A New (and Less Expensive) Way to Launch Smart Grid Projects

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Today, we're going beyond transparency, all the way to blatant self-promotion. We’re going to describe a new service to help utilities through the Smart Grid maze. It’s called Springboard Services and it’s a new offering from Global Smart Energy (GSE), which also publishes Smart Grid News.

Springboard Services provide consulting, assessments, customer engagement, optimization, readiness audits and more. And for the least cost in time and money.

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Best-in-class industry experts get in, provide answers, and get out. It's fast, reliable and affordable.

Recent headlines highlight some of the urgent challenges utilities must cope with:

·         EVs and Charging: A recent EPRI report said 95% of southern Californians would prefer to charge their EVs at home and 75% of them would pay a premium for faster charging. How do utilities accommodate that additional load without their distribution systems turning into the Fourth of July?

·         Customer Engagement: A recent JD Power and Associates survey found that fewer than one in six residential customers were aware of what their utilities were doing to implement Smart Grid and smart meters. Considering the blizzard of news about consumer (and regulatory) backlash, customer care is a critical item on utility Smart Grid agendas.

·         Microgrids: Late last year, a Bharatbook.com report said 3 GW of power would come from microgrids by 2015, the majority to serve institutional, commercial and community grids. And the U.S. Defense Department, which says the electric grid is too unreliable and vulnerable, is conducting microgrid demonstration projects.

How many utilities have the expertise they need to deal with all of these issues in-house? Especially the thousands of smaller utilities around the country? Although "learn by doing" has its place, it's not a good idea when millions of dollars are at stake. Or when making a mistake can mean turning out the lights for an entire community.

"Having top-notch consulting partners is the heart of the Springboard advantage,” notes Jesse Berst, GSE founder and founding editor of Smart Grid News. “Partners such as Altman Vilandrie & Co., Definitive Insights, Glarus Group, Horizon Energy Group and Information Resources have created a unique ‘a la carte experience’ for utilities to get guidance and an independent appraisal before moving ahead with large-scale projects."

Springboard experts currently offer quick, “just-in-time consulting” for:

·         Customer Engagement

·         Electric Vehicles

·         Optimization Research

·         Microgrids

·         Smart Grid Readiness

For utilities that need to ramp up their Smart Grid smarts fast, Smart Grid Springboard Readiness Seminars offer a wealth of information on the current state of Smart Grid adoptions, markets, planning and buildout, metering, security, communications and more.

We think it’s a terrific new way for utilities to get quick help at a cost they can afford. Even if we do (blatantly) say so ourselves. For more details, take a look at GSE's Springboard Services or email services@globalsmartenergy.com.

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