We need a two-way communication between our utilities and our homes that can be delivered via a smart grid, according to a panel of experts speaking today at the Green:Net conference today in San Francisco. Andrew Tang of PG&E, highlighted the issue facing the utilities by noting that in the past power companies got their energy from a few generators. “In the past supply just happened,” Tang said. “In this brave new world, we have tens of thousands of generators to control but we still have to keep this balanced system [of supply and demand.]“

Tang brought up the difficulty utilities have when it comes to managing intermittent renewable power, and increasing resource loads from devices such as electric cars. Those problems and others will drive the need for a smart grid. The panelists agreed that when it comes to communications on the smart grid, there are some huge problems to surmount. Utilities cover a huge area, need communications that are more reliable than a cellular network, and have to do it cheaply. Whatever communications are used on a smart grid also need to also be open and standards-based, secure and future proofed — a utility cannot switch out its meters each time the technology changes. Eric Miller, chief solutions officer of Trilliant, claims the grid will require multiple communications technologies, and will require a mesh networking structure.

Link

TrackBack URI for this entry

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Show/Hide comment form

Name

Email

Website

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (Registered users only)

I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.

Add Comment