Milton Hydro to expand TOU billing with smart metres

Milton Hydro, a local utility distribution company located in southern Ontario, along with Trilliant Incorporated, has announced the expansion of Milton’s existing Smart Grid initiative.

Milton, part of the Greater Toronto Area, is Canada's fastest-growing community, and is expected to reach nearly 150,000 residents by 2021.

Milton, who first delivered Time-of-Use (TOU) billing to its customers in 2005, now provides TOU billing for over 21,000 consumers.

The solution is already in full production at Milton, including Trilliant hosted data services and software, and provides for two-way communication capabilities between Milton Hydro and their customers. Furthermore, Milton has successfully completed production testing and enrollment with the province's centralised Meter Data Management and Repository (MDM/R) system.

This system is operated by the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) in its capacity as the Smart Metering Entity.

The Government of Ontario, Canada, through the Energy Conservation Responsibility Act in 2006, has mandated the installation of smart metres in all Ontario businesses and households by 2010. Milton Hydro has completed the installation of smart metres for all their residential customers and all customers shall be on TOU billing by this fall, making Milton the first utility to fully implement Smart Metering and TOU billing.

AEP Texas signs contract with Landis+Gyr

Landis+Gyr has bagged a five-year contract to install 700,00 smart electric metres for AEP Texas.

AEP Texas, which is a unit of American Electric Power, one of the largest electric utilities in the U. S., will deploy Landis+Gyr’s Gridstream advanced metering solution across the utility’s Texas service territory. The Gridstream network will provide two-way communication to 700,000 metering endpoints.

AEP ranks among the nation’s largest generators of electricity, owning nearly 38,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the U.S. AEP also owns the nation’s largest electricity transmission system, a nearly 39,000-mile network that includes more 765 kilovolt extra-high voltage transmission lines than all other U.S. transmission systems combined.

With this initiative, AEP Texas will be able to send energy consumption information and real-time pricing signals to consumers as well as provide automated load management options.

AEP Texas is connected to and serves more than one million electric consumers in the deregulated Texas marketplace. Major cities served include Corpus Christi, Abilene, McAllen, Harlingen, San Angelo, Vernon, Victoria and Laredo.

Including the contract with AEP, Landis+Gyr has now signed agreements to deploy approximately four million smart metres with Texas utilities.

Dutch set to create EU’s first intelligent city

Amsterdam has initiated the first phase of Amsterdam Smart City programme, becoming the first city in the EU to deploy intelligent technology, such as smart grids, in its electricity distribution system.

The Amsterdam Smart City will use a smart electric grid, smart metres, smart-building technologies and electric vehicles to reduce energy consumption in housing, commercial properties, public buildings and areas, and transportation.

Accenture, which has been chosen to implement this initiative, will also manage the integration of the smart-grid technology and the analysis and use of data.

The company will work with the Amsterdam Innovation Motor, a city affiliated agency that establishes public and private-sector cooperation, to develop, implement, manage and assess each of the phases and projects of the Amsterdam Smart City programme.

The first phase of the Amsterdam Smart City’s low-carbon projects includes: A ship-to-the-grid project, by which commercial vessels and river cruisers will be connected to electric grid when docked; Implementation of smart metres and in-home feedback displays to provide home owners with information to help manage their energy consumption; A smart building at Accenture’s Amsterdam office at the ITO Tower, where intelligent technology will collect, monitor and analyse the building’s programming and utility data to identify energy consumption efficiencies and lower the building’s carbon footprint.

As per the information available, the municipality, energy outfits, and private companies are expected to invest more than €1.1 billion in Amsterdam’s Smart City programmes over the next three years. That includes a €300 million investment by local electricity network operator Alliander in smart grid technology.

Also part of the plan: up to €200 million to be spent by local housing cooperatives on boosting household energy efficiency, and €300 million from companies including Philips and Dutch utility Nuon to be invested in other energy-efficient technologies.

ZigBee Alliance adds new specification

The ZigBee Alliance has decided to incorporate global IT standards from the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) into its specification portfolio of low-power wireless networking standards.

As a result of this initiative, ZigBee Smart Energy products will enhance their application capabilities with native IP support, allowing seamless integration of Internet connectivity into each product.

The move will see the strengths of the ZigBee Smart Energy standard getting combined with the ubiquity of Internet standards, ensuring that smart meter deployments currently underway will have a seamless path for continuous upgrades including Internet connectivity.

Through cooperative efforts with IETF, the members will create additional solutions for wireless sensor and control networks as part of the new specification. Internet connectivity is currently provided by existing ZigBee specifications; however, the addition of native IP support will offer tighter integration from wireless devices all the way to large scale utility IT networks.

The resulting specification will further broaden ZigBee’s suite of low-power wireless network solutions to meet the diversified needs of companies in the home, automation, healthcare, commercial building automation, telecommunications and consumer markets.

The deployment of an estimated 30 million ZigBee equipped smart metres is underway in North America.

Initiative taken for new HomePlug specifications

The HomePlug Powerline Alliance, an industry-led initiative that creates specifications and certification logo programmes for using the powerlines for reliable home networking and smart grid applications, has worked on smart grid technology path.

The Alliance has completed its Market Requirements Document (MRD) for HomePlug Smart Energy.

The MRD will guide the development of new HomePlug specifications. It will help in creation of a new class of powerline communications products that offer lower cost, low power consumption while also being fully interoperable with the current HomePlug AV standard and the forthcoming IEEE 1901 standard - at data rates tailored to meet the anticipated future requirements of smart energy management.

Through its Smart Energy Initiative, HomePlug is focusing on adopting communications and networking technologies to help consumers monitor and reduce their energy consumption. It is actively collaborating with utility companies and the ZigBee Alliance to help build the Home Area Network ecosystem.

The Alliance has also announced the addition of Gigle Semiconductor, Intellon Corporation, NEC Electronics Corporation and SPiDCOM Technologies to the organisation's Board of Directors.

Utilities to test Google’s PowerMeter gadget

Google has confirmed partnerships with eight national and international energy companies to allow consumers to access data about their energy usage through Google’s PowerMeter gadget.

Google PowerMeter receives information from utility smart metres and energy management devices and provides customers with access to their home electricity consumption right on their personal iGoogle homepage.

Over the past several months, Google has been looking to partner with utilities that are installing (or have already installed) this equipment in their customers’ homes.

Its partners are: San Diego Gas & Electric® (California); TXU Energy (Texas); JEA (Florida); Reliance Energy (India); Wisconsin Public Service Corporation (Wisconsin); White River Valley Electric Cooperative (Missouri); Toronto Hydro–Electric System Limited (Canada); Glasgow EPB (Kentucky).

Google PowerMeter is an opt-in service and users must sign up to participate. All energy data received by Google PowerMeter will be stored securely, and users will be able to delete their energy data or ask their utility to stop sending data to Google PowerMeter at any time. Google PowerMeter is not widely available yet.

US smart meter projects on track: Itron

The company continues to work on its deployments for major utilities in the US.

Itron Inc has said that the economic recession has not affected deployment of the company’s $1.4 billion in smart meter contracts with four major U.S. utilities.

According to a report filed by Reuters, Itron chief executive Malcolm Unsworth said projects with Sempra Energy’s San Diego Gas & Electric, CenterPoint Energy Inc and Edison International’s Southern California Edison “are all on plan according to what they originally proposed”.

Itron has a fourth contract with DTE Energy unit Detroit Edison which is expected to begin in 2010.

The company also continues to improve its offerings in this sector. Recently, Itron signed a joint marketing agreement with Verizon Wireless for development of secure, two-way communications that support utilities’ access to energy usage data and advance their smart grid projects.

Operating on Verizon Wireless’ network, the Itron OpenWay Cell Relay now allows utilities to more quickly collect, measure and manage energy data, while providing a supply of power without having to build and operate proprietary communications networks.

EnergyAustralia signs a deal with IBM

EnergyAustralia says the project, a part of its initial investment of $170 million in its smart network roll-out, will help it stay at the forefront of the global intelligent network transformation.

EnergyAustralia has signed an agreement with IBM for the implementation of an energy network monitoring and control solution.

A key project within EnergyAustralia’s overall intelligent network programme, the Distribution Monitoring and Control (DM&C) project involves the roll-out of 12,000 sensing devices throughout the electricity distribution network, creating a smart grid.

As per the agreement, IBM will design and build the system IT architecture to support the project, in which sensing devices will connect with EnergyAustralia’s operational systems using a combination of fourth generation and existing technologies.

According to IBM, this network will carry the necessary data for EnergyAustralia to reduce outages through faster fault location and preventative maintenance and, to work towards managing distributed energy sources such as solar and storage devices.

Ember secures $8 million in funding

The company now has raised $89 million in total.

Ember Corporation has closed an additional $8 million in funding from its primary venture capital investors and strategic partners.

Polaris Venture Partners, GrandBanks Capital, RRE Ventures, Vulcan Capital, DFJ ePlanet Ventures, New Atlantic Ventures, WestLB Mellon Asset Management and strategic partners such as Chevron Technology Ventures and Stata Venture Partners participated in the latest round of funding.

Smart meters now being equipped with ZigBee-standard Ember radio chips and protocol software are serving as energy management gateways between utilities and consumers, said Ember chairman and Polaris Partner Bob Metcalfe.

The company, referring to projections from research firm, In-Stat, mentioned that the market for 802.15.4/ZigBee devices is expected to reach as high as 292 million units in 2012, up from about seven million units in 2007.

The company also announced the expansion of its sales channels with the addition of new distributors in Australia, New Zealand, India and Hong Kong, People's Republic of China which are emerging as key markets for ZigBee-enabled smart meters.

Smart grid industry should adopt Security Development Lifecycle: study

A study has highlighted that smart grid technology is susceptible to common security vulnerabilities such as protocol tampering, buffer overflows, persistent, and non-persistent rootkits, and code propagation.

These vulnerabilities, according to IOActive, a provider of application and smart grid security services, could result in attacks to the smart grid platform, causing utilities to lose momentary system control of their advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) smart meter devices to unauthorised third parties. This would expose utility companies to possible fraud, extortion attempts, lawsuits or wide spread system interruption.

Joshua Pennell, president and CEO, IOActive, recommended that the smart grid industry should follow a proven formal Security Development Lifecycle, as exemplified by Microsoft’s Trustworthy Computing initiative of 2001, to guide and govern the future development of smart grid technologies.

IOActive, which verified significant security issues within multiple smart grid platforms, emphasised that if security is not addressed in the design and implementation of these emerging technologies, it may prove cost prohibitive to address them once the devices are fully deployed in the field.

In terms of deployments, it shared that over two million smart meters are being used currently in the US and it is estimated that the more than 73 participating utilities have ordered 17 million additional smart meter devices.

Related links: Security, Utilities, Advanced Metering Infrastructure, Smart Meters

Pepco Holdings opts for GE’s smart meters

Electric utility Pepco Holdings, Inc., (PHI) has chosen GE’s smart meters for use in the deployment of its advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) in the state of Delaware.

Installation of the GE meters is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2009 in Delaware.

PHI has chosen to work with GE at a stage when the utility is working on its vision of changing the relationship with its customers.

Joseph M. Rigby, president and chief executive officer of PHI, said with new digital smart meters and the smart grid, PHI’s utilities will be able to provide up-to-date energy information and tools that will help its customers manage their energy use and costs.

Communications technologies within GE’s smart meters will also help PHI detect and better respond to power outages, further improving the energy experience for PHI consumers.

Related links: Utilities, Advanced Metering Infrastructure, Smart Meters

“Demand response currently accounts for over 20 gigawatts”

Comverge Inc.’s chairman, president and CEO Robert Chiste has highlighted that demand response and energy efficiency provide the “fastest, cleanest and most economic” megawatts.
Chiste also pointed out that regulators and legislators at the Federal and State level are encouraging and approving funding for increased investment in energy efficiency and demand management.

According to Chiste, who made these observations during the company’s fourth quarter earnings call, the demand response and energy efficiency opportunity has the potential of far greater impact on energy independence than other alternatives such as solar and wind.

“In fact, wind and solar projects have slowed considerably because the financial and transmission constraints in the current install base of solar power in the United States is about 2 gigawatts,” said Chiste. “By comparison, demand response currently accounts for over 20 gigawatts or ten times the size of the entire solar installed base in the United States.”

In the recent past, the US industry witnessed the signing into law of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and provisions to modernise the U.S. electricity grid.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act contains specific provisions for the establishment of a $4.2 billion grant programme that will support the rollout of smart grid and smart metering projects across the country. Smart metering solutions provide utilities with a two-way flow of data required to manage energy use, efficiency, demand response and network protection. Consumers benefit from improved usage information and with it, the ability to reduce overall energy costs and carbon footprints.

Utilities in the US recommended to focus on consumer education

Even as Americans are concerned about energy costs and show interest in new energy options, yet this interest is not yet translating to action - and utilities can improve communication with customers, according to the findings of a research report released by Oracle.

Oracle, which had surveyed 604 U.S. consumers and 200 U.S. utility managers for its `Turning Information into Power’ research report, found that 94 percent are concerned with the energy costs of their primary residence and 95 percent are interested in receiving detailed information on their energy use. But only six percent of respondents have installed some type of renewable energy source in the last 12 months.

For their part, utilities believe the smart grid is critical to meeting impending energy needs and are taking first steps.

· 91 percent of utility managers believe it is critical that the U.S. adopts smart grid technologies. They selected “improving power flow management” and “supplying customers with the tools to monitor and reduce energy use at home” as the top two benefits.
· 41 percent of utilities have assessed the opportunity for smart grid technologies and 16 percent have begun implementation.
· Utility managers believe “upfront consumer expenses” (42 percent) and a “lack of consistent industry technology standards” (30 percent) will be the biggest roadblocks to maximising benefits of the smart grid.

Getting a quick response during utility infrastructure outages

SkyBitz has worked on a solution for disaster recovery teams to get a quick response during utility infrastructure outages.

The solution, based on SkyBitz’s Smart Sensor Tracking management solution, allows utility companies to leverage real-time information about the location, status and environmental conditions of their assets. This includes the deployment of teams to remote locations during network outages, as well as efficient selection, retrieval and redirection of assets.

The disaster recovery solution provides an active communication channel between critical mission command and control systems and teams and assets in the field through bi-directional messaging capabilities. The SkyBitz satellite-based solution has a ubiquitous coverage and operates in remote areas that lack terrestrial coverage.

The solution can be used to comply with FEMA cost recovery requirements.

According to the company, the SkyBitz solution is available and compliant with the objectives of the recently signed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Title XIII funding for smart grid and improvements for reliability and recovery from disruptions and integration of renewable generation.

The company believes that initiatives like smart grid, automated metering infrastructure and demand response can all benefit substantially from investments in remote asset management, condition monitoring and metering.

Related links: Utilities, Advanced Metering Infrastructure, Smart Meters

Pepco Holdings opts for GE’s smart meters

Electric utility Pepco Holdings, Inc., (PHI) has chosen GE’s smart meters for use in the deployment of its advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) in the state of Delaware.

Installation of the GE meters is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2009 in Delaware.

PHI has chosen to work with GE at a stage when the utility is working on its vision of changing the relationship with its customers.

Joseph M. Rigby, president and chief executive officer of PHI, said with new digital smart meters and the smart grid, PHI’s utilities will be able to provide up-to-date energy information and tools that will help its customers manage their energy use and costs.

Communications technologies within GE’s smart meters will also help PHI detect and better respond to power outages, further improving the energy experience for PHI consumers.

Related links: Utilities, Advanced Metering Infrastructure, Smart Meters

Smart grid industry should adopt Security Development Lifecycle: study

A study has highlighted that smart grid technology is susceptible to common security vulnerabilities such as protocol tampering, buffer overflows, persistent, and non-persistent rootkits, and code propagation.

These vulnerabilities, according to IOActive, a provider of application and smart grid security services, could result in attacks to the smart grid platform, causing utilities to lose momentary system control of their advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) smart meter devices to unauthorised third parties. This would expose utility companies to possible fraud, extortion attempts, lawsuits or wide spread system interruption.

Joshua Pennell, president and CEO, IOActive, recommended that the smart grid industry should follow a proven formal Security Development Lifecycle, as exemplified by Microsoft’s Trustworthy Computing initiative of 2001, to guide and govern the future development of smart grid technologies.

IOActive, which verified significant security issues within multiple smart grid platforms, emphasised that if security is not addressed in the design and implementation of these emerging technologies, it may prove cost prohibitive to address them once the devices are fully deployed in the field.

In terms of deployments, it shared that over two million smart meters are being used currently in the US and it is estimated that the more than 73 participating utilities have ordered 17 million additional smart meter devices.

Related links: Security, Utilities, Advanced Metering Infrastructure, Smart Meters

EnerNOC posts $106.1m in revenues in 2008

EnerNOC, Inc. ended 2008 with $106.1 million in revenues. This represents a 74 percent year-over-year growth.

The company’s network delivered over 100 percent performance on average based on nominated versus delivered capacity in more than 100 demand response events, according to its CEO, Chairman, and Co-Founder, Tim Healy.

“Our attractive applications in combination with our stable grid operator and utility customer base and our own financial strength and visibility give us confidence in the following 2009 corporate objectives,” said Healy, who added that the company expects its revenues to grow approximately 55 percent over 2008 to a range of $155 to $170 million.

Through the first seven weeks of 2009, the company has signed two new utility contracts in Arizona and Colorado worth over $35 million in combined potential revenue. It has added over 500 new megawatts under management to its demand response network, and has also developed an MBCx pipeline that is stronger than its internal projections for this point in time.

EnerNOC recently entered into an eight-year contract with Public Service Company of Colorado, an Xcel Energy company, to provide up to 44 megawatts of demand response capacity. The company highlighted that states like Colorado and Nevada are at the forefront of developing market dynamics that allow utilities to benefit financially from increased investments in demand response and energy efficiency.

Avoiding voltage collapse on transmission and distribution lines

smartelectricnews.com Special : Interview with Jack McCall, Director Business Development - HTS T&D Systems, AMSC Power Systems

American Superconductor Corporation (AMSC) identifies the U.S. power grid market as one of its core growth drivers.

Recently, in its third quarter (ended December 31, 2008) results, AMSC shared that more than $27 million of its $46 million in third-quarter bookings were for its D-VAR Smart Grid solutions. With these new orders, the company now has more than $175 million out of the total of $602 million in backlog that it expects to recognise as revenue in fiscal 2009.

Commenting on plans for this year, Jack McCall, Director Business Development HTS T&D Systems, AMSC Power Systems told smartelectricnews.com: “We are focused on increasing global sales volumes for our D-VAR and SVC reactive compensation solutions. We also will be completing our prototype Secure Super Grids system for Consolidated Edison in 2009.”

McCall spoke in detail about preventing blackouts, AMSC’s Smart Grid D-VAR and Static VAR Compensator (SVC) solutions, and much more. Excerpts:

smartelectricnews.com: With reference to your company's technologies, can you provide an insight into what sort of progress has been made when it comes to preventing blackouts and relieving congestion on existing transmission lines?

Jack McCall: Superconductor power cables offer tremendous power handling capacity combined with very low impedance, making them an ideal solution to addressing grid congestion, particularly in urban areas or where right-of-way is limited. Superconductor cables are also being deployed in NYC in a configuration called Secure Super Grids that allows for a unique method to interconnect substations as a means of increasing grid reliability and preventing blackouts.

On overhead transmission lines, utilities are increasingly looking to install real-time monitoring systems, reconductoring and using other methods of increasing line thermal limits. Often, they find that this is only increasing amperage ratings and any increased power transfer may be limited by overriding voltage stability concerns. AMSC D-VAR and SVC systems provide real-time voltage stability and VAR support necessary to assure that this increased ampacity translates into more power transferred.

smartelectricnews.com: How efficiently are voltage problems being sorted out today?

Jack McCall: Reactive power compensation is necessary to stabilise voltage, relieve power grid congestion, improve electrical efficiency, and prevent blackouts in power grids. AMSC’s Smart Grid D-VAR solutions detect and instantaneously compensate for voltage disturbances by dynamically injecting leading or lagging reactive power into the power grid.

D-VARs are being used in a wide range of applications, including voltage regulation and grid reliability, optimisation of power transfer capacity on stability-limited transmission networks, and reactive power support for wind farm grid interconnection. These solutions allow wind farm developers to meet the dynamic voltage requirements being adopted by countries around the world to protect the grid from the variable voltage levels stemming from wind farms.

AMSC recently announced that National Grid will deploy a large-scale, turnkey D-VAR solution to ensure reliability of the local power grid it manages under an agreement with Long Island Power Authority (LIPA). Including this latest deployment, AMSC has received orders for over 60 STATCOM or Static Compensators power grid solutions worldwide showing these solutions are now coming of age. In total, AMSC’s D-VAR customers include a total of more than 20 electric utilities and 40 wind farms worldwide.

smartelectricnews.com: How does AMSC's SVC provide many benefits at the transmission, distribution and even end-user level?

Jack McCall: AMSC's Static VAR Compensator (SVC) solutions eliminate voltage sags and flicker, giving electric utility companies and manufacturing operations a cost-effective way to safely connect large electrical loads to the local power grid. AMSC’s SVC systems are highly portable, modular and can be field-modified, thereby reducing the costs normally associated with upgrades. They routinely solve problems caused by starting large motors, metal shredders and crushers, sawmills, pump or pipeline stations, shipyards, coal mines, feed plants or kindred processes. These solutions also solve arc furnace flicker problems and are utilized to stabilize power transmission grids.

By using an SVC, electric utilities can eliminate voltage sags and flicker issues caused by such problematic electrical loads without making larger permanent or fixed investments in their power system. SVC solutions offer customer-side benefits as well by providing a more stable voltage supply and a higher power factor to the end user. In many cases, the availability of an SVC will permit an end customer to further expand their facility without impacting other customers located on the same circuit.

smartelectricnews.com: There are devices in the marketplace that can optimise new and existing transmission and distribution lines. What new trends have you witnessed in this arena from AMSC's perspective?

Jack McCall: Our D-VAR and SVC solutions help to optimise existing transmission and distribution assets. Because our solutions eliminate voltage instabilities, power grid operators can oftentimes increase power capacity of their existing T&D assets, providing a very rapid return on investment.

smartelectricnews.com: Can you describe the role of superconductor power cables and AMSC’s Secure Super Grids technology in a smart grid?

Jack McCall: Superconductor power cables and AMSC’s Secure Super Grids technology meet each of the following Smart Grid criteria detailed by the Department of Energy: 1) Accommodate all generation and storage options, 2) Provide power quality for the digital economy, 3) Optimise assets and operate efficiently, 4) Anticipate and respond to system disturbances self-heal, and 5) operate resiliently against attack and natural disasters to resist attack.

AMSC’s Secure Super Grid (SSG) technology is a “system-level” superconductor cable solution that fulfills these criteria, which are vital to enhancing over-taxed and aging power grids in the U.S. and around the world.

AMSC’s SSG technology increases both the capacity of T&D infrastructure and the fault current handling capability of dense urban circuits. This solution utilizes customised superconductor power cables and ancillary controls to deliver up to 10 times more power than conventional copper cables while at the same time suppressing power surges - or fault currents - that can result in critical outages including widespread blackouts. Superconductor cables create resilient, self healing power grids that can survive attacks and natural disasters. HTS cables can increase transmission efficiency and significantly enhance the flow of power under city streets to enable, for instance, widespread adoption of PHEVs. Uniquely, AMSC’s SSG technology also allows for the construction of multiple paths for electricity flow in metropolitan power grids to ensure system redundancy when individual circuits are disrupted due to severe weather, traffic accidents or willful destruction.

High-capacity, very low impedance superconductor power cables generate little to no magnetic field. The very high power capacity and small footprint of superconductor cables makes them much easier to site, particularly in dense, urban areas. As such, the compact size and low environmental impact of HTS cables offers new ways for grid planners and operators to upgrade and increase the capacity of electric distribution networks.

HTS cables have been well demonstrated at electric utilities and are now being deployed in the grid. Over the past two years, three of these cables have been energized in the United States. Stand-alone fault current limiters based on superconducting materials also offer a new vista in grid security and technical control of system operating parameters.

smartelectricnews.com: How can superconductor power cables be utilised to transport renewable energies from remote areas to highly populated urban areas where power is needed?

Jack McCall: We believe superconductor power cables will play a big role in the mission to efficiently transport renewable power to the load center. While much of the long-haul power transmission from large renewable generation sites over the next several years will be accomplished with overhead power lines, as that load approaches cities, it must be carried underground. Superconductor cable technology is able to carry this power more efficiently and in a much smaller space than conventional copper cables. We also believe that direct current (DC) superconductor power cables will eventually play a role in long-haul power transmission.

Intelligent agents to enhance open communication and self-healing

Interview with Dr. Maher Chebbo, VP Utilities EMEA, SAP

smartelectricnews.com Special

An emerging technology area facilitating the development of smart-grid infrastructure is the use of intelligent agents, which are increasingly being used to participate in electrical utilities' demand response programmes.

These devices combine components for sensing, computing, device control, and communication in order to optimise energy usage.

It is said that these intelligent agents interact with each other in a more localised fashion before they interact with the centralised utility grid. When agents in a group interact, they can analyse the predetermined reduction programmes for each customer and react accordingly. This autonomy provides greater efficiency and is more cost-effective than a purely centralised system.

Going forward, Dr. Maher Chebbo, Vice President Utilities for Europe ,Middle East and Africa (EMEA), SAP AG, who presented during Intelligent Demand Response for Electricity Summit 2009 held in Amsterdam recently, says the intelligent agents will include more ICT and Electronics and a result they will further help in open communication and self-healing processes.

A fundamental capability of a self-healing grid is its ability to prevent or contain major disturbances. The vision of a "self-healing" smart grid is feasible using a distributed infrastructure for monitoring and control.

Utilities now acknowledged that today's distribution grid is more than an interconnected system of generating units, power lines, substations and transformers that deliver electricity to customers. Smart Grid refers to a modern, intelligent electricity transmission and distribution system that incorporates traditional and advanced power engineering to enhance grid performance and support a wide array of functionality for customers and the economy.

And technologies that help save energy at households include:

· Time of use Pricing Information
· Dynamic Pricing signals
· Smart Thermostat
· Home Energy management Systems like devices.

"These technologies help peak demand reduction up to 40 percent plus in some cases," says Dr. Chebbo.

Two-way communication

For a utility to monitor the power used by its customers, then to transmit demand-response commands to a customer's automated energy management system, there must be a two-way communication.

The utility receives the usage information from the customer's meter, and can then send messages, via email or telephone, informing them of the need to reduce power. During demand response events, the utility can activate automatic controls to reduce air conditioning, lower lighting levels, or momentarily turn off appliances – usually with an override option by the consumer.

On the two-way communication process, Dr. Chebbo said utilities companies send tariffs and contract information + price signals to the consumers through Smart Meters and Internet.

"Consumers will change their options (if their contract allows) on the Smart meters and through the Internert Self Services (also SMS or mobile transactions could be used). Demand Response is one of the scnearios that are enabled by Smart Metering Infrastructure," said Dr. Chebbo.

One of the critical components of communication systems for demand response includes software, which is used to perform the various tasks required to run smart grid networks and demand-response applications.

"There are different kind of software required for the smart grids and demand response : the technical software like SCADA (they have to evolve to become smart grids compliance), the management software (like SAP ERP, Customer Information system, Asset Management, Smart Metering Application scenarios), the technical software for management the Smart metering Infrastructure (Meter Data Unification System) and they have to talk to each other in real time and interoperability is key," said Dr. Chebbo.

The industry has already witnessed the development of turnkey "energy intelligence" software to electric utilities for use in residential applications. These offerings include software, hardware, and "smart
meters" that help control energy load. For instance, hardware products include meters with Internet capabilities, which make it possible for clients to access their usage records on demand, and software offerings include programmes, which allows customers to monitor their meters, automate usage reduction, and receive alerts and grid demand status.

On procuring such solutions, Dr. Chebbo recommended: "The ones who should be providing a platform for smart grids and demand response should be system integrators with a good knowledge of the industry, rather than a single software vendor."

Enabling consumers to know how their behaviour affects energy consumption

Energate has introduced a new solution in Consumer Connected Demand Response (CCDR).

This solution, according to the company, will enable utilities to engage their customers and deploy technology which will integrate seamlessly with AMI and the smart grid as it is built.

It builds from advanced in-home consumer options and supports multiple communication technologies from the home to utility load management software.

CCDR offers a variety of options for utilities and their customers, including ZigBee Smart Energy profile certified smart thermostats, load control switches, energy display, and web portal; communication options (broadband connectivity, FM digital radio, and support for AMI interoperability); utility application options (load management systems including one-way direct load control or two-way DR).

Commenting on the CCDR solution, Niraj Bhargava, CEO, Energate said: "It is an ideal offering to let utilities deploy Demand Response today, while building their smart grid infrastructure for tomorrow."

"Energate's strength in AMI interoperability and in-home devices gives the utility peace of mind that short term DR benefits are supportive of long term smart grid strategies."