Microsoft Rolls Out More Smart Grid Technology

Microsoft this week launched what it’s calling software architecture for the “integrated utility of the future.” The Microsoft Smart Energy Reference Architecture (SERA) is designed to help utilities integrate business protocols and IT with the Smart Grid technologies they’ll be adopting as stimulus funds ramp up smart meter rollouts and other grid-related initiatives around the country.

"Utility industry executives who are concerned about changing their business models to ones that enable a smarter energy ecosystem will view Microsoft as a partner of choice because of its current strengths within their technology regimes as well as our solutions' adaptability to future, sometimes unknown, conditions and business environment needs," said Larry Cochrane, a utilities technology strategist/architect at Microsoft.

Microsoft suggests SERA will help thousands of smart devices seamlessly plug into the grid thanks to common standards and interoperability frameworks, just as the plug-and-play model allows thousands of devices to seamlessly plug into PCs.

A number of key players are endorsing Microsoft SERA, including AREVA, ESRI, Itron and utility systems integrator Accenture.

“Microsoft’s reference architecture provides an end-to-end solution that can position utilities to take operational performance and customer response to a higher level,” noted Greg Guthridge, utilities customer service practice lead at Accenture. “Their integrated architecture leverages proven Microsoft platforms to support new smart processes and customer support capabilities. Innovative solutions, especially in the area of visualization and analytics, support important new capabilities in a smart-enabled energy services organization.”

SERA represents Microsoft’s second foray into the Smart Grid technology space in recent months. Its first was Microsoft Hohm, an online application to help utility customers get insight into their energy use.

   Quick Take: In a recent blog post on SGN (linked below), Jack Danahy wrote about the coming Smart Grid data surge and the incredible volume of information that will be flowing between end users and utilities. If Microsoft and its partners – or anyone else for that matter – can smooth the transition, more power to them.

More on Microsoft Smart Grid technologies:

   Microsoft SERA press release

   Microsoft Hohm energy monitoring tool on SGN

   The Coming Smart Grid Data Surge