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Wireless mesh networks taking off. A form of WiFi called wireless mesh networks (WSNs) may be gaining momentum as an important communications platform for the Smart Grid, On World predicts utilities will spend $1.6B through 2011 on WSNs. Their 125-page report, titled WSN for AMI & Demand Response focuses on advanced metering and demand response application of WSN technology. The report is $999 for a single user license.
QuickTake: There are also numerous applications for WSN beyond metering and DR, including remote monitoring and in-home networks -- one of the reasons SGN has been predicting for some time that WSN will be one of the communications winners. A number of companies are offering WSN as listed below.
On World ordering page
Telepath web site
Firetide web site
Sensicast web site
Choosing between BPL and WiFi for the Smart Grid. Communications technologies are required to make a grid smart by providing two-way communications and remote access. Two Booz-Hamilton consultants recently published a thorough analysis of communications issues in Utility Products titled Touch, Reach, Digitize: Are utilities looking hard enough at Smart Grid’s communications backbone? The article points out advanced metering and communications are the two largest investment costs utilities must recover to start the Smart Grid build-out. It asserts that utilities will plug into commercially available fiber communications to close the “fiber gap.” It concludes that either a BPL or an integrated Wireless system (combining two or more discrete wireless platforms) can deliver the functionality to enable the potential of Smart Grid. Although agreeing that wireless is easier and cheaper to install, the report says that BPL is the preferred solution as it operates “through the wire.”
QuickTake: We disagree with this conclusion. BPL has a multitude of issues, including its unavailability during blackouts and disasters when needed most. Readers should revisit the recent SGN article on why the City of Burbank chose WiFi over BPL. Readers should also look at the Spotlight article in this edition about a powerline communications technology from PCN Technology.
Utility Product article
SGN article on City of Burbank
GIS guidelines for utilities. A new book from ESRI Press provides a detailed business case for utilities using geographic information systems (GIS) to map electric and gas pipelines. Empowering Electric and Gas Utilities with GIS documents how GIS can assist in operations, logistics, customer service and even placing new generation facilities. The author, Bill Meehan, was formerly vice president of electric operations at NSTAR, Massachusetts' largest investor-owned electric and gas utility and responsible for implementation of the GIS at the utility. The book is 280 pages and costs $34.95
QuickTake: We are now beyond the "should we" stage that preoccupied us in the early 2000s. It is revealing to see so much being published now on "how do we" implement the Smart Grid.
Purchase book from ESRI Press
Integrating renewables with the grid. A recently released renewable energy conversion brochure addresses manufacturers' and installers' challenges in ensuring the compatibility of photovoltaic, wind, and fuel cell power systems with international power quality standards and local utility requirements. The brochure also proposes solutions for the reduction of electromagnetic interferences (EMI) both towards the grid and towards the solar panel, as well as provides information on mitigating harmonics. The title is Renewable Energy Conversion - Grid Compliance and Reliability for Renewable Energy Systems.
QuickTake: Published by Schaffner, a provider of electromagnetic compatibility and power quality solutions, the free brochure can provide utilities with an overview of the requirements for integrating renewables to the grid. It is available by clicking the link below to email a request to the manufacturer.
Email Schaffner for a copy
Guidance for investing in U.S. renewables. Recent research published by Packaged Facts provides insight into renewables as an investment in the U.S. Titled Renewable Energy Investment in the US, the report costs $3250 and analyzes each sector (solar, wind, biofuels, fuel cells, hydro, geothermal, wave/tidal, biomass/biogas) with additional analysis on what it calls alternative vehicles.
Table of contents and ordering information at Infoshop
| BPL for Smart Grid |
| I agree fully with the conclusion that BPL will not be the predominant solution for Smart Grid communications. I studied, piloted, and evaluated BPL for five years at the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative and concluded that BPL will not be a viable solution for a wide variety of reasons. |
| Steven E Collier - 12/05/2007 - 13:33 |
| Re: BPL for Smart Grid |
| I would be very interested in learning more about what led you (i.e. Steven Collier) to conclude that BPL would not be viable. There's nothing like the feedback from someone who is not a vendor of BPL or a competing technology to provide some insight. |
| Marzio Pozzuoli - 12/12/2007 - 07:39 |
| BPL for smart grid |
| There are three significant drawbacks one being potentially fatal. The problems with using BPL to backhaul data are cost of fiber, installation labour cost and the third and fatal flaw is that should a fault occur on the conductor that the BPL services is provided all data would be cut off rendered usless. |
| James Eades - 12/12/2007 - 20:41 |
| BPL for Smart Grid |
| So, one can choose to believe industry leading utility consultants Booz Hamilto and IBM, who identify and detail their support of BPL as the best overall Smart Grid communications alternative via published white papers, along with the leading Morgan Stanley utility industry analyst, or, we can believe the naysayers. Now what were their credentials again? Maybe the anti-BPL crowd needs to spend some time in Texas, where the only 2 major AMI/Smart Grid deployments so far in the country are both merrily rolling out BPL. Join with DirecTV top brass, who will also be there in January. They'll be showcasing their wares thru the fat BPL broadband pipe, with blackout emergency battery pack backup, and with speeds soon to be upgraded to 400Mbps. Be sure to check in on the BPL powered Direct Response project there also. And by the way, how come nobody clarifys how wifi/mesh performs smart grid functions on the underground urban segment of a smart grid deployment, or in a suburban development where the homes have installed aluminum foil backed insulation? You know, communities also don't like to see new utiliy poles with their spaghetti overhead strung wiring and occasional exploding transformer, and prefer to run them underground. As for the arguably high cost/benefits of BPL, well, the PUC's and recently Bush signed Smart Grid Energy Bill provisions are all for funding support for the green savings and integrated grid efficiencies BPL now demonstrably provides. |
| Ann Strombelik - 12/23/2007 - 15:18 |
| BPL Smart Grid? |
| Ann I think yours and the BPLs communitys definition of smart grid falls short. Specifically on the actual needs of the energy distributors, and that is increasing the quality of power by being able to monitor and identify pending faults on individual assets on the distribution grid, such as fuses, transformers, insulators and cables etc. My definition of a smart grid is one that is efficient and reduces SAIDI, SAIFI, CAIDI and overall CMOS levels, BPL may be great for AMI, monitoring load and delivering broadband and television but when it comes to monitoring individual assets in fault conditions it fails because it is not autonomous from the grid. Wireless networks on the other hand can provide safe and effective condition based asset monitoring to any apparatus on the grid, they can also provide AMI services for electric, gas and water utilities simultaneously and the ROI can be realised the day they are installed not decades. As for the BPL/AMI networks in Texas, I think the jury is still out on this one and others, but I can tell you we liked the business model in Texas so much we adapted it and expanded it to a wireless platform that can be rolled out 100 times faster at fractional costs than BPL/AMI strategies, it also goes well beyond the grid to generate new recurring revenues and does not need to be federally funded or subsidised. As far as my credentials, 25 years SR. exec in LAN, WAN and wireless communications development and operator of metro and global fiber optic IP networks |
| James Eades - 01/06/2008 - 20:43 |
| BPL for Smart Grid |
| Tom, Thank you for your definition of Smart Grid from your vantage point as an experienced Wireless industry person. Here is another definition and its solution as stated recently by Jay Stinson, Vice President at Intergraph Corporation, General Manager of Intergraphs Global Utilities and Communications Division. "It (Smart Grid) refers to integrating communications networks with the transmission and distribution power grid to create an electricity communications superhighway capable of monitoring its own health and perform self-healing, as well as more efficient trouble notification. SmartGrid software systems integrate data, equipment and associated process changes brought about by existing investments in advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), broadband over powerline (BPL) and distribution automation (DA). Also, please add KEMA to the IBM and Booz Allen Hamilton list of top shelf utility consultants who recommend BPL as the best overall backhaul solution as measured against competing technologies, Their readily available papers should be reviewed before denigrating BPL. No doubt they are well versed with the full range of pros and cons for each, and have fully considered your negative arguments and others re cost of fiber, installation costs, fault occasions, battery backup etc. As you can see from the twin 1/29/08 Smart Grid articles on Xcel Energy and Current Smart Grid, though no longer specifically mentioned, BPL in 2008 is now both common and mainstream. Ann Strombelik |
| Ann Strombelik - 01/30/2008 - 14:05 |
| Echelon's Smart Grid being rolled out by Duke |
| for their "Utility of Future" and as used in EU by ENEL with 27million homes being serviced has been accepted in EU as the "best" solution..they use BP and their open source allows multiple vendors and solutions...This site needs more articles and research into this about to become dominating technology.. |
| kenneth bertram - 03/01/2008 - 16:50 |
| Bertram's comment about BPL |
| Mr Betram, I can assure you that is the one thing this site will not become -- a tout for a particular technology or vendor. |
| Philip Bane - 03/02/2008 - 05:31 |
| Status of Smart Grid Initiatives in Europe |
| I noted Kenneth Bertram referred to "smart utility" or "smart grid" initiatives taken by ENEL in Italy. Can he or another discussant provide more information on which countries in Europe are in the lead in implementing "smart grid" programs? Have those countries introduced regulatory regimes that reward utilities for reduced power sales? If so, what form do those rewards or incentives take? |
| Gayle Jackson - 03/03/2008 - 10:06 |
| Bertram's comment about ENEL |
| True, ENEL was the first to use PLC on a mass scale and has the advantage of having evaluated the technology for quite a few years. However, this is narrowband PLC technology. (Echelon is a narrowband PLC vendor.) How is this the "best" solution for "smart grid" when the bandwidth can only support simple meter reading functions? |
| Julia Kim - 03/06/2008 - 01:16 |
| Smart grid.. |
| two responses are appropriate..Phillip..thank you for not entertaining this blog for only one technology..precisely why I brought up a competing technology to those you discussed! Not including the technology used by ENEl in 27 million homes or in numerous other countries in EU (which is far advanced in mandated energy efficiency) and will be center piece of Duke initiative is a serious omission. Second response is to "narrow" bandwidth..go to Echelon website and you will find that there is little need for greater bandwidth...Data is shared inside home or business essentially like Internet rather than central hub...BLP,RF have notable problems with interference from machinery, lots of steel or other emergency,cb radio channels...Duke has essentially "dumped" BLP in favor of the NES echelon metering solution. |
| kenneth bertram - 03/15/2008 - 15:54 |
| Question to Kenneth Bertram about Bandwidth |
| Kenneth, I've looked at Echelon's website trying to find where they show that there is little need for greater bandwidth, but I couldn't find it there. Can you please point out where in their website this is explained? Thanks. |
| Ed Halperin - 04/03/2008 - 00:16 |
| Connectivity for smart grid. |
| Will someone explain dispassionately why the choice for connectivity comes down to BPL or wireless -- both technologies which have notable fragilities? There's a lot of fiber-to-the-premises out there in telephone and cable networks which could carry plenty of data from adjacent electric plants all the way to and from residential electric meters. Such data carriage would be financial "gravy" for the providers and would help make their projects far more robust. |
| Steven R. Rivkin - 04/07/2008 - 11:47 |
| Future of BPL for Smart Grid apps |
| May I suggest another way to answer the question about the future of BPL in Smart Grid applications. At the beginning, there are the services and smart grid applications to be provided."What is the bandwidth needed?" is one question, but more important is "do I want to operate a service remotely, change the configuration of devices and sensors?" "do I need to download software upgrades through my telecom network?" "do I need a permanent connection to the devices and sensors?" etc... Answers to these questions will define the main characteristics of the communication network to be deployed for each smart grid project. Then the relevant and optimized network will be a mix of technologies (backbone, point to point connections with the backbone, local loop and last mile), each technology being adapted to the services to be provided and to the environment. As the Smart Grid market is not yet mature, it is difficult to foresee what will be the most popular applications. My guess is that these applications will more and more require a permanent connection to the IP network and the ability to operate services remotely. By this extend all technologies (including BPL) that can fit these needs have a future for Smart Grid applications. And the actual future of the BPL technology depends also on the reliability of the BPL suppliers, the competence of BPL integrators and contractors, the permanence and evolution of the technology... Last point: if BPL is not always mandatory for applications to be deployed short term, it appears necessary for further evolutions: the utility has then to choose between a lower cost network with a shorter life or a higher investment at the begining for a higher evolution capability. As a summary, BPL has a greater future for value driven smart grid deployments rather than for cost driven smart grid deployments. |
| eric morel - 04/18/2008 - 07:50 |
| BPL Advanced |
| I have been studying BPL technology (low frequency under 35mhz) for two (2) years now and G-line technology (high frequency above 80mhz) for 1yr. I see many people missing the point with BPL. As with any technology, it takes time to mature and engineers to resolve technical issues (remember how long it took most people to realize that Microsoft really did us a dis-service with Windows. Apple is by far a better product). That said I’m confident all the technical interference issues have been resolved with BPL now that filters, couplers and frequency notching equipment is available. Fiber (FTTH or FTTN) is not a viable option for any Telco, but the largest (AT&T, Verizon, etc.). The cost even though coming down, is still prohibitive as a solution and will never be the answer for eliminating the digital divide. That is why Femtocell, Nanotechnology and many other Copper Ethernet and wireless technologies are being vigorously pursued. Everyone wants to solve the last mile problem with a cost effective solution. What I see many people missing, proponents and adversaries of BPL, is the fact that with BPL it is truly the one (1) wire solution. In any environment (government, residential, commercial, industrial) you have to run an electric line. The electrical poles are used to provide electricity, telephone, cable TV and security wiring. Just imagine if all this can be done on one cable? Just the savings on pre-construction cabling cost alone would be astronomical! As a former owner of a cabling company (voice/data/fiber/CCTV) I know what this can translate into. This is the selling point of BPL! Thing of the cost savings to mobile cell companies that can reduce all these towers? Not to mention the fact that we are already polluting the airwaves with far too much EMF and still can’t get coverage in many areas. Primarily in countries where the telecom market is just developing, BPL is the answer. Competition is a necessary condition but it may not be sufficient to accelerate the required investment in advance of demand. What is needed is for the respective government’s to “Re-Distribute” the Broadband services utilizing the preferred medium of BPL. Existing license holders (wireless, cable and internet providers) will need to be “encouraged to now provide their services utilizing the governments “Grid”. As such, the respective governments and/or owners of the “Grid” will now become the backbone providers of all broadband services in the country. All the Grid management software now available will have to also be a part of the solution. Meter management, load balancing, theft detection, transformer monitoring and network management are all commercially solutions with the BPL service. Keep in mind; I am a proponent of the one (1) wire solution. |
| Glen Taylor - 05/11/2008 - 12:19 |
| Expectations |
| Glen Taylor said as I understand. It´s natural to expect that cables used to transmit energy will be used to transmit data. But one of the most important problems for energy distributors is: 1 governmental rules to enhance attractiveness for energy companies to invest or share its infrastructure. This can be achievd by tax incentives and other regulation changes to permit and also to reduce the payback time: 2 There must have a set of standards to increase competition between solution providers, like ice6850, for exemple, to avoid proprietary solution on modulation, signal processing, protocols, interfaces, etc. Here in the company we provide energy for 2,1 million costumers. We have an evaluation project using smart meters (TWACS) for 3000 costumers. It seems interesting, but almost everything is based on proprietary solutions, and it takes out the perspective for other applications using this communication infrastructure. Calculated payback time is attractive, but this absence of other possibly usages is a little bit "depressing". Here there´s a discution with regulator (ANEEL) for some regulamentory changes to reduce payback time, some ideias like "the smart metering equipments and communications stuff will have its full depreciation in 5 years." |
| Rodrigo C. Andrade - 12/01/2008 - 05:21 |
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