New research from an international consortium says the world's cities are failing their citizens by failing to capture the full value of infrastructure and data. Although the report's lessons apply to any kind of smart technology, they are directly relevant to the challenges and consumer pushback faced by many of today's smart grid efforts.
“Our cities sit on vast untapped resources of data and infrastructure that could be integrated to accelerate the clean revolution while improving the convenience and quality of urban life,” said Mark Kenber, CEO, The Climate Group, one of the report's co-authors. The value of smart grid and other smart technologies are not being realized because of:
·Too much "technology push" that does not create useful outcomes for residents
·A lack of a framework for integrated technology, which results in fragmented and siloed projects
·A lack of understanding of the social and financial paybacks
The report argues that cities (and, by extension, the utilities that serve them) must get better at two things. First, they must learn to fully understand the benefits of smart technology. And fully articulate those benefits to all stakeholders. “We need to reframe the... value proposition by measuring and articulating the full social, environmental and economic... return generated by city-wide initiatives,” said Simon Giles, global senior principal, Intelligent Cities, Accenture. “Only then can the private sector make the business case for participating. Only then can cities make the capital decisions that bring greatest value to citizens.”
From the article, a statement is made: "Our cities sit on vast untapped resources of data and infrastructure [...]". That is absolutley true. And some of that data is very valuable. A second comment from the article: "First, they must learn to fully understand the benefits of smart technology."
Therein lies the problem. The term "smart technology" has yet to be clearly defined. What is "smart" for one utility may in fact be dumb for another. I claim that no subject can be "fully understood" if it has not been clearly defined.
Here is a glaring example of an unclear definition pertaining to "smart technology": I was heavily involved in distribution automation in the mid 1990's for a major utility in Colorado. At the time we used a protocol called L&G8979, and used Harris DARTs as the RTU's which used DNP3.0. During this time the buzz word was "UCA", a "new" protocol that as best as I could understand, was supposed to unify hardware communication.
I had since dropped out of the automation arena, concentrating more on civil engineering within the electric utility industry. I attended Distribu-Tech in San Diego in January 2011. I discovered there is another "new" protocol called IEC 61850. While there, I attended a presentation where the presenter said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I'd like to introduce a "new" protocol." S-T-O-P!!!
The automation industry, or smart grid industry, or whatever name it wants to call itself today can never be taken seriously if it cannot settle on some fundamental issues. The two issues listed in this comment are: 1) define "smart grid" or "smart" technology so that everyone CAN fully understand it, and therefore implement it; 2) settle - PLEASE SETTLE - once and for all on a universal protocol. Then, addressing another fundamental issue, make the technology upwardly compatible so that when changes are made, a utility is not required to scrap entire systems just to bring in a few new features with the new system.
Until these fundamental issues are solidly defined, declared, and standardized, the automation industry will bear little more than very expensive over-glorified science fair projects. And until that time, my utility will adhear closely to our "core business" which is easily defined and understood by anyone and implemented by well trained people: "Keep the lights on". That's smart for ANY utility.
(Disclaimer: I did NOT read the report which the article references. I simply read the article.)
John Armenta - 12/15/2011 - 07:27
Data vs SGrid
Let me see, I think we've lost what the SG is and is not.
The SG is the utility's vast network of generators, relays wires and meters.. It is not the electric connectivity within a building.. or a generic doghouse.
The utility should have not access behind the electric panel since the customer pays to have the panel installed. The customer then owns the data behind the meter. Is the utility going to pay me for the data .. i.e. how much electricity my hvac uses? or the model/vendor of my hvac? or do they suppose that I'm going to give it to them for free? Not in today's world. Data and information are valuable entities. Just wait til the media picks up on this and we consumers begin to realize that the SG stops at my meter and any communication between my appliances or HEC is proprietary to me!
Give the utility what we pay for.. the meter reading and tell them to get off this kick that they own my circuit usage also.
mike trust - 12/15/2011 - 07:46
the edge of the grid
Mike Trust hits a really key issue that seems to be missing from much discussion. That is who is allowed to be inside my house. It seems to me the case for the utility to be inside -- on my side of the meter, is weak. The promise of the smart grid will be delivered if the utility just provides me with real time (instantaneous) pricing that reflects the total cost of the electricity being delivered. I, along with the help of thousands of app writers and electricity consuming machine manufacturers, will make the right decisions on my consumption.
bill ferree - 12/15/2011 - 09:18
Utility perspective
I find it interesting that the last two commenters feel that utilities really want data on their individual usage patterns within their homes. My experience in speaking with utilities in an AMI context is that they have more than enough to do just to handle/make sense of the data generated by 15 minute (for example) meter read intervals. Yes they might be interested in turning off your a/c for a few minutes to avoid peaks but my perception is that's pretty much where their interest in your data ends. Every utility in North America has more serious issues to contend with given the imminent advent of distributed generation, electric vehicles, the age of current assets and the overall push to reduce carbon emissions. These items are driving modernization of the distribution grid which, as we all are aware, is largely unmonitored and uncontrolled at the moment. The investment required to modernize the distribution grid will be immense and will take decades to fully roll out. In this context, the meter portion of the Smart Grid is a very small portion of the overall picture.
Jim Slinowsky - 12/16/2011 - 06:30
utility perspective
The writer of this subject seems rather naive to me and simply does not understand the utility app called Demand Response (DR). DR's usage is to turn off appliances like the HVAC, refrigerator/freezer, pool pump, etc. during peak loads. All are on the residence side of the power panel.
If you can then turn them off individually then you can gain access to the information within them including electric usage.
If you can get to them then you can get to anything including each circuit at the power panel.
This seems to me to be walking a fine line between gaining access to privileged information for a service and proprietary information used for research.. very different uses and the building operator be them a high rise office space, a home or a doghouse should reap the benefit of giving or selling data.
Note, in the beginning of the Internet, the application provides didn't advertise that they were selling our addresses and phone numbers to advertisers.. but it's big business now.. Every service or application front on the web wants our name/address/phone/email in order to make backdoor revenue and info for marketing..
Let's not be naive here.... please!
mike trust - 12/16/2011 - 09:39
What is smart?
I'll eventually read the report, however one key issue needs to be clarified because it forms the entire basis for this article. Infrastructure and data only become useful when people find productive ways to deliver products and services that have value. Neither the infrastructure, the data nor the smart grid is in fact smart. Only people can be smart. Unfortunately, "Cities" and by extension the utilities and states, can't even run their basic operations efficiently. Many of these organizations have fundamental trust problems with their constituencies. Until all of these organizations begin to master basic efficiency and trust, expectations for a smart grid are unrealistic.
Roger Levy - 12/16/2011 - 17:55
What is Smart?
Roger, you make this sound like all the utilities, vendors and politicians work together in a nice neat package where we all agree what is smart and what is not needed..
I don't agree.. the bottom line here is regulations and money/revenue.
If a politician thinks he/she can benefit based on regulating our electric usage then they will try - smart or not.
If a vendor beleives they have something to sell and can make revenue then they will sell or peddle their product - smart or not.
It isn't about being smart.. it's about who's there first with something and how can a vendor clean up regardless if the product makes sense long term today or not.
It has taken a while, but more and more observers are calling the Texas "experiment" with retail competition a success... and even suggesting it may be a model for the rest of the country. Is it?
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