Smart grid trend alert: Smart appliances will soon proliferate

One way to get a sense of the future is to watch companies that provide enabling technology. Chipmakers are a great example, since they provide building blocks on top of which other companies build products. A recent announcement from chipmaker NXP tells me that 2011 and 2012 will see a rush of devices that can measure and report their own power use. . We often talk about the future smart grid as an end-to-end network, from generation all the way down to individual devices. In reality, however, very little end-user equipment is smart grid ready.

That may soon change, thanks in part to a new chip from NXP, the Dutch firm that makes (among other things) ARM processors. NXP’s EM773 is an integrated circuit (IC) with built-in metrology. It is not intended for the revenue meters on the sides of customer premises. Instead, it is meant to be built into devices to allow them to self-report.

NXP claims several things make the EM773 unique:

·         Built in metrology engine that can measure voltage, current, phase difference, power factor, reactive power, harmonic distortion and more

·         Built in microprocessor for communications (can you say ZigBee?) or for small apps that run on the device

·         Software APIs that make it simple to access the metrology data

·         A fully operational demo design customers can use as a starting point

·         Smart plugs

·         Submetering for industrial and commercial equipment

·         Servers

·         PCs

·         Air-conditioners

·         Freezers and refrigerators

·         Industrial motors and equipment

A world of power-savvy devices opens up vast new possibilities for the many companies that have started to circle the smart grid in search of killer applications.

• Industrial energy management companies such as PowerIt Solutions
• Demand response companies such as EnerNOC and Comverge
• Home energy management hopefuls such as Google PowerMeter, Microsoft Hohm, and TED (The Energy Detective)
• Home automation companies such as Control4

And let’s not forget about utilities who want to give their customers more and better information about their energy consumption. Already drowning in smart meter data, they may soon be getting data at the device level, at least from their biggest customers.

Most observers talk about smart appliances in the home (and a few manufacturers have already started building such devices). In reality, the first widespread rollouts will occur in commercial and industrial settings. That is where you find power-hungry devices. And that is where customers have a bottom-line motivation to reduce energy usage.

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