Power cache and the social network

Editor's note: This article by Carl Ford was originally posted on Smart-Grid.TMCnet.com. Follow the link to view the full article.  

Many of our readers come from the world of IP, so making an analogy about the Internet is not only familiar, but appropriate. Here are some similarities and why they are a good reference.

If there was a way for energy to be cached at home, in the utility and in the cloud it would benefit from the ability to tie into the social network. Aspects of our social communications could be used to deliver timely energy when we need it or better yet at the optimum price.

At the present time, the best that can happen is predictive systems for utility and not a consumer service.  On the infrastructure side, the use of battery systems to cache in the smart grid is being done by companies such as A123. A123 is currently deploying battery systems that are used as Ancillary Services that include Frequency Regulation and Spinning Reserves to the wholesale markets.

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