| This week's sponsor is Oracle. |  | eBook: Knowledge Management: 5 Steps to Getting it Right the First Time
This eBook sets out 5 simple steps for optimizing customer service and support with an effective, best-practice-led knowledge management initiative. Download today!
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Today's Top Stories
1. CA utility tests, validates and offers HAN technology to customers
2. National Grid "dream team" covers smart grid spectrum
3. Home area networks could be a hard sell
4. Surprising interest in smart home services
5. Cloud computing advances smart home Editor's Corner: CES a showcase for smart grid innovation Also Noted: Spotlight On... Saving energy with an EV and smart appliances
Preapring for a cyber crisis; communication and IT security and much more... 
NARUC President shares 2013 projections
State utility commissions are facing a number of regulatory challenges, especially surrounding cybersecurity and emissions standards. In the following interview with FierceEnergy, Philip B. Jones, President, National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, and Commissioner, Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission, shares some of his projections for 2013 and what NARUC is doing to help utilities navigate these challenges. On the Hot Seat.
The importance of a corporate vision for smart grid
There are so many business, technology and regulatory components to a smart grid implementation that any utility embarking on a smart grid deployment must have a vision in place to guide the effort. There is a saying that if you don't know where you're going, you'll probably wind up there. The utilities that have been most successful with their smart grid implementations have had clear and cohesive visions for their deployments.Industry Voices NSA secret cyber security testing no longer secret
It's no secret that the nation's electric grid is vulnerable to potentially devastating cyber attacks. It's also no longer a secret that the federal government is targeting utilities to test the security of their grids. Article News From Across the Energy Industry:
1. Renewable energy attitudes need "coming of age"
2. Cost barriers to solar installations diminishing
3. Advanced energy goes beyond "clean" and "dirty"
| This week's sponsor is Zpryme. |  | Zpryme's Smart Grid Insights and FierceSmartGrid are conducting a survey to assess the current sentiment and outlook for the Smart Grid industry on a monthly basis. We would like to invite utility, energy, and Smart Grid executives to participate in this month's survey. Click here to take the survey.
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CES a showcase for smart grid innovation
The focus of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) -- held in Las Vegas last week -- is evolving from exhibiting cool electronic gadgets to showcasing innovative smart grid technology.
FierceMarkets editors were there to see Bosch Software Innovation's showcase of its industry-agnostic software technology platform which incorporates business process management, business rules management, infrastructure management and data management. The technology breakthrough comes as part of Bosch's recent acquisition of inubit AG, which expanded its business process management offering to the utilities and telecommunications markets. Due to the growing population and economic growth as well as the increased presence of electric vehicles, grid reliability and efficiency are key concerns for utilities. Utilities are inundated with data from smart meters, distributed photovoltaic systems, and other network-enabled devices, in addition to historical usage data as the charge to modernize the nation's electric grid goes forward. In fact, Bosch predicts that by 2015, more than 6 billion devices and systems will be connected to each other and exchanging data via the Internet. The challenge is how to put the data to work to create actionable intelligence. To that end, Bosch is working with Green Charge Networks to help utilities monitor, manage and predict conditions on the electric grid based on input from smart meters, transformers and other network-enabled devices in 10- to 15-minute increments, so utilities can see the location of overload conditions and mitigate before costly damage, such as transformer burn outs, are caused. Innovations like these can save a given utility tens of millions of dollars every year. – Barb |
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Today's Top News 1. CA utility tests, validates and offers HAN technology to customers
New home area network technology was recently pilot-tested and validated with approximately 1,300 San Diego Gas & Electric customers. The home area network devices demonstrated effectiveness in increasing energy efficiency among customers who turned off lights, increased air conditioning temperature, watched less TV and unplugged devices. These home area network devices are now available to SDG&E customers. By setting up an in-home display connected to their smart electric meters, SDG&E customers can instantly see how much energy their whole home or specific appliances are using. The devices operate on the standardized ZigBee network communication protocol for seamless integration with SDG&E smart meters and display estimated energy costs intended to provide a general idea of approximate energy costs to help customers take action. "Now that this technology is enabled through SDG&E's smart meter system, customers can see how much energy they are using in their home in near real-time, which gives them greater control of their energy use on a daily basis," said Ted Reguly , SDG&E's director of customer programs and projects. Additional home area network devices are being tested by SDG&E to ensure the device is compatible with the meter and secure on the utility's network. Once validated for compatibility, the devices available to customers will be expanded. For more:
- see this report
- see this article Related Articles:
SDG&E tops "Most Intelligent Utilities" list
SDG&E takes smart grid honors
SDG&E plans smart grid community Read more about: Smart Meters, smart meter
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2. National Grid "dream team" covers smart grid spectrum
National Grid has chosen the companies that will make up its smart grid "dream team" to help test and deliver the "energy system of the future" for more than 15,000 customers in Worcester, Mass. The team of vendors covers the smart grid spectrum, including smart meters, advanced communications technologies, in-home energy management tools, devices for electric system automation, customer outreach and education, project management, integration and evaluation. The dream team is comprised of Bridge Energy Group, Ernst & Young, Itron, Cisco, General Electric, Verizon Enterprise Solutions, IBM, Wipro, CEIVA Energy; EcoFactor; Simple Energy, GridMaven, Navigant, SmartMark Communications, S&C Electric Company, G&W Electric Company, Beckwith Electric Co Inc., Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Lindsey Manufacturing Company, and Power Delivery Products. "This assembly of organizations is our smart grid 'dream team'," said Cheri Warren, vice president of asset management for National Grid. "They are the best and brightest in their respective disciplines and share our vision for delivering exceptional benefits for customers. We are excited to have them on board as we make progress toward full deployment of the pilot." For more:
- see this article
- see this article Related Articles:
National Grid shares smart grid customer engagement strategies
National Grid customers create their own smart grid Read more about: Smart Grid, Smart Meters
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3. Home area networks could be a hard sell
Home area networks (HAN) enable a variety of energy-saving applications and devices within the home, and are seen by utilities and technology developers as a key part of the smart grid. But HAN deployments have been slower than expected, according to Pike Research. Over the next eight years, the HAN market will see moderate growth, driven by energy efficiency and an increasing utilization of standards-based technologies with annual worldwide HAN revenue up from $127 million in 2012 to $1.1 billion in 2020, Pike predicts. In-home displays which show meter-based consumption data, time-of-use pricing signals, and billing information will generate more revenue than networked home energy management systems due to lower prices and larger volumes, according to the research. "Utilities and home energy management service providers have long expected that increasing smart meter deployments will drive adoption of home area networks," said Pike Senior Research Analyst Neil Strother. "Motivating consumers to use less energy via new technology, though, can be a difficult sell." Strother recommends taking a realistic approach emphasizing the potential for consumers to save money on their electric bills. For more:
- see this report Related Articles:
Smart Homes: More than 1 million and counting
HAN coming to a household near you Read more about: energy efficiency, home energy management systems
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4. Surprising interest in smart home services
New research from Strategy Analytics reveals that more than 50 percent of broadband households in France, Germany, Italy, the U.K. and the U.S. are ready to adopt interactive security, with the U.S. having the highest level of interest in smart home services. In fact, more than 50 percent of broadband households without security are willing to pay for professionally monitored services when combined with monitoring and control capabilities, according to the research. Further, these households are willing to pay for remote healthcare and energy management service at the right price (under $10 a month). The results were surprising in that the numbers were higher than expected. "We believe that growing smartphone and tablet use is accelerating consumers' desire to be connected to everyone and everything important in their lives, including their family and homes," said Bill Ablondi, director of Smart Home Strategies Advisory Service. For more:
- see this article Related Article:
The Impact of Broadband Read more about: Energy Management Service, Broadband Households
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5. Cloud computing advances smart home
IBM, STMicroelectronics, and Shaspa have launched a collaboration that could allow customers to use cloud and mobile computing to manage and interact with their homes' functions and entertainment systems using multiple user interfaces such as voice recognition and physical gestures for a smarter home. The companies anticipate that their initiative could allow consumers to use any device capable of running apps to manage a variety of personal activities such as viewing their home's energy consumption; controlling security, heating and lighting systems; activating home appliances such as washing machines; or engaging in e-commerce. The project represents the future of electronics technology as sensing devices and equipment seamlessly respond to user needs and requests, emulating the way humans sense their environment. "Thanks to emerging cloud services we are entering a new era in which the role of the personal cloud is expanding into daily life and the smart home to improve energy efficiency, health and wellness, and home entertainment," said Bruce Anderson, general manager of global electronics industry at IBM. "This collaboration is a great example of how cloud computing can be used for business and industry innovation versus solely for IT efficiency purposes. In the future, cloud-enabled electronics will sense what people want, evolving from seeing-to-noticing-to-remembering personal needs and histories," he said. For more:
- see this article Related Article:
Utilities go retail Read more about: energy efficiency, Energy Consumption
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Also Noted SPOTLIGHT ON... Saving energy with an EV and smart appliances A collaboration between Ford, Eaton, SunPower and Whirlpool -- MyEnergi Lifestyle -- demonstrates how combining renewable energy generation with "time-flexible" loads optimizes energy consumption across a plug-in vehicle and home appliances. Georgia Institute of Technology calculates the savings as a 60 percent reduction in energy costs. Article Quick news from around the web:
>U.S. must prepare for cyber crisis. Article
>Gigabit WiFi ready for prime time. Article
>Communication a key to strong IT security. Article
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