in both Ohio and Indiana.
Cisco and Duke said that the architecture they're deploying would be based on Internet protocol – no surprise, given Cisco's emphasis on IP as a common standard for smart grid technology.
Beyond that, the two companies didn't provide many specifics on their plan, other than to say they would test a variety of communications hardware and software on the grid, as well as devices in customers' homes aimed at reducing their electricity consumption (see The Smart Home, Part I).
While Duke didn't specify which equipment providers it would work with, it has been testing multi-modal communications devices from smart meter networking company SmartSynch and smart grid communications technology provider Ambient Corp. (see SmartSynch's Smart Grid in a Box).
And of course, Cisco has said it will develop rugged, weatherproof routers and servers to serve in utility applications.
Ambient Comment on Duke Energy Smart Grid Announcement
June 9, 2009 - Ambient Comment on Duke Energy Smart Grid Announcement
We are excited to send along some updated information today about the smart grid deployment progress at Duke Energy. You may have read today that Duke Energy is working with Cisco Systems to fast track Duke's commitment to Internet protocol-based open standards, which has been at the forefront of Duke's and Ambient's strategy. We believe this strategy compliments and confirms our approach with Duke.
This announcement is only the latest in recent trends to define the open standards-based architecture for smart grids. We believe that Ambient Smart Grid™ is already well positioned to meet most of those requirements and easily adapted to meet any additional requirements.
We continue to work with our existing and potentially new customers and technology partners to develop our system and plan for larger deployments later this year.
We hope to see you at our Annual Meeting on June 19th as well as our upcoming presentations at the UPA's "Plug into Profit '09," GridWeek 2009 and other events.
http://www.ambientcorp.com/media_news.html
!!!
We are excited to send along some updated information today about the smart grid deployment progress at Duke Energy. You may have read today that Duke Energy is working with Cisco Systems to fast track Duke's commitment to Internet protocol-based open standards, which has been at the forefront of Duke's and Ambient's strategy. We believe this strategy compliments and confirms our approach with Duke.
This announcement is only the latest in recent trends to define the open standards-based architecture for smart grids. We believe that Ambient Smart Grid™ is already well positioned to meet most of those requirements and easily adapted to meet any additional requirements.
We continue to work with our existing and potentially new customers and technology partners to develop our system and plan for larger deployments later this year.
We hope to see you at our Annual Meeting on June 19th as well as our upcoming presentations at the UPA's "Plug into Profit '09," GridWeek 2009 and other events.
http://www.ambientcorp.com/media_news.html
!!!
Duke hires Cisco Systems for ‘smart-grid’ system
June 9, 2009, 9:34am EDT
Duke hires Cisco Systems for ‘smart-grid’ system
Business Courier of Cincinnati
Duke Energy Corp. has hired Cisco Systems Inc. to develop the utility’s “smart-grid” system.
The three-year agreement is the latest development in Duke Energy’s effort to convert its analog electricity infrastructure into a digital system that reduces energy use and boosts reliability.
The architecture will be based on Internet-protocol standards that will adapt to new communications technology.
“Our goal is to rapidly transform the way electricity is delivered to, and used by, the 11 million people we serve in five states,” says Todd Arnold, senior vice president for smart grid and customer systems at Duke Energy.
In addition, Cisco will work with Duke Energy to develop and install home energy-management devices to help customers control and reduce their electricity consumption.
Financial terms of the agreement weren’t disclosed.
Charlotte-based Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) includes Duke Energy Carolinas and the former Cincinnati Gas & Electric Co. in Ohio, Union Light, Heat and Power in Kentucky and PSI Energy in Indiana.
Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO) is a California-based designer and manufacturer of networking technology.
FYI: Ambient Announces Development and License Agreement with Cisco Systems, Inc.
Enjoy!
Duke hires Cisco Systems for ‘smart-grid’ system
Business Courier of Cincinnati
Duke Energy Corp. has hired Cisco Systems Inc. to develop the utility’s “smart-grid” system.
The three-year agreement is the latest development in Duke Energy’s effort to convert its analog electricity infrastructure into a digital system that reduces energy use and boosts reliability.
The architecture will be based on Internet-protocol standards that will adapt to new communications technology.
“Our goal is to rapidly transform the way electricity is delivered to, and used by, the 11 million people we serve in five states,” says Todd Arnold, senior vice president for smart grid and customer systems at Duke Energy.
In addition, Cisco will work with Duke Energy to develop and install home energy-management devices to help customers control and reduce their electricity consumption.
Financial terms of the agreement weren’t disclosed.
Charlotte-based Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) includes Duke Energy Carolinas and the former Cincinnati Gas & Electric Co. in Ohio, Union Light, Heat and Power in Kentucky and PSI Energy in Indiana.
Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO) is a California-based designer and manufacturer of networking technology.
FYI: Ambient Announces Development and License Agreement with Cisco Systems, Inc.
Enjoy!
Duke Energy to bring ‘smart grid’ to Indiana
Business Courier of Cincinnati
Monday, June 8, 2009, 11:24am EDT
Duke Energy Corp. said it will build a “smart grid” power delivery system in Indiana, after reaching a settlement with the Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor and other groups.
The settlement also included Nucor Steel, the Duke Energy Indiana Industrial Group and the Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana Inc.
The $445 million project is subject to approval by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission and is expected to take five to six years. Duke said in a news release that it will apply for stimulus funds through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to help pay for the project.
The current analog system used by most energy companies delivers power and does little else, said Jim Stanley, president of Duke Energy Indiana.
“Smart grid, with its digital, two-way communication capabilities, will transform how we operate our system – improving customer service, power reliability and the efficiency of our transmission and distribution system,” he said in the release.
The smart grid's benefits that include:
• The ability of consumers to track their energy usage daily and use “smart” appliances as they come on the market. Eventually, consumers would be able to monitor and manage their energy use online, and use other cost- and energy-saving programs.
• A communications system that would allow Duke to detect trouble on power lines before outages develop and move to prevent them.
• Smart meters that reduce the expense of on-site reading, and provide more information to the company. Duke hopes to install 800,000 meters throughout its 69-county service area.
• Other technology to automate the power delivery system and increase its reliability.
The company has about 775,000 customers in Indiana, making it the largest electric supplier in the state.
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), based in Charlotte, N.C., includes the former Cincinnati Gas & Electric Co., Union Light, Heat and Power in Kentucky and PSI Energy in Indiana. The company also operates Duke Power in the Carolinas.
Monday, June 8, 2009, 11:24am EDT
Duke Energy Corp. said it will build a “smart grid” power delivery system in Indiana, after reaching a settlement with the Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor and other groups.
The settlement also included Nucor Steel, the Duke Energy Indiana Industrial Group and the Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana Inc.
The $445 million project is subject to approval by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission and is expected to take five to six years. Duke said in a news release that it will apply for stimulus funds through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to help pay for the project.
The current analog system used by most energy companies delivers power and does little else, said Jim Stanley, president of Duke Energy Indiana.
“Smart grid, with its digital, two-way communication capabilities, will transform how we operate our system – improving customer service, power reliability and the efficiency of our transmission and distribution system,” he said in the release.
The smart grid's benefits that include:
• The ability of consumers to track their energy usage daily and use “smart” appliances as they come on the market. Eventually, consumers would be able to monitor and manage their energy use online, and use other cost- and energy-saving programs.
• A communications system that would allow Duke to detect trouble on power lines before outages develop and move to prevent them.
• Smart meters that reduce the expense of on-site reading, and provide more information to the company. Duke hopes to install 800,000 meters throughout its 69-county service area.
• Other technology to automate the power delivery system and increase its reliability.
The company has about 775,000 customers in Indiana, making it the largest electric supplier in the state.
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), based in Charlotte, N.C., includes the former Cincinnati Gas & Electric Co., Union Light, Heat and Power in Kentucky and PSI Energy in Indiana. The company also operates Duke Power in the Carolinas.
Sunday, June 07, 2009
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Smart Grid Stock Profile: AMBIENT CORPORATION (OTCBB: ABTG)
Ambient Corporation (referred to herein as “we,” “our,” “us,” “Ambient,” or the “Company”) is a pioneering integrator of smart grid communications platforms, creating high-speed Internet Protocols (IP)-based data communications networks over existing medium and low-voltage distribution grids, thereby enabling smart grid applications. The Ambient smart grid platform, known as Ambient Smart Grid™, facilitates a two-way, real-time communications network to serve the “last mile” backhaul necessary for utilities to implement smart grid applications such as Advanced Metering Infrastructures (AMI), real-time pricing, Demand Side Management (DSM), Distribution Monitoring and Automation, and direct load control and more. When combined, these applications can offer economic, operational and environmental benefits for utilities, and ultimately the utility’s customers.
Dating back to 2000, Ambient has focused on developing communication platforms to enable utility applications throughout a utility’s distribution network. Over the past eight years, Ambient has evolved considerably to remain at the forefront of utility smart grid communication. In 2004, we upgraded our platform, from a 45 Mbps Design of Systems on Silicon (DS2) Broadband over Power Line (BPL) processor, to their second generation 200 Mbps chipset technology that had the potential for a more robust communications network. In 2005, with the integration of Wi-Fi wireless communications in our nodes, we leveraged the advantages of using multiple communications technologies under a single unified platform. In 2007, Ambient integrated both voltage sensing and current sensing capabilities into our products, allowing nodes to provide power quality data back to the utility in real-time, anywhere an enabled node is located. In December 2008, Ambient extended our communications capabilities to include cellular communications in our X2000 node, and subsequently received certification for our latest communication node, the X-3000, to backhaul through Verizon Wireless’ secure and ubiquitous network. Additionally, our network management system AmbientNMS™, introduced in 2005 was enhanced in 2008 to integrate geographic information systems (GIS) technology allowing for precise mapping and exact outage notification.
In 2008, Ambient received purchase orders from Duke Energy to purchase its X2000 and X-3000 communications nodes, license its AmbientNMS™, and acquire engineering support in building out an intelligent grid/intelligent-metering platform, which generated $12.6 million in revenues in the year.
As management believes that open standards and interoperability will hasten the deployment of all smart grid technology, Ambient has played a principal role in driving industry standardization efforts through leadership roles in industry associations and standards setting organizations and continues to expand strategic relationships with leading suppliers of critical smart grid technologies.
Our goal is to be the leading designer, developer and systems integrator of a turnkey Ambient Smart Grid™ communications platform, incorporating a wide array of communications protocols and smart grid applications such as advanced metering solutions to complement our internally developed energy sensing capabilities. We view the smart grid communications platform to be a key factor for utilities to efficiently integrate increasing portfolios of renewable energy generation into the electrical grid.
Ambient was incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware in June 1996, and to date, we have funded operations primarily through the sale of our securities. In connection with the continued development and upgrade, marketing, and deployment of our products, technology, and services, we anticipate that we will continue to augment our revenue generation capabilities with such capital raises in the future, and anticipate that we will continue to incur losses during the current fiscal year.
We recognized revenues of $12,622,353 and $826,593 for the year ended December 31, 2008 and the three months ended March 31, 2009, respectively, representing sales of equipment, software and related network design and installation services from new pilots that were launched in 2008 and 2007. We incurred net losses of $11,294,199 and $4,044,438 for the year ended December 31, 2008 and the three months ended March 31, 2009, respectively. From inception through the third quarter of 2008, we were in the development stage and had insignificant revenues. A development stage activity is generally one in which all efforts are devoted substantially to establishing a new business and even if planned principal operations have commenced, revenues are insignificant. In the fourth quarter of 2008, our management has determined that we were no longer in the development stage as Ambient generated significant revenues.
Ambient Corporation(OTCBB: ABTG)
Dating back to 2000, Ambient has focused on developing communication platforms to enable utility applications throughout a utility’s distribution network. Over the past eight years, Ambient has evolved considerably to remain at the forefront of utility smart grid communication. In 2004, we upgraded our platform, from a 45 Mbps Design of Systems on Silicon (DS2) Broadband over Power Line (BPL) processor, to their second generation 200 Mbps chipset technology that had the potential for a more robust communications network. In 2005, with the integration of Wi-Fi wireless communications in our nodes, we leveraged the advantages of using multiple communications technologies under a single unified platform. In 2007, Ambient integrated both voltage sensing and current sensing capabilities into our products, allowing nodes to provide power quality data back to the utility in real-time, anywhere an enabled node is located. In December 2008, Ambient extended our communications capabilities to include cellular communications in our X2000 node, and subsequently received certification for our latest communication node, the X-3000, to backhaul through Verizon Wireless’ secure and ubiquitous network. Additionally, our network management system AmbientNMS™, introduced in 2005 was enhanced in 2008 to integrate geographic information systems (GIS) technology allowing for precise mapping and exact outage notification.
In 2008, Ambient received purchase orders from Duke Energy to purchase its X2000 and X-3000 communications nodes, license its AmbientNMS™, and acquire engineering support in building out an intelligent grid/intelligent-metering platform, which generated $12.6 million in revenues in the year.
As management believes that open standards and interoperability will hasten the deployment of all smart grid technology, Ambient has played a principal role in driving industry standardization efforts through leadership roles in industry associations and standards setting organizations and continues to expand strategic relationships with leading suppliers of critical smart grid technologies.
Our goal is to be the leading designer, developer and systems integrator of a turnkey Ambient Smart Grid™ communications platform, incorporating a wide array of communications protocols and smart grid applications such as advanced metering solutions to complement our internally developed energy sensing capabilities. We view the smart grid communications platform to be a key factor for utilities to efficiently integrate increasing portfolios of renewable energy generation into the electrical grid.
Ambient was incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware in June 1996, and to date, we have funded operations primarily through the sale of our securities. In connection with the continued development and upgrade, marketing, and deployment of our products, technology, and services, we anticipate that we will continue to augment our revenue generation capabilities with such capital raises in the future, and anticipate that we will continue to incur losses during the current fiscal year.
We recognized revenues of $12,622,353 and $826,593 for the year ended December 31, 2008 and the three months ended March 31, 2009, respectively, representing sales of equipment, software and related network design and installation services from new pilots that were launched in 2008 and 2007. We incurred net losses of $11,294,199 and $4,044,438 for the year ended December 31, 2008 and the three months ended March 31, 2009, respectively. From inception through the third quarter of 2008, we were in the development stage and had insignificant revenues. A development stage activity is generally one in which all efforts are devoted substantially to establishing a new business and even if planned principal operations have commenced, revenues are insignificant. In the fourth quarter of 2008, our management has determined that we were no longer in the development stage as Ambient generated significant revenues.
Ambient Corporation(OTCBB: ABTG)
"The Obama Administration heeded this wisdom in including about $40 billion of money to modernize the grid in the ARRA bill ..."
Michael Moynihan
Director of NDN Green Project and former Advisor to Treasury Secretaries Rubin and Summers
Posted: June 3, 2009 12:08 PM
Converting on the Smart Grid Opportunity
New York City -- The stock market's relatively easy acceptance of the GM bankruptcy -- vastly improved at the last minute by a deal with bondholders to permit a pre-packaged filing so that the bankruptcy is more likely to move quickly-- provides yet another indication that the economy may finally be on the mend. Green shoots have been increasingly evident in the technology world with the successful IPO of OpenTable.com in the last week which experienced a pop reminiscent of the dot com boom, a $200 million round of financing for Facebook from a Russian mogul and the decision of Daimler Benz to take a 10% stake in Tesla, maker of the sleek, all-electric Tesla sports car.
Within the technology world, clean technology is now the third largest category of investment after life sciences and software, and according to some of the most savvy investors in Silicon Valley, the hottest category. It is the newest large sector and therefore, presumptively, the one with the greatest promise. The Obama Administration heeded this wisdom in including about $40 billion of money to modernize the grid in the ARRA bill as I and others have advocated. Improving the grid is not only vital to the deployment of renewables but also promises to reinvent the electricity industry itself. Given all the money flooding into smart grid investments and the grid generally, an interesting question at this juncture, therefore, is with the economy looking better, just how are utilities and technology companies in the clean energy sector faring? The answer is mixed.
According to Marketwatch.com, which recently surveyed the sub-sector, utility shares are actually down 9.4% this year (in contrast to the broader market which is roughly even). Small and mid-cap firms have done better. But, it turns out that most of the government money slated for grid investments is still awaiting deployment. The reasons are varied but should not surprise anyone familiar with the pace of government and the regulated nature of the energy sector. Tesla, as one example, has been waiting for years to tap Department of Energy loan guarantees included in the 2007 Energy Act to build a cheaper, sedan version of its electric car. The DOE has yet to release any loans under the program due to back and forth between it and the Office of Management and Budget over rules. DOE Secretary Chu has made accelerating the availability of this money a key priority but even he has to wait for the wheels of government to turn.
The impact of the other key piece of the stimulus package, tax incentives, has yet to be felt on a large scale because rules and regs are still being developed and companies do not yet fully know how incentives relate to older rules on depreciation of assets. Smart grid projects, in particular a grant program at DOE for smart grid technology deployment, are at the center of the Administration's clean infrastructure policy. However, before most utilities are comfortable making large investments in the smart grid, they first need clarification on standards. The reason? Investing in the wrong standard can make an investment instantly obsolete.
Standards normally evolve gradually over a long time even in the computer world. To solve the standards issue, Secretaries Chu and Locke have begun a full court press to accelerate agreement among utilities, equipment makers and builders of software. At NDN, we have been making the case that smart grid standards should be as open as possible. Only by opening up the playing field to as many players as possible can we secure the maximum level of innovation. And innovation is what is needed to solve America and the world's energy and climate challenges.
Clean energy technologies clearly have the potential to be a huge engine of economic growth in coming years and decades. However, for clean technology to make good on that promise and justify the President's faith and commitments, we need to move at the speed of technology.
Two things can help America make good on the clean energy opportunity. First, standards that open up the grid to many players and allow people -- including producers of renewables and ancillary services -- to enter the market easily without having to wade through government red tape or regulation will go a long way to
accelerate innovation and the ensuing economic activity. In other words, set the standard and then let the parties innovate and compete. Open standards are particularly important in an industry as regulated and traditionally sleepy as that of electric power if we are to turn it into a field of innovation.
Second, it is time to re-examine the extraordinarily complex structure of electricity regulation itself. Regulation should be as streamlined and efficient as is consistent with safety and security. Markets should be employed where practical to place everyone on an equal footing. The work of electricity reform begun in the 1990s remains unfinished.
These may seem like immense challenges. But ultimately, if we are to capture this economic opportunity, we need to create rules and systems to allow innovation to flourish. I am confident that America will.
Director of NDN Green Project and former Advisor to Treasury Secretaries Rubin and Summers
Posted: June 3, 2009 12:08 PM
Converting on the Smart Grid Opportunity
New York City -- The stock market's relatively easy acceptance of the GM bankruptcy -- vastly improved at the last minute by a deal with bondholders to permit a pre-packaged filing so that the bankruptcy is more likely to move quickly-- provides yet another indication that the economy may finally be on the mend. Green shoots have been increasingly evident in the technology world with the successful IPO of OpenTable.com in the last week which experienced a pop reminiscent of the dot com boom, a $200 million round of financing for Facebook from a Russian mogul and the decision of Daimler Benz to take a 10% stake in Tesla, maker of the sleek, all-electric Tesla sports car.
Within the technology world, clean technology is now the third largest category of investment after life sciences and software, and according to some of the most savvy investors in Silicon Valley, the hottest category. It is the newest large sector and therefore, presumptively, the one with the greatest promise. The Obama Administration heeded this wisdom in including about $40 billion of money to modernize the grid in the ARRA bill as I and others have advocated. Improving the grid is not only vital to the deployment of renewables but also promises to reinvent the electricity industry itself. Given all the money flooding into smart grid investments and the grid generally, an interesting question at this juncture, therefore, is with the economy looking better, just how are utilities and technology companies in the clean energy sector faring? The answer is mixed.
According to Marketwatch.com, which recently surveyed the sub-sector, utility shares are actually down 9.4% this year (in contrast to the broader market which is roughly even). Small and mid-cap firms have done better. But, it turns out that most of the government money slated for grid investments is still awaiting deployment. The reasons are varied but should not surprise anyone familiar with the pace of government and the regulated nature of the energy sector. Tesla, as one example, has been waiting for years to tap Department of Energy loan guarantees included in the 2007 Energy Act to build a cheaper, sedan version of its electric car. The DOE has yet to release any loans under the program due to back and forth between it and the Office of Management and Budget over rules. DOE Secretary Chu has made accelerating the availability of this money a key priority but even he has to wait for the wheels of government to turn.
The impact of the other key piece of the stimulus package, tax incentives, has yet to be felt on a large scale because rules and regs are still being developed and companies do not yet fully know how incentives relate to older rules on depreciation of assets. Smart grid projects, in particular a grant program at DOE for smart grid technology deployment, are at the center of the Administration's clean infrastructure policy. However, before most utilities are comfortable making large investments in the smart grid, they first need clarification on standards. The reason? Investing in the wrong standard can make an investment instantly obsolete.
Standards normally evolve gradually over a long time even in the computer world. To solve the standards issue, Secretaries Chu and Locke have begun a full court press to accelerate agreement among utilities, equipment makers and builders of software. At NDN, we have been making the case that smart grid standards should be as open as possible. Only by opening up the playing field to as many players as possible can we secure the maximum level of innovation. And innovation is what is needed to solve America and the world's energy and climate challenges.
Clean energy technologies clearly have the potential to be a huge engine of economic growth in coming years and decades. However, for clean technology to make good on that promise and justify the President's faith and commitments, we need to move at the speed of technology.
Two things can help America make good on the clean energy opportunity. First, standards that open up the grid to many players and allow people -- including producers of renewables and ancillary services -- to enter the market easily without having to wade through government red tape or regulation will go a long way to
accelerate innovation and the ensuing economic activity. In other words, set the standard and then let the parties innovate and compete. Open standards are particularly important in an industry as regulated and traditionally sleepy as that of electric power if we are to turn it into a field of innovation.
Second, it is time to re-examine the extraordinarily complex structure of electricity regulation itself. Regulation should be as streamlined and efficient as is consistent with safety and security. Markets should be employed where practical to place everyone on an equal footing. The work of electricity reform begun in the 1990s remains unfinished.
These may seem like immense challenges. But ultimately, if we are to capture this economic opportunity, we need to create rules and systems to allow innovation to flourish. I am confident that America will.
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
Tomorrow's smart grid [video]
June 2nd, 2009
Tomorrow's smart grid [video]
Posted by Larry Dignan @ 11:07 am
At the Churchill Club’s 11th Annual Top Ten Tech Trends, venture capitalists discuss whether the smart grid and smart meter trends will continue to produce innovation and what the motivating factors will be.
Posted by Larry Dignan
Tomorrow's smart grid [video]
Posted by Larry Dignan @ 11:07 am
At the Churchill Club’s 11th Annual Top Ten Tech Trends, venture capitalists discuss whether the smart grid and smart meter trends will continue to produce innovation and what the motivating factors will be.
Posted by Larry Dignan
Monday, June 01, 2009
Department Of Energy Outlines Funding For Smart Grid Initiatives
Published: June 01, 2009
Gregory J. Blasi and Michael A. Stosser
Day Pitney LLP
On April 15, 2009, the Department of Energy ("DOE") announced detailed plans to distribute over $5.7 billion to fund Smart Grid initiatives under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 20091 (the "Stimulus Package Act"). The DOE will distribute $3.375 billion for a Smart Grid Investment Grant Program and an additional $615 million for Smart Grid Demonstration Projects. The DOE will also hold a meeting in early May for industry leaders to work towards creating industry-wide standards for Smart Grid development.
These Smart Grid investment programs will provide new sources of funding to help implement technologies aimed at transforming how electricity providers operate their systems, offer options for increased energy storage, and accelerate the integration of renewable energy sources with the electrical grid. These investments will help implement necessary digital upgrades on the electric grid, making it more efficient, resilient, and secure. They should also help make the grid capable of integrating renewable supplies effectively, foster and support the plug-in electric and hybrid vehicles industries, and promote energy management technologies, with the ultimate goal of reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil. As such, this program is of significant import to every sector of the U.S. electric power industry.
The DOE released a Notice of Intent ("NOI") to issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement ("FOA") for the DOE Smart Grid Investment Grant Program, and a draft FOA for a smart grid regional development initiative. The DOE is directed to give preference to projects that can be started and completed expeditiously, and to distribute funds in a manner that maximizes job creation and economic benefit.
The NOI and the draft FOA each include a 20-day public comment period. The DOE will use this feedback to finalize the grant program structure and issue a subsequent FOA for the grant program and to finalize the demonstration projects FOA.
Summary Of Investments
To expedite the distribution of energy investments under the Stimulus Package Act, most of the funds included in this funding program are intended to supplement established federal energy initiatives. Funds allocated to the Smart Grid Investment Program will be used to implement Smart Grid technology research, development, and demonstration authorized under Title XIII of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.
Smart Grid Investment Grant Program
DOE announced the following size ranges for the $3.375 billion in grants it plans to distribute under the Smart Grid Investment Grant Program:
Smart Grid Technology Deployments: $500,000 - $20 million
Deployment of Grid Monitoring Devices: $100,000 - $5 million
This program will provide matching grants of up to 50 percent for investments planned by electric utilities and other entities to deploy smart grid technologies. The program will use a competitive, merit-based process to select qualified projects to receive funding. Eligible applicants will include, but are not limited to:
#
Electric utilities;
#
Load serving entities, or load distribution companies, which provide electricity distribution services;
#
Retail distributors or marketers of electricity which sell electricity to consumers;
#
System operators which coordinate, control, and monitor grid operations within a single state or region; and
#
Manufacturers of appliances and equipment to enable smart grid functionalities.
DOE anticipates issuing the FOA on June 17, 2009, and will accept applications on or before three separate due dates with the complete obligation of funds to awards accomplished by September 30, 2010. The three anticipated application due dates are: July 29, 2009; December 2, 2009; and March 31, 2009.
Smart Grid Demonstration Projects
The draft FOA distributes the $615 million in grants to three areas of smart grid demonstration: (1) technology viability, (2) storage, and (3) monitoring. The goal of this FOA is to demonstrate technologies in regions across the U.S. that embody essential and salient characteristics of each region and present a suite of use cases for national implementation and replication.
1. Smart Grid Regional Demonstrations will:
#
Quantify smart grid costs and bene- fits
#
Verify technology viability
#
Examine new business models
2. Utility-Scale Energy Storage Demonstrations will include technologies such as:
#
Advanced battery systems
#
Ultra-capacitors
#
Flywheels
#
Compressed air energy systems
These demonstrations will include applications such as wind and photovoltaic integration and grid congestion relief.
3. Grid Monitoring Demonstrations will support the installation and networking of multiple high-resolution, time-synchronized grid monitoring devices, called phasor measurement units, that allow transmission system operators to see, and therefore influence, electric flows in real-time.
Each demonstration project must be carried out in collaboration with the electric utility that owns the grid facilities. The DOE encourages an integrated team approach that includes, for example, products and services suppliers, consumers, and state and municipal regulatory bodies. All Smart Grid Demonstration Projects require a cost share of at least 50 percent of non-federal funds.
The DOE plans to collect and provide the optimal amount of information necessary for customers, distributors, and generators to change their behavior in a way that reduces system demands and costs, increases energy efficiency, optimally allocates and matches demand and resources to meet that demand, and increases the reliability of the grid.
Smart Grid Industry Standards Forum
The DOE also announced plans for a Smart Grid meeting held in Washington, D.C. in early May. This event will serve as a forum for industry leaders to move toward an industry standards agreement which is critical to developing the Smart Grid. The meeting will bring together leaders from key stakeholders' organizations, largely from private industry, to begin a critical discussion about industry-wide standards. The DOE will also expect industry leaders at the meeting to pledge to harmonize industry standards critical to developing the smart grid, commit to a timetable to reach a standards agreement, and abide by the standards devised.
Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke will chair this upcoming event. To make further progress on a standards agreement, additional meetings of industry staff are planned for May 19 and 20.
* * *
The Smart Grid funding via the Stimulus Package Act that will be made available to electric utilities and manufacturers of batteries and other smart grid components can create critical opportunities for your company, enhance your operations, and provide excellent joint venture opportunities between power providers and distributors and smart grid development and load balancing and energy storage companies. For further information on the program and for assistance in applying for these grants, please contact any the attorneys listed in the biography.
Additional details regarding DOE's release of finalized Smart Grid FOAs, and implementation of Smart Grid funding in the Stimulus Package Act will be forthcoming in future guidance to be posted by the DOE to www.recovery. gov and www.energy.gov/recovery.
Gregory J. Blasi and Michael A. Stosser
Day Pitney LLP
On April 15, 2009, the Department of Energy ("DOE") announced detailed plans to distribute over $5.7 billion to fund Smart Grid initiatives under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 20091 (the "Stimulus Package Act"). The DOE will distribute $3.375 billion for a Smart Grid Investment Grant Program and an additional $615 million for Smart Grid Demonstration Projects. The DOE will also hold a meeting in early May for industry leaders to work towards creating industry-wide standards for Smart Grid development.
These Smart Grid investment programs will provide new sources of funding to help implement technologies aimed at transforming how electricity providers operate their systems, offer options for increased energy storage, and accelerate the integration of renewable energy sources with the electrical grid. These investments will help implement necessary digital upgrades on the electric grid, making it more efficient, resilient, and secure. They should also help make the grid capable of integrating renewable supplies effectively, foster and support the plug-in electric and hybrid vehicles industries, and promote energy management technologies, with the ultimate goal of reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil. As such, this program is of significant import to every sector of the U.S. electric power industry.
The DOE released a Notice of Intent ("NOI") to issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement ("FOA") for the DOE Smart Grid Investment Grant Program, and a draft FOA for a smart grid regional development initiative. The DOE is directed to give preference to projects that can be started and completed expeditiously, and to distribute funds in a manner that maximizes job creation and economic benefit.
The NOI and the draft FOA each include a 20-day public comment period. The DOE will use this feedback to finalize the grant program structure and issue a subsequent FOA for the grant program and to finalize the demonstration projects FOA.
Summary Of Investments
To expedite the distribution of energy investments under the Stimulus Package Act, most of the funds included in this funding program are intended to supplement established federal energy initiatives. Funds allocated to the Smart Grid Investment Program will be used to implement Smart Grid technology research, development, and demonstration authorized under Title XIII of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.
Smart Grid Investment Grant Program
DOE announced the following size ranges for the $3.375 billion in grants it plans to distribute under the Smart Grid Investment Grant Program:
Smart Grid Technology Deployments: $500,000 - $20 million
Deployment of Grid Monitoring Devices: $100,000 - $5 million
This program will provide matching grants of up to 50 percent for investments planned by electric utilities and other entities to deploy smart grid technologies. The program will use a competitive, merit-based process to select qualified projects to receive funding. Eligible applicants will include, but are not limited to:
#
Electric utilities;
#
Load serving entities, or load distribution companies, which provide electricity distribution services;
#
Retail distributors or marketers of electricity which sell electricity to consumers;
#
System operators which coordinate, control, and monitor grid operations within a single state or region; and
#
Manufacturers of appliances and equipment to enable smart grid functionalities.
DOE anticipates issuing the FOA on June 17, 2009, and will accept applications on or before three separate due dates with the complete obligation of funds to awards accomplished by September 30, 2010. The three anticipated application due dates are: July 29, 2009; December 2, 2009; and March 31, 2009.
Smart Grid Demonstration Projects
The draft FOA distributes the $615 million in grants to three areas of smart grid demonstration: (1) technology viability, (2) storage, and (3) monitoring. The goal of this FOA is to demonstrate technologies in regions across the U.S. that embody essential and salient characteristics of each region and present a suite of use cases for national implementation and replication.
1. Smart Grid Regional Demonstrations will:
#
Quantify smart grid costs and bene- fits
#
Verify technology viability
#
Examine new business models
2. Utility-Scale Energy Storage Demonstrations will include technologies such as:
#
Advanced battery systems
#
Ultra-capacitors
#
Flywheels
#
Compressed air energy systems
These demonstrations will include applications such as wind and photovoltaic integration and grid congestion relief.
3. Grid Monitoring Demonstrations will support the installation and networking of multiple high-resolution, time-synchronized grid monitoring devices, called phasor measurement units, that allow transmission system operators to see, and therefore influence, electric flows in real-time.
Each demonstration project must be carried out in collaboration with the electric utility that owns the grid facilities. The DOE encourages an integrated team approach that includes, for example, products and services suppliers, consumers, and state and municipal regulatory bodies. All Smart Grid Demonstration Projects require a cost share of at least 50 percent of non-federal funds.
The DOE plans to collect and provide the optimal amount of information necessary for customers, distributors, and generators to change their behavior in a way that reduces system demands and costs, increases energy efficiency, optimally allocates and matches demand and resources to meet that demand, and increases the reliability of the grid.
Smart Grid Industry Standards Forum
The DOE also announced plans for a Smart Grid meeting held in Washington, D.C. in early May. This event will serve as a forum for industry leaders to move toward an industry standards agreement which is critical to developing the Smart Grid. The meeting will bring together leaders from key stakeholders' organizations, largely from private industry, to begin a critical discussion about industry-wide standards. The DOE will also expect industry leaders at the meeting to pledge to harmonize industry standards critical to developing the smart grid, commit to a timetable to reach a standards agreement, and abide by the standards devised.
Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke will chair this upcoming event. To make further progress on a standards agreement, additional meetings of industry staff are planned for May 19 and 20.
* * *
The Smart Grid funding via the Stimulus Package Act that will be made available to electric utilities and manufacturers of batteries and other smart grid components can create critical opportunities for your company, enhance your operations, and provide excellent joint venture opportunities between power providers and distributors and smart grid development and load balancing and energy storage companies. For further information on the program and for assistance in applying for these grants, please contact any the attorneys listed in the biography.
Additional details regarding DOE's release of finalized Smart Grid FOAs, and implementation of Smart Grid funding in the Stimulus Package Act will be forthcoming in future guidance to be posted by the DOE to www.recovery. gov and www.energy.gov/recovery.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
