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Stimulus News and AnalysisClick here to read stimulus-related stories at Smart Grid Stimulus
NY Grid Can Handle Overnight PHEV ChargingIf New Yorkers want to charge their plug-in hybrid electric vehicles overnight, that won’t cause a problem for utilities. Or so says a report from NYISO. The study looks at the impact of the rise of electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, which will be available to consumers in significant numbers in the next few years, and which are expected to grow 2% by 2030. The report recommends technology and incentives to encourage favorable charging patterns. For example, lower rates at night would encourage charging during those hours, facilitated by Smart Grid, AMI technology, and wind generation. (In most areas, wind strength is higher at night.) Daytime charging, on the other hand, could require more costly power plants and strain the grid.
Quick Take: Of course, we can't count on people to voluntarily wake up at 2am to plug in their hybrids. That's why smart charging is essential for PHEV success, and why the pending smart charging standards are so essential.
Bernie Woodall’s report for Reuters
Grid-friendly Climate Change Bill Moves to the SenateThe climate change bill, also known as cap-and-trade or Waxman-Markley bill (for its sponsors), passed the House of Representatives but faces an uphill battle in the U.S. Senate. Some organizations oppose the bill, including the National Organization of Homebuilders, who feel the requirements of making homes 50 percent more efficient by 2014 are too much to ask. But others, including some environmental groups and Smart Grid advocates, praise the legislation for tackling greenhouse gas emissions for the first time in a federal bill and for encouraging grid modernization, respectively. In addition to the well-known cap-and-trade system of using tax incentives to curb greenhouse gas emissions, the bill provides incentives for Smart Grid deployments. However, the narrow passage of the bill (219-212) does not bode well for easy passage in the Senate. Quick Take: Among the Smart Grid–friendly provisions in the bill are goals for peak demand reduction that will encourage Smart Grid technology; electric vehicle infrastructure that includes Smart Grid integration; the inclusion of smart appliances in the EPA’s Energy Star program with appliance rebates; a renewable energy standard that will encourage Smart Grid deployment, which intermittent power sources like wind and solar require; and more.
Bill info including links to summary and full text
Microsoft has tossed its hat into the home energy management space, unveiling a Web-based application to help consumers manage their energy usage. Dubbed “Microsoft Hohm,” the tool claims to use advanced analytics licensed from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the DOE to give users recommendations for reducing energy consumption and saving money. Although the press release indicates the beta version is currently online for anyone to try, as of this writing the site itself asks for an email address where you can be notified when the prerelease version is available.
Quick Take: Microsoft again following Google’s lead. When will it develop its own strategy?
The Department of Energy has released its rules for applying for Smart Grid projects. A pair of Funding Opportunity Announcements sets out the procedures for applying for and receiving federal stimulus dollars for investment grants and demonstration projects. For the former, the DOE is offering $3.2 billion to make, buy, and install technologies and tools for commercial Smart Grid projects. In the case of the latter, $615 million will go to funding projects to demonstrate the technical, operational, and commercial feasibility of Smart Grid deployments. The full story, as well as PDF downloads of the FOA documents, are available at SmartGridStimulus.com.
Quick Take: See the SGN feature story linked below for a full analysis.
Funding announcements and downloads at Smart Grid Stimulus
SGN take on DOE Funding Opportunity Announcements
Jackson Associates has announced results in the first-ever detailed cost-benefit analysis of Smart Grid savings. The study looked at the impact of load control and pricing programs on hourly electric loads (such as air conditioning, water heating, and more) from more than 800,000 residential and commercial utility customers to determine the impact on utilities. The results varied widely among the 200 U.S. utilities involved in the study, with savings ranging from negative numbers to $3.2 billion. Among other things, the study concludes that one out of ten utilities may lose money with a comprehensive Smart Grid system. The analysis also reports that the cost-benefit ratio of comprehensive Smart Grid systems depends on a complicated mix of factors such as dwelling unit age and size. But targeted, strategic technology deployments can significantly increase cost-benefit ratios. Quick Take: Without commenting on the study’s accuracy, this is what is needed —a cost-benefit analysis for the Smart Grid. In fact, many more such studies are needed. We think the study’s conclusions will draw some negative review from those supporting Smart Grid efforts and will be used extensively by consumer advocates to fight Smart Grid expenditures. Support for Smart Grid expenditures will be in the details and the systems engineering that can improve these results, but don’t expect opponents to acknowledge that.
AT&T has struck a deal with Cooper Power Systems to jointly market and sell two of Cooper’s Smart Grid sensor devices. The first, Outage Advisor, helps utilities locate problems in electrical lines, while the second, VARAdvisor, provides an alternative to manual inspection of equipment that controls voltage supplied to customers, helping to save money by reducing on-site inspections. Both products are certified on AT&T’s wireless network. Quick Take: AT&T has been working a long time with Smart Synch, but went public in March. Now, by working with Cooper to market sensor products, AT&T expands the range of Smart Grid tools and services it can offer utility customers.
Demand response king Comverge and smart meter maker Itron announced they have successfully integrated two of their leading products. Combining Comverge’s Web-based demand management platform Apollo and Itron’s OpenWay metering solution enables real-time, two-way, interactive communication between a utility and its customers. The integrated system uses the ZigBee Smart Energy Profile within the home area network (HAN), eliminating the need for broadband communication with the utility. Comverge and Itron claim that the integration will help utilities expand programs for energy efficiency and demand response. Quick Take: Itron needed this. We have been reading a number of negative comments from Wall Street analysts, and Itron partnering is smart.
Global Smart Energy, the company that publishes SmartGridNews.com, has launched a new site covering the impact of the ARRA on the Smart Grid. Smartgridstimulus.com will cover all things stimulus —including toolkits, policy updates, RFP’s, Department of Energy guidance, awards, and discussion threads where teams can find each other. “With the allocation of many billions of dollars of stimulus funding to the Smart Grid, and the upcoming Department of Energy Funding Opportunity Announcements, readers need even more specialized content to help them find funding, projects and partners,” said Founding Editor Jesse Berst.
eMeter has announced Energy Engage, a Web portal for home energy management, that it hopes will convince users to make changes to reduce their power consumption. Chosen for a pilot study by PowerCentsDC, a public-private partnership backed by Pepco and Washington, D.C., regulators, Energy Engage hopes to surmount the challenge of changing customer behavior by providing a variety of tools such as text and email alerts, expert advice, and community pressure in the form of views about how energy consumption compares to others in the neighborhood. Like competitors Google Power Meter and GreenBox, Energy Engage is an online service that is free to customers and offers “detailed yet digestible” information on energy use. But it tries to go them one better by incorporating Web 2.0 technology and behavioral science. Quick Take: Just another reminder about how this is just about “data”’ The next question is: Who will convert this data to actionable knowledge?
Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) has chosen Silver Spring Networks to assist in its “Smart Capital” program, which will bring Smart Grid advantages to some 600,000 homes and businesses in California’s Sacramento county. The program includes distribution automation, home area networking, and tools and information to help customers manage their energy use. In addition, it will provide the utility greater information about its service area, which is expected to improve efficiency and reliability. Silver Spring’s role will be to provide wireless network communications, software, and service. Deployment is expected to begin next month and to be completed by March, 2011.
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