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Elizabeth Cutright Elizabeth Cutright Distributed Energy Editor

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DE Editor's Blog

February 2nd, 2009 9:55am PST

Preparing for the Smart Grid

Posted By Elizabeth Cutright 1 Comment

In a previous blog I asked, “Can distributed energy and the electrical grid coexist?” It’s a question that I continue to ponder as President Obama's infrastructure plan continues to gain steam, with the Smart Grid as one of its most integral components. As I stated in my most recent editorial (Distributed Energy, January/February 2009 ), “Conceptually, the smart grid would coordinate power production from both large and small power producers: between your local power utility, for example, and a homeowner’s rooftop solar installation. Ideally, a homeowner (or, with much more impact, a large industrial or commercial complex) could seamlessly segue between onsite power sources (solar, wind, generators, etc.) and the grid, depending on demand, supply, and other factors.”

The key to combining the Smart Grid with onsite power is AMR/AMI technology.

Automatic meter reading, (AMR) involves the automatic collection of data from meters (water, gas, and electric). Once the data is collected, it is transferred to a central database for analysis and metering. Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) takes all this data management one step further. AMI includes the measurement, collection, and analysis of meter-acquired data, but the term encompasses not just the hardware, but the data management (MDM) software and customer interface as well. This could include online access to water usage and billing, as well as sophisticated demand response solutions.  

I’m in San Diego, CA, right now, preparing to attend Distributech, a conference and exhibition focused on automation and control systems, including AMR and AMI for electric and water utilities. I’m excited to see the newest and most innovative AMR/AMI technology that promises to be on display in San Diego, and you can rest assured that I'll be passing along everything I’ve to learned to you.

See previous Blog "Can the Grid and Distributed Energy Coexist?"

What Do You Think?

Post a Comment

Leslie Solmes

August 5th, 2009 2:22 PM PT

In order to gain investments in production and distribution of electricity, heat, and chilled water systems at the lowest combined unit energy cost and highest efficiency, the metrics of integrated investment, operation, and maintenace of primary fuels, production/distribution, and end-use systems are essential. The huge number of stakeholders require real time data translated into financial reports in order to communicate and make decisions in a dynamic marketplace. The smart grid initiative needs to be expanded to include a standard web-based application for investment as well as operating efficiency and risk management. This thinking is discussed in a new book called ENERGY EFFICIENCY: REAL TIME ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND RISK MANAGEMENT written by Leslie Solmes and published by Springer - http://springer.com/978-70-481-3320-8

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