Friday, October 30, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Giant Grants for the Smart Grid !!!
By Toby Shute
October 29, 2009
Last month, we saw Uncle Sam (or Uncle Chu, to be more accurate) dish out $800 million in grants for alternative transportation and renewable energy projects. That was small potatoes compared to the grants unveiled by President Obama at FPL Group's (NYSE: FPL) DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center earlier this week. The Smart Grid Investment Grant awards, part of the greater stimulus plan, weigh in at $3.4 billion.
Let's take a look at where our money is going.
Houston's CenterPoint Energy and Baltimore Gas & Electric, the regulated utility arm of Constellation Energy Group (NYSE: CEG), pulled down $200 million apiece for smart meter deployment in their respective cities. The "smart grid," being pushed by everyone from GE (NYSE: GE) to Google (Nasdaq: GOOG), is one vision of a path to reduce electricity consumption and increase the efficiency of this country's energy distribution network. Fresno, Calif., residents might tell you that smart meters are a total ripoff, and only drive rates higher. Whether boon or boondoggle, they're coming to a city near you.
In the realm of electric distribution systems, Consolidated Edison got the biggest grant, weighing in at $136 million. This will go toward implementing automation, monitoring, and two-way communication in Con Ed's New York/New Jersey service area.
There wasn't much funding allocated to the smart appliance category, but Whirlpool did walk away with a little cash to develop devices like smart dryers that modify electricity consumption in response to variable or time-of-use utility pricing.
Finally, in the integrated and/or crosscutting systems category, a catch-all for multi-faceted smart grid deployment, big winners included Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), Progress Energy, and of course FPL. Each picked up $200 million for their comprehensive projects.
While utilities caught the headlines, plenty of other companies stand to benefit from this government greening of the grid. Two names that spring to mind are Echelon (Nasdaq: ELON) and Quanta Services (NYSE: PWR), but perhaps you've got an even more compelling smart grid play. Go ahead and share an idea in the comments section below.
October 29, 2009
Last month, we saw Uncle Sam (or Uncle Chu, to be more accurate) dish out $800 million in grants for alternative transportation and renewable energy projects. That was small potatoes compared to the grants unveiled by President Obama at FPL Group's (NYSE: FPL) DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center earlier this week. The Smart Grid Investment Grant awards, part of the greater stimulus plan, weigh in at $3.4 billion.
Let's take a look at where our money is going.
Houston's CenterPoint Energy and Baltimore Gas & Electric, the regulated utility arm of Constellation Energy Group (NYSE: CEG), pulled down $200 million apiece for smart meter deployment in their respective cities. The "smart grid," being pushed by everyone from GE (NYSE: GE) to Google (Nasdaq: GOOG), is one vision of a path to reduce electricity consumption and increase the efficiency of this country's energy distribution network. Fresno, Calif., residents might tell you that smart meters are a total ripoff, and only drive rates higher. Whether boon or boondoggle, they're coming to a city near you.
In the realm of electric distribution systems, Consolidated Edison got the biggest grant, weighing in at $136 million. This will go toward implementing automation, monitoring, and two-way communication in Con Ed's New York/New Jersey service area.
There wasn't much funding allocated to the smart appliance category, but Whirlpool did walk away with a little cash to develop devices like smart dryers that modify electricity consumption in response to variable or time-of-use utility pricing.
Finally, in the integrated and/or crosscutting systems category, a catch-all for multi-faceted smart grid deployment, big winners included Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), Progress Energy, and of course FPL. Each picked up $200 million for their comprehensive projects.
While utilities caught the headlines, plenty of other companies stand to benefit from this government greening of the grid. Two names that spring to mind are Echelon (Nasdaq: ELON) and Quanta Services (NYSE: PWR), but perhaps you've got an even more compelling smart grid play. Go ahead and share an idea in the comments section below.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
US OK's Duke 'smart meter' project ($1B)
The Enquirer and the Associated Press • October 27, 2009
Duke Energy's request for $200 million to accelerate its installation of "smart meters" in its Midwest system is one of 100 projects picked by the Obama administration to jolt America's power transmission system into the digital age.
President Barack Obama, during a visit to a solar energy facility in Arcadia, Fla., is announcing Tuesday that he is making available $3.4 billion in government support projects aimed at modernizing the power grid. The projects include installing "smart" electric meters in homes, automating utility substations, and installing thousands of new digital transformers and grid sensors.
A Duke spokesman said, "We're pleased with the Department of Energy funding."
The Charlotte, N.C. utility said the federal funds would accelerate by two years a planned five-year deployment of electric and gas meters to 1.4 million customers in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.
Ohio is the only state of the three where Duke has received state regulatory approval for the futuristic smart meters which permit two-way communication between the utility and customers.
Duke has installed about 100,000 of the digital smart meters in southwest Ohio. It plans to install about 700,000 electric meters and 450,000 natural gas meters in Ohio and 800,000 electric meters in Indiana as part of the $1 billion investment.
White House officials provided details of the initiative prior to the president's scheduled visit to Florida Power & Light Co.'s DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center, the largest photovoltaic electricity facility in the country.
Officials have argued that a more modern grid is needed to give consumers better control over their electricity usage and costs, and to spur development of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.
The $3.4 billion in grants from the government's economic stimulus program will be matched by $4.7 billion in private investments, the officials said. The smallest grant will be $400,000 and the largest $200 million.
"We have a very antiquated (electric grid) system in our country," said Carol Browner, assistant to the president for energy and climate change. "The current system is outdated, it's dilapidated."
Browner said the federal funding will spur the needed modernization of the grid and set the stage for the smooth introduction of large amounts of electricity from wind or solar sources into the transmission system.
Matt Rogers, the Energy Department official involved in the program, said the 100 projects were selected from 400 proposed. The money would be distributed over the next two months and the work is expected to be done over the next one to three years, he said.
The push to essentially bring modern computer and communications technology to the electric grid has been under way for some time but has gained momentum with the prospect of billions of dollars in federal support.
Rogers said the government funds will allow installation of 18 million smart meters and 1 million other in-home devices as well as more modern thermostats to allow homeowners to better monitor their electricity usage. The government and industry want to deploy 40 million smart meters - wall-based units that can monitor how much electricity various appliances use and turn them off when energy is costlier to consume - within the next several years.
Other projects funded under the program will result in the installation of 850 sensors to allow utilities to better monitor the grid; the installation of 200,000 digital transformers to reduce the risk of power outages; and the automation of 700 grid substations.
"This will save or create tens of thousands of jobs," said Jared Bernstein, chief economist and economic adviser to Vice President Joe Biden. He said the jobs will include equipment installers and electrical engineers as well as communications systems analysts and data entry clerks.
Duke Energy's request for $200 million to accelerate its installation of "smart meters" in its Midwest system is one of 100 projects picked by the Obama administration to jolt America's power transmission system into the digital age.
President Barack Obama, during a visit to a solar energy facility in Arcadia, Fla., is announcing Tuesday that he is making available $3.4 billion in government support projects aimed at modernizing the power grid. The projects include installing "smart" electric meters in homes, automating utility substations, and installing thousands of new digital transformers and grid sensors.
A Duke spokesman said, "We're pleased with the Department of Energy funding."
The Charlotte, N.C. utility said the federal funds would accelerate by two years a planned five-year deployment of electric and gas meters to 1.4 million customers in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.
Ohio is the only state of the three where Duke has received state regulatory approval for the futuristic smart meters which permit two-way communication between the utility and customers.
Duke has installed about 100,000 of the digital smart meters in southwest Ohio. It plans to install about 700,000 electric meters and 450,000 natural gas meters in Ohio and 800,000 electric meters in Indiana as part of the $1 billion investment.
White House officials provided details of the initiative prior to the president's scheduled visit to Florida Power & Light Co.'s DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center, the largest photovoltaic electricity facility in the country.
Officials have argued that a more modern grid is needed to give consumers better control over their electricity usage and costs, and to spur development of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.
The $3.4 billion in grants from the government's economic stimulus program will be matched by $4.7 billion in private investments, the officials said. The smallest grant will be $400,000 and the largest $200 million.
"We have a very antiquated (electric grid) system in our country," said Carol Browner, assistant to the president for energy and climate change. "The current system is outdated, it's dilapidated."
Browner said the federal funding will spur the needed modernization of the grid and set the stage for the smooth introduction of large amounts of electricity from wind or solar sources into the transmission system.
Matt Rogers, the Energy Department official involved in the program, said the 100 projects were selected from 400 proposed. The money would be distributed over the next two months and the work is expected to be done over the next one to three years, he said.
The push to essentially bring modern computer and communications technology to the electric grid has been under way for some time but has gained momentum with the prospect of billions of dollars in federal support.
Rogers said the government funds will allow installation of 18 million smart meters and 1 million other in-home devices as well as more modern thermostats to allow homeowners to better monitor their electricity usage. The government and industry want to deploy 40 million smart meters - wall-based units that can monitor how much electricity various appliances use and turn them off when energy is costlier to consume - within the next several years.
Other projects funded under the program will result in the installation of 850 sensors to allow utilities to better monitor the grid; the installation of 200,000 digital transformers to reduce the risk of power outages; and the automation of 700 grid substations.
"This will save or create tens of thousands of jobs," said Jared Bernstein, chief economist and economic adviser to Vice President Joe Biden. He said the jobs will include equipment installers and electrical engineers as well as communications systems analysts and data entry clerks.
news Smart Grid: A $20 BILLION MARKET IN FIVE YEARS --- DOE grants released !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Smart Grid Grants Award Document !!!
Congrats Duke Energy and subsidiary !!!
Congrats Con Edison !!!
Congrats everyone !!!
Congrats Duke Energy and subsidiary !!!
Congrats Con Edison !!!
Congrats everyone !!!
Dept. of Energy to announce $3.4B in Smart Grid Grants Coming Today
"The Smart Grid Investment Grant program, is said to have received hundreds of applications for the less than 100 available grants. With the DOE promising to break up about 40 percent of the $3.4 billion into chunks of $20 million or less, it looks like some smaller utilities struggling to launch their first Smart Grid programs could finally get a leg up. This could be a mixed blessing, though. A lot of the larger utilities — Duke Energy, Dominion Resources and Baltimore Gas & Electric among them — have applied for the maximum allotment of $200 million, which could substantially shrink the number of them that actually get the money they need.
Since applications for the money were filed in early August, many utilities have been in a holding pattern, waiting to see what they get before rolling out massive smart metering campaigns or implementing an acquisition strategy for new technology. Still, many industry analysts say the stimulus funds have already benefited the Smart Grid space, even before making an appearance. A lot of Smart Grid related companies and startups like Trilliant, Control4, Echelon, Ambient and others have already seen a boost in business in anticipation of utilities receiving government funds. Regardless of who gets it, there’s about to be a lot more money floating around for these players."
Since applications for the money were filed in early August, many utilities have been in a holding pattern, waiting to see what they get before rolling out massive smart metering campaigns or implementing an acquisition strategy for new technology. Still, many industry analysts say the stimulus funds have already benefited the Smart Grid space, even before making an appearance. A lot of Smart Grid related companies and startups like Trilliant, Control4, Echelon, Ambient and others have already seen a boost in business in anticipation of utilities receiving government funds. Regardless of who gets it, there’s about to be a lot more money floating around for these players."
Obama to detail stimulus spending on 'smart grid' A $3.4-billion chunk will go toward grants to modernize the U.S. power system
Obama to detail stimulus spending on 'smart grid'
A $3.4-billion chunk will go toward grants to modernize the U.S. power system to more easily use renewable resources. The president will speak at a solar facility in Arcadia, Fla.
By Jim Tankersley
October 26, 2009 | 6:31 p.m.
A $3.4-billion chunk will go toward grants to modernize the U.S. power system to more easily use renewable resources. The president will speak at a solar facility in Arcadia, Fla.
By Jim Tankersley
October 26, 2009 | 6:31 p.m.
Monday, October 26, 2009
News: Obama plans big smart grid announcement
Mon Oct 26, 2009 12:07pm EDT
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will announce the largest investment of economic stimulus funds in clean energy during a visit to Florida, an Obama administration official said on Monday.
The announcement will involve the smart grid, which will help bring energy from clean domestic sources to consumers in 49 states and help build a strong and more reliable electricity grid, the official said.
Obama is to travel to Arcadia, Florida, on Tuesday to make the speech and take a tour of the DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will announce the largest investment of economic stimulus funds in clean energy during a visit to Florida, an Obama administration official said on Monday.
The announcement will involve the smart grid, which will help bring energy from clean domestic sources to consumers in 49 states and help build a strong and more reliable electricity grid, the official said.
Obama is to travel to Arcadia, Florida, on Tuesday to make the speech and take a tour of the DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
California Smart grid bill signed into law !!!
Smart grid bill signed into law
Written by Editor
Friday, 23 October 2009
SACRAMENTO – Among the flurry of bills signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger this month was Senate Bill 17 by Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima).
Co-authored by Senator Patricia Wiggins (D -- Santa Rosa), SB 17 will advance California’s clean energy policies by improving reliability and efficiency in power distribution through the deployment of smart grid technology.
Padilla said that "with SB 17 in place, a 21st century grid could be realized in California within the next five to ten years, allowing for a fundamental change in the way we think about, and use, electricity." Wiggins said that the new law "will help establish green technologies and green collar jobs."
SB 17 establishes deployment of smart grid technology as the policy of the state. It calls on the California Public Utilities Commission to determine the requirements for a smart grid deployment plan by July 2010. The bill also requires investor-owned utilities and municipal utility districts to develop smart grid deployment plans.
The Obama Administration has included $4.5 billion for the Smart Grid Investment Program in the economic stimulus package. SB 17 will make California more competitive when pursuing federal smart grid grants.
In California, 273,000 miles of transmission and distribution lines deliver power to homes and businesses. Yet, the antiquated electrical grid is neither clean, efficient, nor stable enough to meet California’s future needs.
Smart grid technology allows us to manage the electric grid more efficiently, reliably and securely while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Smart grid also empowers consumers with real-time information so they can better conserve energy and save money.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, smart grid technology can reduce carbon emissions by as much as 25 percent and electricity usage by 10 percent.
Written by Editor
Friday, 23 October 2009
SACRAMENTO – Among the flurry of bills signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger this month was Senate Bill 17 by Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima).
Co-authored by Senator Patricia Wiggins (D -- Santa Rosa), SB 17 will advance California’s clean energy policies by improving reliability and efficiency in power distribution through the deployment of smart grid technology.
Padilla said that "with SB 17 in place, a 21st century grid could be realized in California within the next five to ten years, allowing for a fundamental change in the way we think about, and use, electricity." Wiggins said that the new law "will help establish green technologies and green collar jobs."
SB 17 establishes deployment of smart grid technology as the policy of the state. It calls on the California Public Utilities Commission to determine the requirements for a smart grid deployment plan by July 2010. The bill also requires investor-owned utilities and municipal utility districts to develop smart grid deployment plans.
The Obama Administration has included $4.5 billion for the Smart Grid Investment Program in the economic stimulus package. SB 17 will make California more competitive when pursuing federal smart grid grants.
In California, 273,000 miles of transmission and distribution lines deliver power to homes and businesses. Yet, the antiquated electrical grid is neither clean, efficient, nor stable enough to meet California’s future needs.
Smart grid technology allows us to manage the electric grid more efficiently, reliably and securely while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Smart grid also empowers consumers with real-time information so they can better conserve energy and save money.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, smart grid technology can reduce carbon emissions by as much as 25 percent and electricity usage by 10 percent.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Massive funding to lift Smart Grid companies. Look for it next month
October 23, 2009 | Matt Marshall
The federal government has earmarked $4 billion dollars for companies promising to build out a Smart Grid and improve power efficiency, but Silicon Valley’s startup community hasn’t seen much of that money yet.
That may change later this month and in November, when the Department of Energy will begin dishing out as much as billions of dollars to the nation’s utilities to support investments in smarter, more efficient technology. Those utilities will then finally have money to turn around and buy products from innovative, venture-backed Silicon Valley-style companies.
So far, federal money for the Smart Grid has only been passed out to a limited number of projects, for example, in the form of guaranteed loans to more mature companies, such as electric car companies Tesla and Fisker, or solar and wind farms (see list here, and commentary here). However, more early stage Smart Grid-focused companies — those building new kinds of smart meters, for example — haven’t seen much money because they’re more dependent on utilities, which themselves haven’t seen any money yet.
Michael Kaufman, principal at the Westly Group, a venture capital firm that invests in green-oriented companies, says he’s hearing the money will finally start to flow later this month or next month and will ease what can be a tough job for startups in breaking into the tightly regulated power market. “Most entrepreneurs are the most optimistic and energetic people in the world,” he said, “but Smart Grid people tend to look beaten down when they arrive at our office. We make the espresso stronger when they arrive.”
The Department of Energy has held its cards relatively close to its chest on what sectors it will support next. But Under Secretary of Energy, Kristina M. Johnson, said last month that the DOE was considering where to target the next wave of investments, and that it is in part waiting to see what has worked so far.
The delays have some venture capitalists irked, because it means that some utilities have held off on their spending, preferring to wait until the government funds arrive. Warren Weiss, of Foundation Capital, an investor in the hot smart-metering company Silver Spring and several other Smart Grid-related companies including eMeter, EnerNOC and Control4, said he was aware of several examples of utilities waiting for funding. The government aid could cover up to half of the costs of some projects these utilities invest in. He calls the government’s Smart Grid funding project more of an “anti-stimulus package.” He too expects the spending to pick up this quarter and to extend into the first quarter of the year. Weiss said his companies haven’t applied for funding directly. In the case of Silver Spring, however, it has applied for funding on behalf of its utility customers.
This is a great time for entrepreneurs to conceive of and build new ideas to help the U.S. move from a crusty old carbon-based energy system, to one that hums with efficiency and that is built on alternative, renewable energy sources.
If you’re an entrepreneur who leans green, you should strongly consider showcasing your company at GreenBeat, the seminal conference for the Smart Grid. We’re inviting the top movers in the industry — from Vice President Al Gore, to top venture capitalist John Doerr, and executives from top companies such as GE, IBM, Cisco and PG&E. Another highlight will the be the Innovation Competition, where we’ll be showcasing the boldest ideas for a smarter grid.
The federal government has earmarked $4 billion dollars for companies promising to build out a Smart Grid and improve power efficiency, but Silicon Valley’s startup community hasn’t seen much of that money yet.
That may change later this month and in November, when the Department of Energy will begin dishing out as much as billions of dollars to the nation’s utilities to support investments in smarter, more efficient technology. Those utilities will then finally have money to turn around and buy products from innovative, venture-backed Silicon Valley-style companies.
So far, federal money for the Smart Grid has only been passed out to a limited number of projects, for example, in the form of guaranteed loans to more mature companies, such as electric car companies Tesla and Fisker, or solar and wind farms (see list here, and commentary here). However, more early stage Smart Grid-focused companies — those building new kinds of smart meters, for example — haven’t seen much money because they’re more dependent on utilities, which themselves haven’t seen any money yet.
Michael Kaufman, principal at the Westly Group, a venture capital firm that invests in green-oriented companies, says he’s hearing the money will finally start to flow later this month or next month and will ease what can be a tough job for startups in breaking into the tightly regulated power market. “Most entrepreneurs are the most optimistic and energetic people in the world,” he said, “but Smart Grid people tend to look beaten down when they arrive at our office. We make the espresso stronger when they arrive.”
The Department of Energy has held its cards relatively close to its chest on what sectors it will support next. But Under Secretary of Energy, Kristina M. Johnson, said last month that the DOE was considering where to target the next wave of investments, and that it is in part waiting to see what has worked so far.
The delays have some venture capitalists irked, because it means that some utilities have held off on their spending, preferring to wait until the government funds arrive. Warren Weiss, of Foundation Capital, an investor in the hot smart-metering company Silver Spring and several other Smart Grid-related companies including eMeter, EnerNOC and Control4, said he was aware of several examples of utilities waiting for funding. The government aid could cover up to half of the costs of some projects these utilities invest in. He calls the government’s Smart Grid funding project more of an “anti-stimulus package.” He too expects the spending to pick up this quarter and to extend into the first quarter of the year. Weiss said his companies haven’t applied for funding directly. In the case of Silver Spring, however, it has applied for funding on behalf of its utility customers.
This is a great time for entrepreneurs to conceive of and build new ideas to help the U.S. move from a crusty old carbon-based energy system, to one that hums with efficiency and that is built on alternative, renewable energy sources.
If you’re an entrepreneur who leans green, you should strongly consider showcasing your company at GreenBeat, the seminal conference for the Smart Grid. We’re inviting the top movers in the industry — from Vice President Al Gore, to top venture capitalist John Doerr, and executives from top companies such as GE, IBM, Cisco and PG&E. Another highlight will the be the Innovation Competition, where we’ll be showcasing the boldest ideas for a smarter grid.
Friday, October 23, 2009
The Smart Grid Gets Smarter !!!
"With the Department of Energy finally starting to hand out the nearly $4 billion in Smart Grid grants, leaders of the ambitious project are beginning to take shape. The nationwide undertaking will incorporate an interconnected grid system monitored over the internet. The system will improve the energy efficiency and reliability of the grid by lowering peak demand and ultimately reducing energy consumption. With the venture's lofty goals, both larger and smaller firms have plenty of room in which to operate. With the first wave of grant checks being cashed, we can already spot a trend."
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Mad Money: Cramer said there's a SMART GRID revolution coming !!!
Smart Energy Grid
By Scott Rutt 10/19/09 - 06:38 PM EDT
Cramer said there's a revolution coming, and this one doesn't have anything to do with smart phones. He said that after long delays, it looks as if the country is finally beginning to make the switch to a smart energy grid.
Cramer said he was tipped off by General Electric (GE Quote), which recently reported that its first smart-grid appliance, a hybrid electric hot water heater, will be rolling out soon. Unfortunately, GE is too large for smart-grid technologies to "move the needle," said Cramer, but that's not the case at Itron (ITRI Quote), the leader in smart-power meters.
Cramer said he's been wrong on Itron, which he first recommended on April 27 during a "green week" segment at $100 a share, but he now feels that with President Obama's blessing, and GE's move into the space, the transition to a smarter-energy grid is coming.
Itron makes smart power meters, which allow utilities to monitor usage at hourly intervals, and even turn on and off smart-enabled appliances to help conserve and manage power. Cramer said smart meters are the first step toward a smart grid, and Itron's growth is showing that the trend is catching on.
Itron currently trades at 14 times its projected 2011 earnings, despite a 26% projected growth rate. Cramer said that makes Itron cheap, especially given shares are down 11% year to date and the country is still in the very early stages of a long-term trend towards smarter, and greener, power management.
By Scott Rutt 10/19/09 - 06:38 PM EDT
Cramer said there's a revolution coming, and this one doesn't have anything to do with smart phones. He said that after long delays, it looks as if the country is finally beginning to make the switch to a smart energy grid.
Cramer said he was tipped off by General Electric (GE Quote), which recently reported that its first smart-grid appliance, a hybrid electric hot water heater, will be rolling out soon. Unfortunately, GE is too large for smart-grid technologies to "move the needle," said Cramer, but that's not the case at Itron (ITRI Quote), the leader in smart-power meters.
Cramer said he's been wrong on Itron, which he first recommended on April 27 during a "green week" segment at $100 a share, but he now feels that with President Obama's blessing, and GE's move into the space, the transition to a smarter-energy grid is coming.
Itron makes smart power meters, which allow utilities to monitor usage at hourly intervals, and even turn on and off smart-enabled appliances to help conserve and manage power. Cramer said smart meters are the first step toward a smart grid, and Itron's growth is showing that the trend is catching on.
Itron currently trades at 14 times its projected 2011 earnings, despite a 26% projected growth rate. Cramer said that makes Itron cheap, especially given shares are down 11% year to date and the country is still in the very early stages of a long-term trend towards smarter, and greener, power management.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Department Of Eenergy $4.5 Billion Smart Grid Fund release date: Later this month or in early November 2009 !!!
Vectren Seeks Regulatory Approval for Smart Grid Project, Awaits Potential Department of Energy Grant
Later this month or in early November, the DOE may award up to $4.5 billion in smart grid grants nationwide as part of the economic stimulus and infrastructure bill passed earlier this year. Vectren's proposal to the DOE includes a request for $45 million, or roughly 50 percent of the project's total cost.
"If awarded, the DOE would require implementation to begin almost immediately to ensure the funds are spent within the next three years," said Chapman. "We want to make sure we have the necessary regulatory approval in progress to capitalize on any awarded dollars and quickly initiate the project."
Later this month or in early November, the DOE may award up to $4.5 billion in smart grid grants nationwide as part of the economic stimulus and infrastructure bill passed earlier this year. Vectren's proposal to the DOE includes a request for $45 million, or roughly 50 percent of the project's total cost.
"If awarded, the DOE would require implementation to begin almost immediately to ensure the funds are spent within the next three years," said Chapman. "We want to make sure we have the necessary regulatory approval in progress to capitalize on any awarded dollars and quickly initiate the project."
Thursday, October 15, 2009
A report by the National Institute of Standards and Technology predicts that utilities nationwide will invest $40 to $50 billion in smart meters
Barbara Hollingsworth: First, we need a new power superhighway
By: BARBARA HOLLINGSWORTH
Examiner Columnist
October 14, 2009
====
"With $4.5 billion in stimulus funds, and another $144 million for state public utility commissions and workforce training, smart grid proponents are pushing hard for similar upgrades elsewhere. A report by the National Institute of Standards and Technology predicts that utilities nationwide will invest $40 to $50 billion in smart meters within the next five years. Lexington Institute senior fellow Rebecca Grant says that smart grid technology can prevent black-outs and pave the way for increased use of wind and solar energy."
By: BARBARA HOLLINGSWORTH
Examiner Columnist
October 14, 2009
====
"With $4.5 billion in stimulus funds, and another $144 million for state public utility commissions and workforce training, smart grid proponents are pushing hard for similar upgrades elsewhere. A report by the National Institute of Standards and Technology predicts that utilities nationwide will invest $40 to $50 billion in smart meters within the next five years. Lexington Institute senior fellow Rebecca Grant says that smart grid technology can prevent black-outs and pave the way for increased use of wind and solar energy."
UK spend £10bn on smart meters
Author:Ian GrantPosted: 12:41 14 Oct 2009Topics: Green IT
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) is expected to reveal its decision this month on how to implement a £10bn plan to replace 47 million gas and electricity meters with new smart energy meters in every British home, office and factory by 2020.
The government believes smart meters will provide accurate real-time information on consumers' energy consumption, encouraging them to use less. Smart meters promise to give consumers the ability to switch between energy suppliers almost instantly. Micro-generators will be able to sell spare energy back to the grid, and consumers will be able trickle-charge their electric cars at the cheapest rate. There will be no more meter readers or estimated bills.
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) is expected to reveal its decision this month on how to implement a £10bn plan to replace 47 million gas and electricity meters with new smart energy meters in every British home, office and factory by 2020.
The government believes smart meters will provide accurate real-time information on consumers' energy consumption, encouraging them to use less. Smart meters promise to give consumers the ability to switch between energy suppliers almost instantly. Micro-generators will be able to sell spare energy back to the grid, and consumers will be able trickle-charge their electric cars at the cheapest rate. There will be no more meter readers or estimated bills.
GE makes investment in smart grid software maker
Associated Press, 10.14.09, 04:35 PM EDT
NISKAYUNA, N.Y. --
GE Energy Financial Services said Wednesday it is making an equity investment in Tendril Networks Inc., which makes software that links utilities to smart-grid devices in homes.
The General Electric Co. unit did not quantify the value of its investment in the Boulder, Colo.-based company. The Tendril Residential Energy Management Ecosystem (TREE) is designed to help utilities operate more efficiently and allows customers to manage their energy consumption.
GE's investment builds on its appliances partnership with Tendril. In July, GE Consumer & Industrial and Tendril said they would integrate the TREE Platform to work with GE's dryers, refrigerators, washing machines and other appliances. GE appliances will communicate their power needs to the utilities in real-time. The utilities can then redistribute power as needed more efficiently.
NISKAYUNA, N.Y. --
GE Energy Financial Services said Wednesday it is making an equity investment in Tendril Networks Inc., which makes software that links utilities to smart-grid devices in homes.
The General Electric Co. unit did not quantify the value of its investment in the Boulder, Colo.-based company. The Tendril Residential Energy Management Ecosystem (TREE) is designed to help utilities operate more efficiently and allows customers to manage their energy consumption.
GE's investment builds on its appliances partnership with Tendril. In July, GE Consumer & Industrial and Tendril said they would integrate the TREE Platform to work with GE's dryers, refrigerators, washing machines and other appliances. GE appliances will communicate their power needs to the utilities in real-time. The utilities can then redistribute power as needed more efficiently.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Microsoft's Smart Energy Reference Architecture Ready for Utilities
Posted by Kachina Shaw Oct 14, 2009 11:28:28 AM
Boeing Considers Foray into Smart Grid Market (BA,GE,IBM,CSCO)
Oct 13, 2009 (SmarTrend(R) News Watch via COMTEX) ----10/13/2009 - As Boeing (NYSE:BA) sees some of its key programs cut, new defense chief Dennis Muilenburg is proposing that the company use some of its defense technologies and resources to enter the $20 billion U.S. power grid market, according to a Bloomberg report. In an interview, Muilenburg said "We know that we have to reposition our business, and that repositioning is something we are very aggressively doing . . . One idea is to take some of our defense technology and use it to help solve problems in the energy sector.aEUR Boeing would compete with the likes of General Electric (NYSE:GE), IBM (NYSE:IBM) and Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) for $4.5 billion of U.S. stimulus spending aimed at upgrading the power grid. On August 26, the company submitted three proposals for stimulus grants to study the smart grid.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
A full smart-grid conversion would cost tens of billions of dollars for New York City alone!
Our old electric grid is no match for our new green energy plans
POSTED 4:08 PM ON 12 OCT 2009
BY AMANDA LITTLE
Often referred to as “the world’s biggest machine,” the North American electricity grid as a whole is an integrated network of generators and millions of miles of wires that crisscross the United States and Canada. It snakes across fields, over mountains, through tunnels, along highways, beneath sidewalks, under rivers and seas. If you live anywhere in Canada or the continental United States, this mega-machine “reaches into your home, your bedroom,” as one writer put it, “and climbs right up into the lamp next to your pillow.”
The grid is designed as a hub-and-spoke system, in which large centralized generators supply electricity to thousands of end users. All told, the U.S. grid has about 300,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines and 5.2 million miles of local distribution lines. When one cable in a network short-circuits, others nearby will automatically pick up the burden. But if the surrounding cables are also overstressed, they too can fail, causing a cascading effect that can knock out major portions of a network.
In recent years, the U.S. power grid has become increasingly prone to such interruptions. Average temperatures have risen, homes have gotten bigger, and so have air-conditioning demands. Thanks to our technology-rich lifestyles and the inefficiency of our buildings and power plants, Americans consume, per capita, at least 50 percent more electricity annually than the citizens of Europe and Japan.
But we don’t have the infrastructure to support our lavish habits. We’ve seen almost no expansion or evolution of the grid that struggles to sustain our skyrocketing demands. Former Energy Secretary Bill Richardson has explained the problem this way: “We’re a major superpower with a third-world electricity grid.” The average age of the equipment that makes up our grid infrastructure is more than forty years, and many components were designed and installed before World War II. If we’re to see a major shift toward greener, more reliable power sources, we need a simultaneous upgrade in grid transmission technology.
*
I got a firsthand look at the challenges our power system is facing when I climbed inside the New York City grid. Con Edison’s chief of underground grid maintenance, Dennis Romano, had agreed to accompany me down below with his crew of electrical engineers to explain what I was seeing. A jovial man with a permanent five o’clock shadow, Romano seemed amused if a bit baffled at my excitement over this brief trip.
Amanda Little, ready to go down the manhole.
In spite of what I’d learned about the grid’s fragility, I had a fanciful notion of what I’d encounter: a vast, orderly chamber 50 feet underground containing thousands of gleaming wires all labeled and mapped according to the neighborhoods and buildings they fed, gauges glowing to indicate the volumes of current coursing on each line—as clean and intricate as the innards of the world’s biggest iMac.
Instead, my descent into a manhole on lower Broadway lasted all of 17 feet-and the shallow tunnel I crouched through opened onto a chamber roughly the size of an average walk-in closet. The floor was covered with a murky pond of street runoff, crumbled asphalt, and garbage fragments, and the air was clammy and foul. The walls revealed a gory cross section of the grid: emerging from dozens of cement ducts was a spaghettilike tangle of grimy wires pulsing with so much electric current I could see them vibrate, like hoses with liquid gushing through them.
The New York City grid encompasses more than 80,000 miles of cable-enough to circle the globe four times. Peel back the sidewalks of Manhattan and you’ll find a larger concentration of copper than anywhere else on the planet-more, in fact, than in the world’s largest copper mine. All that metal can be found within 15 feet below street level, sandwiched in with water mains, sewage pipes, and telephone lines. (These pipes and tubes are constantly in need of repair, so they have to be placed close to street level for speedy access.) There is no large central chamber where all the wires are organized, labeled, and monitored; instead, there are some 260,000 manholes throughout the city, each one providing access to the wires feeding just a handful of buildings.
Many of these cables are over fifty years old. As the wires age, they degrade under a battery of stresses. The combination of sweltering heat in the summer and freezing cold in the winter causes them to expand, contract, and weaken. The constant vibrations of the city and its underworld-rumbling subways, feet pounding on pavement, incessant traffic-can wreak havoc over time. When water mains break and sewage lines overflow, they can soak and erode grid equipment. When salt is scattered on snowy streets, it often eventually drips into street cracks and manholes, eating away at the cables’ insulation. Equally common is a nick in a cable from a construction worker’s jackhammer or backhoe.
Any one of these burdens can overstress and shut down a wire. But the biggest challenge facing New York City is its outsized electricity demand, which is growing at a rate of nearly 2 percent a year. That doesn’t sound like much, but it translates to an additional annual load of 200 megawatts-enough to power nearly a quarter million homes or a midsized city. “It’s like moving Albany onto the New York City grid every year,” Con Edison’s president later told me. That’s a big challenge when you have a system as congested as Con Ed’s.
“See what I mean? The grid is running out of room,” Dennis Romano said as we huddled in the dank manhole, gesturing at a mass of wires so dense it was like a Friday afternoon traffic jam at the mouth of the Holland Tunnel. “There’s just no space down here to put more copper.” The lines, he added, can only carry a finite amount of electricity: “You can’t put ten pounds of baloney in a five-pound bag.” Romano was describing gridlock in the most literal sense-the grid in its current form is reaching a physical threshold, meaning it can’t be built out any further.
“At the rate our demands are growing,” Romano said, “we could outgrow the grid in under ten years.” When we ventured back up to street level, I could see why: New York was voraciously guzzling power. Bank machines were whirring, flat-screen monitors were flickering, and an Old Navy store had flung its doors wide open, sending a misty plume of air-conditioning out into the stifling 90-degree heat. Across the way, Banana Republic and Bloomingdale’s were doing the same. “That right there,” said Romano, nodding toward the open doors, “is why the grid gets hammered in summer months. People assume we can air-condition the streets. They just don’t think about it.”
Lou Rana, Con Ed’s president, did offer some encouraging news about the direction of the energy industry today when we discussed his plans to renovate New York City’s complex, aging grid. For nearly two hours, Rana excitedly discussed the “smart grid,” which he described as a “high-tech, superefficient, ultrareliable, self-healing, ... clean, green electricity machine.”
Con Ed has already been experimenting piecemeal with some components of a smart grid, which Rana mapped out for me, drawing squiggly lines on a whiteboard. He’s been testing superconductor wires that carry far bigger loads than do the current copper cables and reduce the energy lost in transmission from 10 percent to less than 2 percent.
Rana’s engineers are installing nanosensors that can monitor electrical current flows remotely, allowing grid operators to track and contain power surges before they begin to cascade. Rana is also developing a plan to obtain 20 percent of New York’s City power supply from small-scale distributed power sources—solar panels and clean-burning microplants fueled by natural gas, for instance—installed on apartment and office buildings. This would help address the problem of building big new power plants and transmission lines on extremely limited real estate.
None of these ideas can be implemented on a large-scale basis without a major investment. A full smart-grid conversion would cost tens of billions of dollars for New York City alone. It remains to be seen who, if anyone, will be willing to pay for such a change. New York consumers famously resist rate hikes, and the state’s coffers are running low. Even with sufficient funds, it’s not clear whether the system could be installed in time before the grid’s demands finally outgrow supply, as ever more of its aging components collapse under pressure. The easier path would be to continue replacing the grid piecemeal., copper wire by copper wire. But this won’t do in the long run. Without the smart grid, more and bigger blackouts could lie ahead as demand grows in a system with limited capacity for expanded supply.
The United States is expected to see a 29 percent growth in electricity demands between now and 2030. But that number doesn’t take into account a vast new market that could open up: electric vehicles. As hybrid cars are growing in popularity and new plug-in models are soon to be introduced, the futurists of today are envisioning a century in which all transportation is powered by electricity. The whole energy system, they believe, will be unified under the flow of electrons.
This seems almost laughable given the current fragility of the U.S. electricity supply system. How, I wondered, can we confidently move toward an all-electric future if we’re operating on a Third World electricity grid? One way or another, by necessity if not by choice, the archaic system of plants and cables has to be rebuilt. Will it be replaced with the same old twentieth-century fossil fuels, mechanical switches, and copper wires? Or will we opt for a smart grid and usher in a generation of clean, sustainable technologies?
“The mind can not conceive,” said Thomas Edison in 1916, “what man will do in the twentieth century with his chained lightning.” And a lot we did, to be sure.
But now it’s time to start conceiving what we’ll do in the 21st century—and there’s no time to waste.
POSTED 4:08 PM ON 12 OCT 2009
BY AMANDA LITTLE
Often referred to as “the world’s biggest machine,” the North American electricity grid as a whole is an integrated network of generators and millions of miles of wires that crisscross the United States and Canada. It snakes across fields, over mountains, through tunnels, along highways, beneath sidewalks, under rivers and seas. If you live anywhere in Canada or the continental United States, this mega-machine “reaches into your home, your bedroom,” as one writer put it, “and climbs right up into the lamp next to your pillow.”
The grid is designed as a hub-and-spoke system, in which large centralized generators supply electricity to thousands of end users. All told, the U.S. grid has about 300,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines and 5.2 million miles of local distribution lines. When one cable in a network short-circuits, others nearby will automatically pick up the burden. But if the surrounding cables are also overstressed, they too can fail, causing a cascading effect that can knock out major portions of a network.
In recent years, the U.S. power grid has become increasingly prone to such interruptions. Average temperatures have risen, homes have gotten bigger, and so have air-conditioning demands. Thanks to our technology-rich lifestyles and the inefficiency of our buildings and power plants, Americans consume, per capita, at least 50 percent more electricity annually than the citizens of Europe and Japan.
But we don’t have the infrastructure to support our lavish habits. We’ve seen almost no expansion or evolution of the grid that struggles to sustain our skyrocketing demands. Former Energy Secretary Bill Richardson has explained the problem this way: “We’re a major superpower with a third-world electricity grid.” The average age of the equipment that makes up our grid infrastructure is more than forty years, and many components were designed and installed before World War II. If we’re to see a major shift toward greener, more reliable power sources, we need a simultaneous upgrade in grid transmission technology.
*
I got a firsthand look at the challenges our power system is facing when I climbed inside the New York City grid. Con Edison’s chief of underground grid maintenance, Dennis Romano, had agreed to accompany me down below with his crew of electrical engineers to explain what I was seeing. A jovial man with a permanent five o’clock shadow, Romano seemed amused if a bit baffled at my excitement over this brief trip.
Amanda Little, ready to go down the manhole.
In spite of what I’d learned about the grid’s fragility, I had a fanciful notion of what I’d encounter: a vast, orderly chamber 50 feet underground containing thousands of gleaming wires all labeled and mapped according to the neighborhoods and buildings they fed, gauges glowing to indicate the volumes of current coursing on each line—as clean and intricate as the innards of the world’s biggest iMac.
Instead, my descent into a manhole on lower Broadway lasted all of 17 feet-and the shallow tunnel I crouched through opened onto a chamber roughly the size of an average walk-in closet. The floor was covered with a murky pond of street runoff, crumbled asphalt, and garbage fragments, and the air was clammy and foul. The walls revealed a gory cross section of the grid: emerging from dozens of cement ducts was a spaghettilike tangle of grimy wires pulsing with so much electric current I could see them vibrate, like hoses with liquid gushing through them.
The New York City grid encompasses more than 80,000 miles of cable-enough to circle the globe four times. Peel back the sidewalks of Manhattan and you’ll find a larger concentration of copper than anywhere else on the planet-more, in fact, than in the world’s largest copper mine. All that metal can be found within 15 feet below street level, sandwiched in with water mains, sewage pipes, and telephone lines. (These pipes and tubes are constantly in need of repair, so they have to be placed close to street level for speedy access.) There is no large central chamber where all the wires are organized, labeled, and monitored; instead, there are some 260,000 manholes throughout the city, each one providing access to the wires feeding just a handful of buildings.
Many of these cables are over fifty years old. As the wires age, they degrade under a battery of stresses. The combination of sweltering heat in the summer and freezing cold in the winter causes them to expand, contract, and weaken. The constant vibrations of the city and its underworld-rumbling subways, feet pounding on pavement, incessant traffic-can wreak havoc over time. When water mains break and sewage lines overflow, they can soak and erode grid equipment. When salt is scattered on snowy streets, it often eventually drips into street cracks and manholes, eating away at the cables’ insulation. Equally common is a nick in a cable from a construction worker’s jackhammer or backhoe.
Any one of these burdens can overstress and shut down a wire. But the biggest challenge facing New York City is its outsized electricity demand, which is growing at a rate of nearly 2 percent a year. That doesn’t sound like much, but it translates to an additional annual load of 200 megawatts-enough to power nearly a quarter million homes or a midsized city. “It’s like moving Albany onto the New York City grid every year,” Con Edison’s president later told me. That’s a big challenge when you have a system as congested as Con Ed’s.
“See what I mean? The grid is running out of room,” Dennis Romano said as we huddled in the dank manhole, gesturing at a mass of wires so dense it was like a Friday afternoon traffic jam at the mouth of the Holland Tunnel. “There’s just no space down here to put more copper.” The lines, he added, can only carry a finite amount of electricity: “You can’t put ten pounds of baloney in a five-pound bag.” Romano was describing gridlock in the most literal sense-the grid in its current form is reaching a physical threshold, meaning it can’t be built out any further.
“At the rate our demands are growing,” Romano said, “we could outgrow the grid in under ten years.” When we ventured back up to street level, I could see why: New York was voraciously guzzling power. Bank machines were whirring, flat-screen monitors were flickering, and an Old Navy store had flung its doors wide open, sending a misty plume of air-conditioning out into the stifling 90-degree heat. Across the way, Banana Republic and Bloomingdale’s were doing the same. “That right there,” said Romano, nodding toward the open doors, “is why the grid gets hammered in summer months. People assume we can air-condition the streets. They just don’t think about it.”
Lou Rana, Con Ed’s president, did offer some encouraging news about the direction of the energy industry today when we discussed his plans to renovate New York City’s complex, aging grid. For nearly two hours, Rana excitedly discussed the “smart grid,” which he described as a “high-tech, superefficient, ultrareliable, self-healing, ... clean, green electricity machine.”
Con Ed has already been experimenting piecemeal with some components of a smart grid, which Rana mapped out for me, drawing squiggly lines on a whiteboard. He’s been testing superconductor wires that carry far bigger loads than do the current copper cables and reduce the energy lost in transmission from 10 percent to less than 2 percent.
Rana’s engineers are installing nanosensors that can monitor electrical current flows remotely, allowing grid operators to track and contain power surges before they begin to cascade. Rana is also developing a plan to obtain 20 percent of New York’s City power supply from small-scale distributed power sources—solar panels and clean-burning microplants fueled by natural gas, for instance—installed on apartment and office buildings. This would help address the problem of building big new power plants and transmission lines on extremely limited real estate.
None of these ideas can be implemented on a large-scale basis without a major investment. A full smart-grid conversion would cost tens of billions of dollars for New York City alone. It remains to be seen who, if anyone, will be willing to pay for such a change. New York consumers famously resist rate hikes, and the state’s coffers are running low. Even with sufficient funds, it’s not clear whether the system could be installed in time before the grid’s demands finally outgrow supply, as ever more of its aging components collapse under pressure. The easier path would be to continue replacing the grid piecemeal., copper wire by copper wire. But this won’t do in the long run. Without the smart grid, more and bigger blackouts could lie ahead as demand grows in a system with limited capacity for expanded supply.
The United States is expected to see a 29 percent growth in electricity demands between now and 2030. But that number doesn’t take into account a vast new market that could open up: electric vehicles. As hybrid cars are growing in popularity and new plug-in models are soon to be introduced, the futurists of today are envisioning a century in which all transportation is powered by electricity. The whole energy system, they believe, will be unified under the flow of electrons.
This seems almost laughable given the current fragility of the U.S. electricity supply system. How, I wondered, can we confidently move toward an all-electric future if we’re operating on a Third World electricity grid? One way or another, by necessity if not by choice, the archaic system of plants and cables has to be rebuilt. Will it be replaced with the same old twentieth-century fossil fuels, mechanical switches, and copper wires? Or will we opt for a smart grid and usher in a generation of clean, sustainable technologies?
“The mind can not conceive,” said Thomas Edison in 1916, “what man will do in the twentieth century with his chained lightning.” And a lot we did, to be sure.
But now it’s time to start conceiving what we’ll do in the 21st century—and there’s no time to waste.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Ambient, Itron Collaboration will Provide Automatic Near-Real Time Legacy Meter Reads and Outage Detection
Ambient EDC Eases Migration to Smart Grid
Ambient, Itron Collaboration will Provide Automatic Near-Real Time Legacy Meter Reads and Outage Detection
Boston, MA, October 12, 2009 - Ambient Corporation (OTCBB: ABTG) and Itron Inc. (NASDAQ: ITRI) today announced development of the Ambient® EDC module. The EDC module provides utilities a true, efficient path from legacy automatic meter reading (encoder receiver transmitter commonly known as “ERT”) systems to more advanced smart metering.
“The possibility of leaving assets stranded without a clear road map or without a viable option for incorporating such assets into a smart grid platform has prevented many utilities from deploying smart grid technology. The new EDC module, developed with cooperation from Itron, gives utilities a critical migration path linking their legacy meters to newer advanced communications systems without stranding recently deployed assets,” said John J. Joyce, President and CEO of Ambient Corporation. “With greater than 60 million ERT meters in the U.S. alone, the market potential is very significant.”
The EDC is an optional module integrated into Ambient’s smart grid node. Strategically installed at various points along the distribution grid and always collecting data from surrounding meters, the EDC eliminates the need to drive-by each meter to collect meter reads. The EDC listens for messages from meters equipped with ERT modules and automatically collects and stores that data. The frequency of reads and amount of time the information is stored are configurable by the utility. Using the new EDC module, utilities will be able to get data periodically for near real-time meter reads, along with outage detection, instead of once-a-month or estimated reads.
”Itron has always believed in the value migration brings to utilities as their business needs for automation continue to grow. We look forward to working with our partners to create an open, industry standard smart grid environment. Ambient’s EDC module provides another valuable tool our customers can use, especially those that are looking for ways to bridge to Itron’s OpenWay® solution,” said Russ Vanos, director of marketing for Itron.
Data collected by the EDC module will be transferred to the utility’s meter collection software, and eventually to their billing system, as Ambient and Itron work together to complete the end-to-end process.
“This new application continues to demonstrate the flexibility and extensibility of the Ambient Smart Grid® platform. A node with the EDC module can also be simultaneously utilized to provide other smart grid applications such as distribution system monitoring,” said Ram Rao, Chief Technology Officer of Ambient Corporation. “The EDC is currently being tested in the field by one of our utility partners.”
Key Features of the EDC:
Has a lower unit cost than previous solutions
Flexibility for backhaul connections
Provides a migration path from legacy systems (AMR) to smart metering, eliminating drive-by or mobile systems
Allows the utility to have near real-time reads of meters
Service outages detection
Ambient, Itron Collaboration will Provide Automatic Near-Real Time Legacy Meter Reads and Outage Detection
Boston, MA, October 12, 2009 - Ambient Corporation (OTCBB: ABTG) and Itron Inc. (NASDAQ: ITRI) today announced development of the Ambient® EDC module. The EDC module provides utilities a true, efficient path from legacy automatic meter reading (encoder receiver transmitter commonly known as “ERT”) systems to more advanced smart metering.
“The possibility of leaving assets stranded without a clear road map or without a viable option for incorporating such assets into a smart grid platform has prevented many utilities from deploying smart grid technology. The new EDC module, developed with cooperation from Itron, gives utilities a critical migration path linking their legacy meters to newer advanced communications systems without stranding recently deployed assets,” said John J. Joyce, President and CEO of Ambient Corporation. “With greater than 60 million ERT meters in the U.S. alone, the market potential is very significant.”
The EDC is an optional module integrated into Ambient’s smart grid node. Strategically installed at various points along the distribution grid and always collecting data from surrounding meters, the EDC eliminates the need to drive-by each meter to collect meter reads. The EDC listens for messages from meters equipped with ERT modules and automatically collects and stores that data. The frequency of reads and amount of time the information is stored are configurable by the utility. Using the new EDC module, utilities will be able to get data periodically for near real-time meter reads, along with outage detection, instead of once-a-month or estimated reads.
”Itron has always believed in the value migration brings to utilities as their business needs for automation continue to grow. We look forward to working with our partners to create an open, industry standard smart grid environment. Ambient’s EDC module provides another valuable tool our customers can use, especially those that are looking for ways to bridge to Itron’s OpenWay® solution,” said Russ Vanos, director of marketing for Itron.
Data collected by the EDC module will be transferred to the utility’s meter collection software, and eventually to their billing system, as Ambient and Itron work together to complete the end-to-end process.
“This new application continues to demonstrate the flexibility and extensibility of the Ambient Smart Grid® platform. A node with the EDC module can also be simultaneously utilized to provide other smart grid applications such as distribution system monitoring,” said Ram Rao, Chief Technology Officer of Ambient Corporation. “The EDC is currently being tested in the field by one of our utility partners.”
Key Features of the EDC:
Has a lower unit cost than previous solutions
Flexibility for backhaul connections
Provides a migration path from legacy systems (AMR) to smart metering, eliminating drive-by or mobile systems
Allows the utility to have near real-time reads of meters
Service outages detection
Saturday, October 10, 2009
G.hn- standard compliant devices for Smart Grid applications- expected to become a $165 billion market during the next 20 years
DS2 confirms plans for new chipset compliant with recently approved G.hn standard
Newly ratified ITU-T G.hn standard unifies powerline, phoneline and coaxial networking industry, and is poised to become the dominant wireline communication standard for Telco, CE, PC and Smart Grid markets
Valencia, Spain, October 9th 2009 – DS2, the leading technology innovator and global supplier of high-speed powerline communications technology, today confirmed its plan to launch its G.hn-compliant DSS9960 chipset next year.
At a meeting this week, the International Telecommunications Union's Standardization Sector (ITU-T) gave final approval to the G.hn specification, which becomes the first international standard for high-speed transmission over power lines, phone lines and coaxial cables. Approval of the G.hn standard marks a major step forward on the road to a unified market for wireline products. G.hn offers silicon manufacturers like DS2 a stable technical specification based on a single PHY/MAC to speed up the development of standard-compliant products such as the future DSS9960 chipset.
"This approval provides us with a solid technical specification so that we can finalize development of our G.hn-compatible DSS9960 chipset in the coming months. The DSS9960 is designed to meet increasing bandwidth requirements and will provide much higher performance than products available today, at a very low cost. We will offer seamless interoperability between our current 100 Mbit/s and 200 Mbit/s UPA-compliant products and the future G.hn-compliant DSS9960 chipset," said Jorge Blasco, President and CEO, DS2.
G.hn is positioned as the perfect solution for any application that requires a fast and reliable connection over existing wiring. G.hn is expected to become the dominant wireline communication standard in a wide range of market segments, including IPTV Service Providers, networked Consumer Electronics and Personal Computing, and Smart Grid applications.
In addition to providing a significant performance improvement over existing proprietary technologies, the group of experts developing G.hn made a focused effort to ensure that G.hn-compliant devices will achieve a very high degree of energy efficiency. This is especially important for manufacturers of G.hn-compliant devices for Smart Grid applications, which according to the Electric Power Research Institute is expected to become a $165 billion market during the next 20 years.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), an agency of the United States Commerce Department, has included G.hn as one the "Standards Identified for Implementation" in its latest draft of "NIST Framework and Roadmap for Smart Grid Interoperability Standards".
"DS2 has been one of the most active participants in the development of G.hn, working closely with other ITU-T members. The next logical step is the completion of a strict Compliance and Interoperability (C&I) Program to ensure that all G.hn-based implementations work well together. HomeGrid Forum, of which DS2 is a founding member and strong supporter, is working to quickly develop this C&I Program," added Chano Gomez.
Newly ratified ITU-T G.hn standard unifies powerline, phoneline and coaxial networking industry, and is poised to become the dominant wireline communication standard for Telco, CE, PC and Smart Grid markets
Valencia, Spain, October 9th 2009 – DS2, the leading technology innovator and global supplier of high-speed powerline communications technology, today confirmed its plan to launch its G.hn-compliant DSS9960 chipset next year.
At a meeting this week, the International Telecommunications Union's Standardization Sector (ITU-T) gave final approval to the G.hn specification, which becomes the first international standard for high-speed transmission over power lines, phone lines and coaxial cables. Approval of the G.hn standard marks a major step forward on the road to a unified market for wireline products. G.hn offers silicon manufacturers like DS2 a stable technical specification based on a single PHY/MAC to speed up the development of standard-compliant products such as the future DSS9960 chipset.
"This approval provides us with a solid technical specification so that we can finalize development of our G.hn-compatible DSS9960 chipset in the coming months. The DSS9960 is designed to meet increasing bandwidth requirements and will provide much higher performance than products available today, at a very low cost. We will offer seamless interoperability between our current 100 Mbit/s and 200 Mbit/s UPA-compliant products and the future G.hn-compliant DSS9960 chipset," said Jorge Blasco, President and CEO, DS2.
G.hn is positioned as the perfect solution for any application that requires a fast and reliable connection over existing wiring. G.hn is expected to become the dominant wireline communication standard in a wide range of market segments, including IPTV Service Providers, networked Consumer Electronics and Personal Computing, and Smart Grid applications.
In addition to providing a significant performance improvement over existing proprietary technologies, the group of experts developing G.hn made a focused effort to ensure that G.hn-compliant devices will achieve a very high degree of energy efficiency. This is especially important for manufacturers of G.hn-compliant devices for Smart Grid applications, which according to the Electric Power Research Institute is expected to become a $165 billion market during the next 20 years.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), an agency of the United States Commerce Department, has included G.hn as one the "Standards Identified for Implementation" in its latest draft of "NIST Framework and Roadmap for Smart Grid Interoperability Standards".
"DS2 has been one of the most active participants in the development of G.hn, working closely with other ITU-T members. The next logical step is the completion of a strict Compliance and Interoperability (C&I) Program to ensure that all G.hn-based implementations work well together. HomeGrid Forum, of which DS2 is a founding member and strong supporter, is working to quickly develop this C&I Program," added Chano Gomez.
Thursday, October 08, 2009
The first Smart Grid China Conference Nov. 3 - 5, 2009 !!!
The Presidential Hotel
3 - 5 November 2009
Beijing China
We are pleased to announce the new event Smartgrids China International Conference & Exhibition, which will take place during November 3- 5, 2009 in Beijing.
China power network is the biggest power network in the world. The total installed electricity capacity has reached 793 gigawatts by end of 2008. In the next ten years, China’s power industry will have an average annual growth rate of 6.5% to 7.5%. By the year 2020, China will need 1600 giga watts to power over 485 million households. Faced with this challenge, China has responded by becoming a world leader in innovative grid solutions.
As a logical step, State Power Grid Corp of China announced its plan on May 22, 2009 to build a “Strong & Smart Grids” by 2020 and defined the concept of developing strong & smart grids, objectives and implementation steps. The long term goal of building a smart grid in China is to possess a strong, reliable and stable, economic and high efficient, clean and environment friendly power grid.
The challenges to China power industry professionals are that the smart grid concept is a complex system involving multiple sectors. No single stakeholders can drive forward this concept single-handedly, and no single entity has taken up the banner for smart grid in China. Smartgrids China 2009 Conference & Exhibition will help explore and develop the Smart Grid Road Map for China: Ensuring Security of Power Supply for the Future.
Smartgrids China 2009 Conference will provide a platform to sensitize all parties including Chinese power utilities, regulators, vendors and consultants to the huge changes taking place locally and globally in the power utility industries; and enable them to understand the future impact these changes will have both nationally and within the region. Industry experts from China and International circles will discuss the growing smart grid market and the future steps how to plan & implement smart grid technologies in the current business.
The conference, featuring leading industry experts, will provide comprehensive coverage of smart grids, and leave participants with a clear understanding of the possibilities, as well as the strategic insights necessary to suggest and decide how to best move forward.
The planned areas of the conference include:
China latest investment plan for developing China power networks
China power industry requirements for smart grids and building blocks for smart grids
What regulatory framework needs for smart grids development
Standardization, communication, scalability and security
Infrastructure requirements to support a smart grid
Design and implement a smart grid and current technologies available
Experiences and insights from China and international industry leaders
GSL Consulting Group, based on our broadened knowledge of utility industry technology and extensive experiences as well as networks in Chinese power utility market, are committed to build up premier meeting platforms for utility executives, operational staff and all industry professionals from both China and international utility industries to gather in a focused and integrated forum, evaluating the future market demand and trends in the Chinese utility market. All related cross-functional team members should plan to attend this event together to maximize the benefits for your organization.
I look forward to seeing you in Beijing.
James Lau
Managing director
GSL Consulting Group China
Email: james.lau@gsl-consulting.com
3 - 5 November 2009
Beijing China
We are pleased to announce the new event Smartgrids China International Conference & Exhibition, which will take place during November 3- 5, 2009 in Beijing.
China power network is the biggest power network in the world. The total installed electricity capacity has reached 793 gigawatts by end of 2008. In the next ten years, China’s power industry will have an average annual growth rate of 6.5% to 7.5%. By the year 2020, China will need 1600 giga watts to power over 485 million households. Faced with this challenge, China has responded by becoming a world leader in innovative grid solutions.
As a logical step, State Power Grid Corp of China announced its plan on May 22, 2009 to build a “Strong & Smart Grids” by 2020 and defined the concept of developing strong & smart grids, objectives and implementation steps. The long term goal of building a smart grid in China is to possess a strong, reliable and stable, economic and high efficient, clean and environment friendly power grid.
The challenges to China power industry professionals are that the smart grid concept is a complex system involving multiple sectors. No single stakeholders can drive forward this concept single-handedly, and no single entity has taken up the banner for smart grid in China. Smartgrids China 2009 Conference & Exhibition will help explore and develop the Smart Grid Road Map for China: Ensuring Security of Power Supply for the Future.
Smartgrids China 2009 Conference will provide a platform to sensitize all parties including Chinese power utilities, regulators, vendors and consultants to the huge changes taking place locally and globally in the power utility industries; and enable them to understand the future impact these changes will have both nationally and within the region. Industry experts from China and International circles will discuss the growing smart grid market and the future steps how to plan & implement smart grid technologies in the current business.
The conference, featuring leading industry experts, will provide comprehensive coverage of smart grids, and leave participants with a clear understanding of the possibilities, as well as the strategic insights necessary to suggest and decide how to best move forward.
The planned areas of the conference include:
China latest investment plan for developing China power networks
China power industry requirements for smart grids and building blocks for smart grids
What regulatory framework needs for smart grids development
Standardization, communication, scalability and security
Infrastructure requirements to support a smart grid
Design and implement a smart grid and current technologies available
Experiences and insights from China and international industry leaders
GSL Consulting Group, based on our broadened knowledge of utility industry technology and extensive experiences as well as networks in Chinese power utility market, are committed to build up premier meeting platforms for utility executives, operational staff and all industry professionals from both China and international utility industries to gather in a focused and integrated forum, evaluating the future market demand and trends in the Chinese utility market. All related cross-functional team members should plan to attend this event together to maximize the benefits for your organization.
I look forward to seeing you in Beijing.
James Lau
Managing director
GSL Consulting Group China
Email: james.lau@gsl-consulting.com
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
smart Grid: A $20 BILLION MARKET IN FIVE YEARS
SPECIAL REPORT October 5, 2009, 8:18PM EST
"A $20 BILLION MARKET IN FIVE YEARS"
The Electric Power Research Institute, a nonprofit research and design group, estimates that it will cost $165 billion, or roughly $8 billion a year for 20 years, to create the smart grid. The market for the gear needed to overhaul smart-grid communications alone may reach $20 billion a year in five years, Cisco estimates. Other technology companies developing smart-grid software and hardware include IBM (IBM), Oracle (ORCL), Google (GOOG), and Siemens (SI)."
"A $20 BILLION MARKET IN FIVE YEARS"
The Electric Power Research Institute, a nonprofit research and design group, estimates that it will cost $165 billion, or roughly $8 billion a year for 20 years, to create the smart grid. The market for the gear needed to overhaul smart-grid communications alone may reach $20 billion a year in five years, Cisco estimates. Other technology companies developing smart-grid software and hardware include IBM (IBM), Oracle (ORCL), Google (GOOG), and Siemens (SI)."
Friday, October 02, 2009
Green Companies See "Shining" Opportunities in China
October 2, 2009
Companies See "Shining" Opportunities in China
by Sharryn Harvey, Online Editor, Power Engineering
Oklahoma, United States [Power Engineering]
Greenhouse gas emissions: the one thing that has been in the headlines for the past few weeks as more companies and states begin to find ways of lowering electricity costs and emissions at the same time.
During the United Nations General Assembly in September, all eyes were on the United States and China, two of the world's heaviest emitters of greenhouse gases. China is currently planning an 11,950 MW renewable energy park, the Ordos New Energy Industry Demonstration Zone (NEIDZ), which includes a proposed 6,950 MW of wind energy, 3,900 MW of PV, 720 MW of concentrating solar power plants, 310 MW of biomass and 70 MW of hydro storage. This will all help the country to reach its renewable standard of 15 percent by 2020.
China has already created government subsidies for solar panels, photovoltaics and concentrated photovoltaics (CPV) that are luring many North American companies to do business in the country. In March, the government said they would offer $2.94 per watt for PV installations greater than 50 kW, which could cover half or most of smaller-scale solar projects. For much larger projects, that still adds up to big savings when you include the low cost of solar panels, which have dropped 40 percent since the middle of 2008, according to an August article in The New York Times.
Four American utilities announced in 2009 that they would take advantage of the deals and work with China to either build solar projects or share information. First Solar, LDK and Canadian Solar have all signed agreements for PV projects in Ordos City and Jiangsu Province while Duke Energy is sharing solar, zero-emissions coal and smart grid technology with the Huaneng and ENN groups.
Tom Shiel, spokesman with Duke Energy, said the company's CEO, Jim Rogers, was the one who pushed them to go overseas.
"He's been amazed at their advances in technologies," Shiel said. "China is pretty much building entire cities around renewable sources, so they're able to utilize technologies in a more practical matter."
After the fifth annual Clinton Global Initiative ended on September 25, Chinese researchers were then going to visit some Duke Energy plants and check out their technologies. Shiel said some Duke Energy staff had already been over to China to look at what technologies they have to offer. It's all part of the information sharing agreement the two groups signed.
Shiel wouldn't say what exactly was being passed between the two countries or even if it would lead to a definite solar project. "We're working to develop technologies together and share information," he said. "Where that leads, we will see."
First Solar is another company doing business with China. The company signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ordos City on September 8 to develop what is considered to be the world's largest PV power plant at 2,000 MW in the NEIDZ, along with investments in Chinese manufacturers.
According to the MOU, the project will be broken down into four phases: Phase 1 will be a 30 MW demonstration project, expected to begin construction by June 1, 2010. Phases 2 and 3 will be 100 MW and 870 MW, respectively, and are expected to be complete by the end of 2014, while Phase 4 will be 1,000 MW and is expected to be complete by the end of 2019. First Solar will also establish commercial relationships with Chinese suppliers, construction firms and other businesses.
Canadian Solar is planning a 500 MW solar power plant in Inner Mongolia and LDK Solar also signed an agreement for up to 500 MW of PV power in Jiangsu Province. LDK has already manufactured solar wafers in China after opening a turnkey solar manufacturing facility by GT Solar Technologies.
William Lawton, senior trade specialist with the U.S. Department of Commerce, said investments in Chinese technologies are definitely a growing trend.
"What's driving it is our economy," Lawton said. "And what's important is China's incredible energy needs."
Those needs, Lawton said, are pushing the country to make it easier and more affordable to invest in renewable projects.
"The lower hanging fruit is that you've got a huge demand in China so it's natural to look there," Lawton said. "And the Chinese are only painfully aware of their own problems with pollution in terms of GHG and others."
But there is still hope for the United States to be able to lure in businesses. "In terms of percentages or potential of energy generated, yes we can catch up," Lawton said.
Companies See "Shining" Opportunities in China
by Sharryn Harvey, Online Editor, Power Engineering
Oklahoma, United States [Power Engineering]
Greenhouse gas emissions: the one thing that has been in the headlines for the past few weeks as more companies and states begin to find ways of lowering electricity costs and emissions at the same time.
During the United Nations General Assembly in September, all eyes were on the United States and China, two of the world's heaviest emitters of greenhouse gases. China is currently planning an 11,950 MW renewable energy park, the Ordos New Energy Industry Demonstration Zone (NEIDZ), which includes a proposed 6,950 MW of wind energy, 3,900 MW of PV, 720 MW of concentrating solar power plants, 310 MW of biomass and 70 MW of hydro storage. This will all help the country to reach its renewable standard of 15 percent by 2020.
China has already created government subsidies for solar panels, photovoltaics and concentrated photovoltaics (CPV) that are luring many North American companies to do business in the country. In March, the government said they would offer $2.94 per watt for PV installations greater than 50 kW, which could cover half or most of smaller-scale solar projects. For much larger projects, that still adds up to big savings when you include the low cost of solar panels, which have dropped 40 percent since the middle of 2008, according to an August article in The New York Times.
Four American utilities announced in 2009 that they would take advantage of the deals and work with China to either build solar projects or share information. First Solar, LDK and Canadian Solar have all signed agreements for PV projects in Ordos City and Jiangsu Province while Duke Energy is sharing solar, zero-emissions coal and smart grid technology with the Huaneng and ENN groups.
Tom Shiel, spokesman with Duke Energy, said the company's CEO, Jim Rogers, was the one who pushed them to go overseas.
"He's been amazed at their advances in technologies," Shiel said. "China is pretty much building entire cities around renewable sources, so they're able to utilize technologies in a more practical matter."
After the fifth annual Clinton Global Initiative ended on September 25, Chinese researchers were then going to visit some Duke Energy plants and check out their technologies. Shiel said some Duke Energy staff had already been over to China to look at what technologies they have to offer. It's all part of the information sharing agreement the two groups signed.
Shiel wouldn't say what exactly was being passed between the two countries or even if it would lead to a definite solar project. "We're working to develop technologies together and share information," he said. "Where that leads, we will see."
First Solar is another company doing business with China. The company signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ordos City on September 8 to develop what is considered to be the world's largest PV power plant at 2,000 MW in the NEIDZ, along with investments in Chinese manufacturers.
According to the MOU, the project will be broken down into four phases: Phase 1 will be a 30 MW demonstration project, expected to begin construction by June 1, 2010. Phases 2 and 3 will be 100 MW and 870 MW, respectively, and are expected to be complete by the end of 2014, while Phase 4 will be 1,000 MW and is expected to be complete by the end of 2019. First Solar will also establish commercial relationships with Chinese suppliers, construction firms and other businesses.
Canadian Solar is planning a 500 MW solar power plant in Inner Mongolia and LDK Solar also signed an agreement for up to 500 MW of PV power in Jiangsu Province. LDK has already manufactured solar wafers in China after opening a turnkey solar manufacturing facility by GT Solar Technologies.
William Lawton, senior trade specialist with the U.S. Department of Commerce, said investments in Chinese technologies are definitely a growing trend.
"What's driving it is our economy," Lawton said. "And what's important is China's incredible energy needs."
Those needs, Lawton said, are pushing the country to make it easier and more affordable to invest in renewable projects.
"The lower hanging fruit is that you've got a huge demand in China so it's natural to look there," Lawton said. "And the Chinese are only painfully aware of their own problems with pollution in terms of GHG and others."
But there is still hope for the United States to be able to lure in businesses. "In terms of percentages or potential of energy generated, yes we can catch up," Lawton said.
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