Smart grid sensors at the beginning of an upswing

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Quick Take: Everything I hear tells me we are in the early days of a massive sensing and monitoring rollout. Prices are beginning to drop to the point we can consider monitoring virtually any device, anywhere, as highlighted by the product announced below. â€“ Jesse Berst

On-Ramp Wireless has made a new contribution to the growing smart grid optimization monitoring and sensing market with the introduction of its certified smart grid and infrastructure monitoring and automatic alarm notification device.

On-Ramp's Remote Monitoring Unit (RMU), in its first deployment, provides 24/7 monitoring and providing alarm notification messaging for solar-powered and line-powered obstruction warning lights in electric transmission towers, cell towers and other structures. The warning lights, which are required by the FAA, can be a spendy and time-consuming proposition when it comes to maintenance, particularly when they're located in remote or hard to get at locations. The RMU allows companies and organization to drop manual monitoring, quickly provide mandatory FAA notifications and, of course, cut expenses.

The rugged units are flexible in that they can be used to "smart enable" any digital or analog sensor, which allows fast monitoring of deployed equipment  on the company's Ultra-Link Processing â„¢ wireless system. The RMUs also include intrusion detection, battery backup for continued alarm notifications during outages and other features.

Jesse Berst is the founder and chief analyst of Smart Grid News.com. He consults to smart grid companies seeking market entry advice and M&A advisory. A frequent keynoter at industry events in the US and abroad, he also serves on the Advisory Council of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Energy & Environment directorate.

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