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Smart Grid TechnologyThe grid's dumbest component (and how to make it smart)
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Nov 1, 2011
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By Jesse Berst
What is the single dumbest electrical component? It's the load panel (the circuit breakers) in your home or office, which typically has a digital quotient of exactly zero. Even door locks are going digital more quickly.
An Israeli company wants to change that, and they've come a long way already. Computerized Electricity Systems (CES) stuffs the following functionality into its CES Smart Distribution Panel:
· A class 1 meter supporting up to eight tariffs. And not just a lump-sum meter for the whole panel, but a separate monitor for each and every circuit
· Two-way communication modules that support most popular standards
· Load control switches for each circuit (turn things on or off)
· Timers for each circuit (turn things on and off on a schedule)
· Surge protection and arc fault interrupter (AFI) for each circuit
· Phase balancing – distributing loads evenly across different phases (useful for electric vehicle charging)
This functionality can be accessed via an included software program (which is quite extensive), or via APIs from your own software.
The Smart Distribution Panel also has the ability to switch between different energy sources. It can switch seamlessly between grid power, storage, backup generation, or renewable energy (e.g. roof top solar). A property owner can program the CES software to choose the cheapest source of energy. It could, for instance, use rooftop solar when that is available, sell that solar to the grid when it has excess, and switch to batteries or to the grid as required, each time automatically calculating the least-cost source.
On top of the hardware, the company has built a software platform that includes much of the functionality of:
· Typical smart home software (turn on the lights upstairs, lower the electric lines, etc.)
· Building energy management software (in the event of a DR event, first or not the lowest priority devices, then the second lowest, then the third lowest, etc.)
· Demand response software (run a DR event at 3 PM, sending e-mails and text messages to all customers)
Go to the next page for more on the software and a schematic >>
| CES OEM Coordinates |
| Hi Jessy, Would it be possible to join the manufacturer of the CES solution you are describing? We are offering PQ&M solutions in the Eastern region of Canada and are constantly seeking the best solutions on the matter. A smarter panel with communication features sound interesting. Thank you for your help. Dan Boucher www.kwinet.ca C 514.708.2692 |
| Dan Boucher - 11/02/2011 - 06:58 |
| A Load Panel is Part of the Home Grid, not the Utility |
| Hello Jesse: I have several comments: 1) The load panel is not part of the utility distribution grid as it has no ownership associated with it. The meter is typically considered the point of demarcation (with exceptions being made to utility-owned DR equipment). That being said, I like the idea of delineating between the "utility grid" and the "home grid". I believe there are interesting strategies associated with managing each of these. 2) With respect to the load panel, it is unclear to me how the ability to monitor each circuit breaker will necessarily affect or influence a customer's specific energy efficiency or management decisions. Many customers do not know which appliances are run off what which circuit breaker; even when they do, they will not have the specific information associated with each plug or appliance. What are we trying to achieve by monitoring the individual circuits? 3) I have had extensive experience developing and implementing utility DSM and DR programs. By far the most difficult (and expensive) component is installing equipment inside a customer premise. Installing equipment at a load panel will represent significant time and expense (not to mention liability) for the the utility. I am a big fan of empowering customers to manage and monitor their own energy (or allowing utilities to do it for them assuming it creates value for them). Unfortunately, it seems like the industry is still searching for the business model/value propostion that makes sense. |
| David Mulder - 11/02/2011 - 07:23 |
| Comments |
| I truly like the “Smart Panel” idea but at the same time wonder if it will be variable solutions in the near future...I believe “Smart devices” are the way to go. Supporting tariff at panel level is great idea only if tariffs were straightforward, from what I understand many current tariffs are not simple to interpret and typically need the support from billing software to really come up with energy use calculations. As far as having separate circuit monitors, I have a feeling that sooner or later device/appliance manufactures will start embedding such monitor and control modules on their devices which are going to able to communicate straight to our HANs where a software application can do the energy aggregation and control among other unlimited functionalities that can be created with software. I’ll have to say I am impressed with its phase balancing capabilities but I wonder if this is only a solution for three phase sites. I just don’t see how it would work on a single phase sites unless these panels collectively talk to each other when trying to conduct phase balance. |
| Hisham Noman - 11/02/2011 - 08:31 |
| Smart Panelboards |
| Square D has been producing a smart panelboard (Powerlink G3 for example)for years. Each breaker is accessible by IP address and breaker current can be recorded via SCADA as well as some breakers can be controlled ON/OFF via TCIP commands. |
| Ted A Miller - 11/02/2011 - 08:44 |
| Addressing the real opportunity |
| This is certainly a step in the right direction. The real opportunity to monitor and manage our energy is on the other side of the smart meter from the smart grid. Just like PCs, the Internet and Cell Phones, the next big thing is going to be energy. From that respect this seems like an interesting idea to add to the mix. Some Likes & Issues: Likes: - taking advantage of power electronics to improve the safety, reliability and measurability with the load panel. - actually getting my smart meter readings with a standard end-user interface like Wi-Fi, and on a frequent enough interval (sub-cycle) to actually do meaningful monitoring, data mining, optimization and control. - providing automatic self-islanding so that I can actually use my solar or wind when the utility goes down. - total and branch circuit power monitoring data available to applications. Issues: - needs to be an open standard, not a supplier-proprietary solution. Intel is researching energy and microgrids and we want to create a total plug-n-play capability for everything on the user side of the smart-meter. - cyber-security appears to have been omitted. Do we really want script-kiddies, or nation states creating havok with a distributed attack to destabilize the entire grid with false price signals. Or criminals figuring out when you are home or not, which room you are not in etc. - price just doesn't seem reasonable. There's maybe $100 per month per household and you could maybe save $15-$30. If you split that with the homeowner, you end up with a seven year NPV of about $630. - this is a greenfield-focussed opportunity; how do you get to where you start retrofitting existing dwellings? Because until you do, the market will take forever to develop. Don't forget that housing starts are so bad that they have stopped counting them and started naming them :). - monitoring and controling branch circuits just does not meet the requirements for home control. It needs to be at the point-of-use (either integrated into the device/appliance, or the outlet). This is a crude competitor for home control dollars and unlikely to be accepted. - AC-centric. Where and how does this enable more efficient DC distribution. International standards are in process already, and when you introduce energy storage into a dwelling, you get 10% more energy available to you by eliminating the unnecessary conversions: PV(DC) to AC, AC to storage (DC), and then back to AC - 15% loss when it could be 5%. |
| Guy AlLee - 11/02/2011 - 08:53 |
| IP-Enablement |
| Hi Jesse, We looked at this issue several years ago here at Cisco and made the determination that it was more cost effective and could in time be more accurate to simply turn IP networks into a reporting platform for energy usage of IP-enabled devices. This is about when we released EnergyWise. While there are many situations where IP-enabling the electrical distribution in a building is useful (think manufacturing and retail where most energy goes to devices like HVAC, Lighting and PLC's). For the majority of industries today digital enablement is at an all time high and we are seeing more and more facilities assets becoming IP-enabled every day (UPS, Gensets, lighting, mechanical systems, etc.). The more IP-enablement you have the more energy data you can extract and the more you can save through IT control systems. Think of the implications of a smart grid operator providing automated demand response directly to the assets that use energy. This is particularly attractive for high density environments like labs and data centers. We are doing this work today and have a number of customers who have already implemented smart loads. You might consider an article on how smart grids will lead to smart loads - http://blogs.cisco.com/green/smart_loads_means_smart_grids In premise I agree with you on this article as it points out the true value of a smart grid cannot be realized without a smart load to interface with. Thanks. |
| Rob Aldrich - 11/02/2011 - 10:02 |
| The Big Issue |
| I think this panel is a great idea and I am glad someone is producing it. However the consumer is the sticking point, they don’t like Smart Meters because they think the utilities are spying on them and this seems more intrusive than a smart meter. The electric industry needs to overcome this fear consumers have about sharing their usage; until this happens very little data will be gathered from the consumer. |
| Andrew Horstman - 11/02/2011 - 11:03 |
| Focus on where the pain is! |
| The CES Smart Panel is ideal for the SMB's and the Commercial market where buying an expensive EMS system is cost prohibitive!. These customers are typically also paying for peak charges. Having the CES Smart Panel, all in one box energy mgt system is an ideal solution for them in managing effectively their energy consumption. Another source of pain is peak demand. The CES Panel, installed at the high end customers, those who creates the peak demand, is offering a fully aligned solution, guarantying sustainable DR to the utility while giving the customers the full freedom to choose how they want to shed their demand. |
| Shlomo Nimrodi - 11/04/2011 - 02:49 |
| The Power Of Energy Consumption Data |
| Another very powerful aspect that the CES Smart Panel brings to the market is the real time aspect of energy data collection. The panel monitor / control / collects real time data at the individual circuit breaker level. Just think about the application potential of all these data. This surely open up venues for new business models. The comment made by Andrew Horstman on the consumers concern of confidentiality of information, I see this similar to the mobile industry. The mobile carrier know today way too much about our call habits... some how we got over it. I believe electricity utilization is much less critical as far as confidentiality. The key is empowering the consumer... charging the customers TOU pricing without giving them a real tool on how to act in time of peak in not empowering! shutting down my AC to shed demand, even though I agreed once, is not empowerment! The Smart Meters are not really empowering the consumers since they dont address any of these effectively. The CES Smart Panel is presenting to the market an integrated solution with holistic approach, with possibility for real time consumer interaction and the longevity we should expect from a mission critical solution... managing electricity consumption. Happy to answer any questions (nimrodi.shlomo@c-e-systems.com) |
| Shlomo Nimrodi - 11/04/2011 - 03:24 |
| Smart Loadcenters and Panelboards |
| An interesting discussion, with a lot of good points made about value to the customer, smart devices vs. smart panels, retrofit costs, need for tariffs to support real-time pricing, etc… As mentioned above, this application is really pretty common in commercial markets. At Eaton we’ve been supplying similar systems into commercial (and industrial) markets for many years. K-12 and Multi-site retailing are two prime examples. Individual circuit monitoring, smart breakers to automatically turn lighting on/off based on time schedules, interfacing via IP based protocols to ‘smart devices’, integrated surge and ground fault, along with remote monitoring and management are functions we (and others) have been supplying customers for some time. The main differences here are plug-in breakers vs. bolt-on and the price/value to the end user. It’s much easier to show value to a multi-site retailer that owns 5,000 stores than to an individual home owner. And this is a homeowner value issue, not a Utility issue. We’ll be introducing some new products in this space in the upcoming months to address this growing market also. Should be fun to see how this market continues to develop! |
| Doug Dillie - 11/08/2011 - 07:56 |
| Intelligent Electrical Equipment |
| The innovations of the electrical industry are not well known by the average person, so when a product such as this is promoted it appears to be novel. But intelligent load panels have been available in the U.S. from leading electrical manufacturers since the 1990’s. Such equipment is now common in commercial, industrial, educational and government facilities. It has also been deployed in many residential projects. All the features described herein are nothing new. Panels with controllable circuit breakers, electronic metering, web servers, advanced control logic, time schedules, and communications using open, standard protocols are available today. This equipment is certified to nationally recognized product safety standards, allows for safe installation in accordance with building codes, and provides a compact and convenient way to meet energy codes. As both new technologies and needs emerge, the electrical industry is at the forefront. Work is well underway to provide intelligent electrical gear to manage alternative power sources, such as solar and wind, and to support new load types, such as electrical vehicle chargers. Manufacturers, utilities, contractors, inspectors and owners all volunteer their time to serve on standards committees so that these products will continue to be safe, compatible and effective as they evolve. Wide-scale adoption of smart technologies depends on the support of these standards, as well as the on-going commitment of the stakeholders. Leading manufacturers have already made significant investments in smart panel technologies and can leverage the economies of scale to make a more energy efficient future possible. The breakthrough actually occurred a long time ago. Why wait? |
| Drew Reid - 11/14/2011 - 12:55 |
| COULD THIS HAPPEN IF THE USA GOES TO WAR? |
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| Ronald Coblentz - 01/23/2012 - 00:25 |
| Eaton Smart Energy Management System |
| Doug Dillie posted about Eaton's SMES so I found a video clip at a trade show but can't seem to find any info on it (Zigbee based). Was supposed to launch at the end of last year... did this come and go? |
| Anthony Cotton - 08/11/2012 - 15:08 |
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