SmartGridNews.com

Is the smart grid industry stalled? Or accelerating?

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:35:58 PST

We're getting mixed signals about the vitality of the smart grid market. On the one hand, the recent DistribuTECH conference was one of the most successful ever. On the other, a well-known Wall Street analyst recently told his clients that the smart metering sector is "facing several headwinds," including weak regulatory support in the U.S. and delays in European adoption. Taking the pulse of the smart grid industry is this week's Tuesday Topic.

A how-to guide for hacking your local utility (and what to do now that it is out there)

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:51:29 PST

Given the dangers and costs, what would motivate a well-known cyber security researcher to release detailed vulnerabilities for specific, critical infrastructure products? EnerNex Chairman and CTO Erich Gunther suspects the release - which really did happen - reflects how fed up the security community is. It's tired of being ignored by vendors and utilities that live with known vulnerabilities rather than fix them. As Erich explains, there's way more than most of us realize at stake here.

Energy storage market at the substation level expected to boom

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:30:02 PST

While energy storage at the distribution substation level isn't big news (or big business) in the smart grid investment environment now, IMS Research predicts revenues will show impressive growth in the sector over the next several years – to the tune of an annual average rate of 50%. Read the story to find out why.

New industry coalition tackles energy efficiency

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:18:35 PST

Texas and Oklahoma are pretty low in the rankings of energy efficient states. But a group of companies, including electric service providers cooperatives, retailers, manufacturers have joined forces to push for advanced building systems and energy-efficient products and services in the region. There's more on the new coalition inside.

OnStar takes the collaborative route to EV integration

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:25:56 PST

In an effort to develop smart grid solutions for the Chevrolet Volt, OnStar is inviting utilities, energy companies and others to take advantage of a set of its application programming interfaces to develop new apps for Volt owners. Click inside to learn what OnStar is looking for from developers.

Smart meters and Big Data: A clear case for governance best practices

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:55:19 PST

You'll be hearing a lot more about Big Data - and chances are some of it will come from state regulators. IBM's Sunil Soares expects PUCs will become increasingly assertive about protecting consumers' privacy rights in the context of Big Data. That's one reason, he says, utilities need to heed governance best practices for smart meter data. He suggests four you ought to start with.

Note to utilities: Best-in-class consumer engagement doesn't just happen

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:11:05 PST

If utilities want to be best in class at customer engagement, they should look at practices used in competitive service industries to help them tailor their offers and communication strategies to the right segments of the market. That was one of the takeaways from the recent Smart Grid Consumer Symposium. SGCC Executive Director Patty Durand has more.

Smart grid communications: TV white space may be an option soon (like we need another option)

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:14:45 PST

The smart grid communications space is already noisy and contentious. But a UK company is making the case that we should consider yet another option, this time TV white space. Click for their argument in favor, and our word of caution.

CPUC agrees to PG&E smart meter opt-out plan – angry meter opponents don't

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:02:50 PST

The California Public Utilities Commission today gave a unanimous thumbs up to a Pacific Gas & Electric Company proposal to allow customers to opt out of its smart meter program - if they're willing to pay a fee for that choice. But after a noisy and emotional meeting it was clear that this story is far from over: smart meter opponents are dead set against paying the fees.

Real-life grid security bungles (and the 5 steps that can make them go away)

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:31:46 PST

Security veteran Ernie Hayden can tell some scary stories about lax security practices he's been eyewitness to during utility site visits. He worries there's too much emphasis on security compliance rather than true protection on both the physical and cyber fronts. The fix? Click for five steps he believes every utility should take now to 'bake in' security organization-wide.

California moves ahead on setting the standard for energy storage

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:18:59 PST

Brian Warshay of Lux Research outlines the highlights of a California Public Utilities Commission proposal for an energy storage policy that lays out the barriers to storage adoption – and a roadmap to deal with them. Get the lowdown on why stakeholders should be keeping an eye on this one.

Smart Grid Events and Smart Grid Conferences

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:30:45 PST

Industry events and conferences can help you stay on top of industry trends and technologies and make important contacts. Our calendar is loaded with upcoming events, with links for further details. And be sure to jump to page 2, where you can see the conferences Smart Grid News Chief Analyst Jesse Berst will be attending.

Notes from a security expert sitting on a privacy panel

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:23:27 PST

In this week's blog about his stint on a privacy panel put on by the Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative, security ace Andy Bochman ponders why the SGCC needs to exist - and then answers his own question: Without it, there would be no one out there to give consumers a reasoned and sensible alternative to the alarmist ranting they're frequently exposed to in the mainstream media. (And he provides a good example of what he's talking about.)

NREL brings plug and play to smart grid testing

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:15:14 PST

DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory is building a series of interconnected laboratories where researchers will be able to test new technologies on simulated and real power systems before plugging them into the electric grid. Get more on the story inside.

Providing energy usage data that is truly useful is how to restore consumer trust

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:05:37 PST

As utilities prepare for smart meter roll outs, the CEO of UK-based Sentec suggests a key consideration for the IT infrastructure associated with those roll outs should be the capability to both store data and relay it back to the consumer in an easily digestible format. Click for Mark England's perspective on how to go about that.

The votes are in: Meet 12 smart grid companies we'll be watching this year

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:13:29 PST

Nearly 7,000 votes later and we have the results of our third annual Smart Grid Companies to Watch search. Did Smart Grid News readers get it right? Click to see the top 12 companies they believe will be doing big things in 2012.

Evolution of demand response: Johnson Controls-led consortium embodies several trends

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:18:24 PST

An announcement today related to Pennsylvanian demand response has implications far beyond that state. The use of incentives and targeting midsize commercial are just two of the emerging trends we think you'll be interested in.

The Big Four continue to search for acquisition targets

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:57:23 PST

Siemens snaps up RuggedCom, a maker of hardened routers for substations. ABB snags Thomas & Betts, a maker of old-school low voltage gear. Valuations on these two recent deals may signal a new strategic phase of particular interest to smaller suppliers. Click for more on that, plus concerns about the Siemens deal from long-time industry analyst Chuck Newton.

Will natural gas kill the smart grid?

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:29:42 PST

Natural gas is getting so cheap that it may become cheaper and faster to slap up a gas-fired peaking plant than to implement a complicated demand response or renewable project - two of the biggest drivers of a smart grid. Yikes! Will natural gas alternatives make the smart grid too expensive by comparison? That's this week's Tuesday Topic in our discussion forum. Please join in.

How our homes can be both energy smart and a private sanctuary

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:18:09 PST

A recent IBM global survey showed that up to three-quarters of consumers are concerned about the confidentiality and security of home energy use data. What to do? Matt Futch, Global Policy Director with IBM Energy & Utilities, argues that appropriately designed industry practices and regulatory guidance can help the energy ecosystem protect sensitive information. Click for his examples of how and where it's already happening.