Tropos: WiFi for the Smart Grid #techno #wifi #us

Les fournisseurs wifi des municipalités deployent des projets de smart Grid qui assure la liaison entre des quartiers de compteurs intelligents et le reseau des utilities

14/04/2009

The long-time municipal WiFi provider is making a push into networking utility smart grid projects, providing the link between neighborhood smart meter networks and utility "backhaul" networks.

A city that has installed its own WiFi network might as well let its municipal utility use it. That's the logic behind Tropos Networks‘ growth into the smart grid business.

The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based municipal WiFi networking startup has seen a number utilities use the networks it has installed over the years, including as a way to link the devices that aggregate data from thousands of two-way communicating "smart meters" with the utilities' back-office systems.

Given that those smart meters are now being installed in the millions, that's a growth business. That's where Tropos' GridCom architecture – the name Tropos has given for its utility-specific offering – comes in.

But while GridCom was officially unveiled Tuesday, working with utilities is something Tropos has been doing for quite awhile, said Rob Pilgrim, vice president of business and corporate development.

"We've seen it become a significant percentage of our business, and it's a huge proportion of our pipeline," he said. Tropos now has about a dozen utilities using its WiFi networks for so-called smart meter aggregation, he said.

While WiFi is seen as too expensive and power-hungry to serve as a cost-effective communications technology for individual meters, it does make sense as an aggregation network in denser, more urban areas, said Ben Schuman, an analyst with Pacific Crest Securities.

Denise Barton, Tropos' marketing director, said the company has partnerships with major smart meter makers Itron, Elster and Echelon, and is serving about 300,000 meters today, a number that's expected to climb to 1 million by year's end, said

The few utilities Tropos has named as customers are municipal utilities, including Anderson (Ind.) Municipal Light and Power, Lafayette (La.) Utilities System and Burbank (Calif.) Water and Power (see Reading Electric Meters Wirelessly).

But at least two of its utility customers are outside the United States, and several are larger investor-owned utilities, some with plans to install millions of meters, Pilgrim said.

He wouldn't name those utilities, but it's possible that Duke Energy may be one.

David Mohler, Duke's chief technology officer, has told Greentech Media that Duke is planning to include WiFi in its suite of technologies to link smart meters with the utility, though he wouldn't say which company was providing the WiFi service.

Of course, Duke and other utilities are also looking at a host of other communications technologies to bridge the gap between smart meter aggregators and utility "backhaul" networks.

Take cellular networks. KORE Telematics uses AT&T's wireless network to connect the 800,000 smart meters being installed by utility Arizona Public Service to the utility's "backhaul" system. Verizon is working with Duke on a similar project, and has been working with Itron for some time to fill that need (see Green Light post).

And AT&T is working with smart meter networking company SmartSynch to bring communications directly to smart meters (see Your Electrical Meter Becomes a Cell Phone).

Then there's WiMax, the powerful, long-range wireless technology that is being deployed by a Sprint-Clearwire partnership aimed at building a nationwide network.

While no utilities have opted to use that network, General Electric is deploying its own WiMax-based aggregator-to-utility backhaul network for CenterPoint Energy in Texas (see GE Offers WiMax Smart Meter Solution).

Grid Net, a San Francisco startup that makes WiMax Internet routers for smart meters made by GE, is hoping to see its system taken up by utilities including SP AusNet and Energy Australia in Australia and American Electric Power (AEP) and Consumers Energy in the United States, a spokeswoman said last month.

Broadband over powerline - a technology for carrying data over transmission lines - is also being deployed as a way to carry meter data back to utilities (see Broadband Over Powerline Brings Smart Grid to Rural Areas).

And Hughes Network Systems is now offering its combination satellite and land-based communications network to utilities, though it isn't concentrating on linking smart meters (see Hughes Offers Utility Communications).

Of course, it's possible that other companies in the municipal WiFi field may see the same utility opportunities that Tropos is pursuing - and Cisco Systems has been building municipal WiFi networks since 2005.

Cisco has already announced plans to incorporate energy management features into WiFi access points and other devices within buildings, and could see outdoor WiFi networks as another opportunity (see Cisco Jumps Into Energy Management for Computers, Buildings).

In fact, in 2006 Cisco was picked by Cellnet Technology (now part of smart meter maker Landis+Gyr) to provide WiFi mesh technology for a Madison, Wisc. project called Mad City Broadband that included wireless meter reading.

While Schuman said he wasn't aware of a big push into utility networking by other municipal WiFi developers, including Cisco, the networking giant "can always wait and see where markets develop, and then buy in later."

Tropos' Pilgrim conceded that Cisco could move aggressively into the field, but said he believed Tropos has developed technology that's better suited for outdoor applications.

Tropos has received investments from Benchmark Capital, Boston Millennia Partners, Integral Capital Partners, the Intel Communications Fund, Duff Ackerman & Goodrich, Hanna Ventures, Siemens Venture Capital, Voyager Capital and WK Technology Fund.

While Tropos would not say how much total investment it has received, news sources have stated that Tropos had received $9.3 million as of June 2003, and $28.5 million as of September 2005.

http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/tropos-wifi-for-the-smart-grid-6037.html

Smart meter delay may hinder 2020 green target #market #uk

Les services publics du Royaume-Uni mettent en garde des retards dans l'ajustement de la technologie des smartmetering. Les objectifs en matières de changement climatique prevu pour 2020 pourrait être retardé de 4 ans.

LONDON (Reuters) - Smart meters are set to make estimated energy bills a thing of the past, but utilities are warning that delays in fitting the technology could hinder the country's progress in hitting its 2020 climate change targets.

Some industry players claim that unless ministers allow firms to begin work soon, the UK could even miss 2020 by four years.

They also say government funding may be needed to meet the estimated 6-12 billion pounds cost.

"There is a target, but the problem is that the starting gun hasn't been fired," the director of smart metering for British Gas, Petter Allison, said.

Smart meters provide data on energy use, allowing utilities to send customers accurate bills without using traditional metre readers.

The government aims to install the meters by 2020, the same year in which ministers are trying to meet a target of generating 15 percent of energy from renewable sources.

Experts say the technology will help Britain achieve its goal by allowing people to cut their energy use, reducing the need for new power stations and wind farms.

Millions of households in other countries already have the meters -- Italy fitted 30 million in four years -- but the UK has yet to decide how best to fit the 47 million needed in homes and businesses.

Ministers approved the principle of the rollout last year, but an announcement about how it would be done is still awaited.

British Gas, owned by Centrica, wants a structure allowing utilities to fit and run them for their existing customers, backed up by a central communications system.

It said an alternative system being considered, under which new regional franchises would do the work, could stall the process and put it back four years.

"If (the government) chooses the regulated way, with bids for regions, then everything would stop because we don't know who would be doing what," Allison said. "We can make up delays, but we just need them to make a decision."

FUNDING

Utility support service group Spice, which fits water meters in homes and businesses, said government support may be needed to offset potential funding difficulties.

Chief Executive Simon Rigby said smaller energy firms may be reluctant to invest in fitting meters for customers, only to see them switch to a rival supplier later.

"The pay-back is sketchy at best," he said. "Smart meters can't come soon enough, but I think they're years away."

The Energy Retail Association (ERA), a body representing utility firms, said it was keen to see the meters rolled out as soon as possible and was expecting a decision "fairly soon".

"Timing is of the essence," a spokeswoman said. "Companies are keen to get this programme off the ground because the 2020 deadline is fast approaching."

A spokeswoman for the Department for Energy & Climate Change (DECC) said the aim to complete the metre rollout by 2020 was realistic. "That's what we're hoping to achieve."

"We're confident, which is why we need to make the right decisions so it can be done within the timescale," she said.

"It (involves) a massive overhaul in every house, so it needs to be done correctly."

She said ministers hoped to publish a consultation document in the next couple of months.

The document will set out options including whether energy companies should do it in their areas, whether it should be done by third parties on a regional or national basis, and the type of communication system needed.

Ian Parrett, an analyst at energy consultancy Inenco, said ministers needed to encourage industry co-operation in fitting the meters, rather than setting targets and penalising firms if they fail to meet them.

Ensuring homes and businesses used them to control their energy use was as important as fitting them, he added.

"It's all very well installing the meters, but if you don't use the information (they provide), it won't make any difference."

http://uk.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUKTRE53134720090402?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0

02/04/2009

10 Monitoring Tools Bringing Smart Energy Home #product

L'année 2009 sera l'année de lancement des displays sans fil

Thanks to funds from the stimulus package and renewed attention to energy savings, 2009 is the year companies are planning to launch wireless energy dashboards that will sit in your home, monitor energy data from your electricity meter and let you know if you’re being an energy hog. While tech firms have been trying to sell you on the “digital home” for years — complete with wireless networks that can do everything from control your entertainment equipment to operate high-tech security systems to roast a chicken — the new energy management firms are keeping it simple by using low-cost hardware and open standards to monitor energy data.

This year is particularly important to these mostly young companies, as President Obama has pledged to help utilities install 40 million more smart meters (basically digital meters that create a 2-way connection with the power grid and the utility). Smart meters installed at homes can unleash data about the fluctuating price of electricity throughout the day, enabling consumers that have energy management tools to shift energy consumption to the time of day when power is cheapest. For utilities, that can mean better management of the power grid and eliminate the need to build out expensive power generating systems.

A half-dozen companies are launching their first energy dashboards this year, and a few others are starting to gain traction with already available online tools. One of the biggest differences between these firms is whether companies will sell directly to the consumer or to utility partners for upcoming smart meter rollouts. Several of the already-available options for consumers bypass smart meters and utilities and just help the interested consumer with a standard electricity meter. They’re cheap and available online, but they provide less detailed data.

The utility-focused tools use smart meter info to provide a deeper dive into energy analysis and can even control smart appliances for utilities to implement demand response events. But the drawback of such tools is that you’ll need a lot of patience and a little luck. To get hooked up with one of these tools, you’ll need to be in the footprint of a utility that’s rolling out smart meters, and at this point less than 6 percent of the U.S. population has a smart meter.

EnergyHub: EnergyHub makes a high-end energy dashboard that will offer Google Docs-style spreadsheets and graphs of resource use. EnergyHub recently raised Series A funding and says it’s working on a 50-home pilot trial in an East Coast city with a yet-to-be-named utility. The device will be sold direct to consumers online and through utilities. Available: Mid-2009.

Tendril: Tendril sells a combo of energy management services, including a wireless in-home energy display, a smart thermostat, a web-based energy portal, smart outlets and cell phone apps that can help homeowners diagnose and cut energy consumption. While the startup, which raised $12 million in Series B funding earlier this year, is now offering its tools to utilities, it’s also considering a direct-to-consumer approach. Available: Now, to utilities

Onzo: London-based Onzo makes a slick-looking energy display and wireless sensor kit that runs on energy harvested from the home electrical cable. The startup has raised £2 million ($4 million) from Sigma Capital Group and Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE); SSE has placed an order for £7 million-worth of Onzo devices and services and has exclusive rights to Onzo’s products and services in the UK and Ireland. Available: Mid-2009

Agilewaves: Agilewaves‘ Resource Monitor tracks and manages energy, gas and water consumption in real time from web-enabled devices. The system, custom-designed for larger buildings and higher-end homes, needs to be installed by an electrician and can also be used to dim lights, turn on and off heating and cooling, and adjust smart appliances. The six-person, Menlo Park, Calif.-based startup is actively looking to raise a Series A round of funding. Available: Now

Google PowerMeter: The search-engine giant told us recently that it is trying to bring PowerMeter, its online energy information tool, to market sometime this year. Google is working with device makers — we’ve reported on GE and Tendril — and hoping to launch with a direct-to-consumer product as well as a utility product. Available: 2009

GreenBox: Like Google, GreenBox is focusing on the software side of things with its web-based energy tool. The team, founded by developers of the digital web platform Flash, is already working with utilities, including Oklahoma Gas and Electric and an as-yet-unnamed New York utility, and has also partnered with smart thermostat makers Energate and Golden Power Manufacturing. The company hopes to close its first round of funding by June. Available: Now, to utilities

The Energy Detective: The Energy Detective (or TED) is one of the few energy management tools that’s already available to consumers. The Charleston, S.C.-based company behind TED, called Energy Inc., says its system can save home owners 10-20 percent on their monthly electricity bill. Available: Now

PowerMand: Founded in 2006, Portland, Ore.-based PowerMand makes DreamWatts, a wireless energy management tool that focuses on making smart thermostats effective for cutting energy consumption. The company, which is partnering with facilities maintenance firms and utilities, provides a smart thermostat, an Internet gateway and a service running over PowerMand’s servers. Available: Now

Green Energy Options: Cambridge, UK-based Green Energy Options‘ home energy monitoring system, called the Home Energy Hub, comes in three display options: a small one-panel display, the Solo, which shows real-time pricing and consumption; the two-paneled Duet, which shows energy management of up to six appliances; and the Trio, which is a large touchscreen that can monitor up to 100 sensors. Available: Summer 2009 to consumers in the UK.

Energy Aware: Founded in 2005, the Vancouver, B.C.-based Energy Aware team has developed the PowerTab, a wireless energy display that collects current energy price and usage from smart meters. Demand response company Comverge distributes the device in North America, and the startup has raised close to $2 million in funding from angel investors in the Pacific Northwest. Available: Second-quarter 2009, to utilities

This article also appeared on BusinessWeek.com.

http://earth2tech.com/2009/04/14/10-energy-dashboards-for-your-home/

14/04/2009

Metering 2009 issue1- Some articles

• Metering 2009 issue1 - AMR Technologie in the Asia Pacific Region.pdf
• Metering 2009 issue1 - A Regional study of in-home display units.pdf
• Metering 2009 issue1 - Advanced ISKRAEMECO Management.pdf
• Metering 2009 issue1 - CINTERION wireless modules.pdf
• Metering 2009 issue1 - DLMS.pdf
• Metering 2009 issue1 - Régulation of Gas Smart Metering in Italy.pdf
• Metering 2009 issue1 - STAR ENERGY-water-gaz integrated AMR system.pdf

Z-Wave Alliance in the Smart Metering market with Kamstrup

L'alliance Z-Wave à annoncer l'arrivée d'un nouveau membre Kamstrup, un fournisseur de solution de comptage danois. Selon une autre source (portel.de) Kamstrup prevoit pour le deuxième trimestre 2009, l'implementation de cette technologie dans les modules associés aux compteurs.

The Z-Wave Alliance has announced its newest member: Kamstrup, the Danish manufacturer of metering solutions, which now joins the leading industry consortium in the field of home control solutions. With the addition of Kamstrup, the Z-Wave Alliance further reinforces its major role in the integration of energy-saving and smart metering solutions into intelligent home networks.

Kamstrup is a globally active hi-tech company specialising in the field of system solutions for energy metering. It serves energy suppliers with sustainable technologies that automatically collect and administer data regarding energy consumption in electricity, cooling, heating, water and gas units, in a clear and cost-saving manner.

Z-Wave technology is the leading 2-way wireless communications protocol for smart metering products, with over 300 home control products already on the market. Z-Wave’s Advanced Energy Control (AEC) Framework allows energy providers and smart metering manufacturers to establish an intelligent, forward-looking and environmentally-friendly energy management system for households. Kamstrup is planning to integrate Z-Wave technology into its meter modules in the second quarter of 2009. This will allow energy consumption data to be sent to smart energy displays, home control centres and energy suppliers.

"As a leading international company in the field of metering solutions Kamstrup knows the importance of integrating Z-Wave technology”, says Lis Muusmann, Marketing Manager at Kamstrup.

“Companies like as Kamstrup enrich the Z-Wave ecosystem with Smart Metering solutions, which will bring consumers an important step further towards reducing their energy consumption”, comments Raoul Wijgergangs, Chairman of the Z-Wave Alliance.

Z-Wave as a key to energy conservation
The Z-Wave AEC represents the latest advances in the field of domestic energy management. It is the industry’s largest ecosystem, as it combines and guarantees interoperability between over 300 products from the areas of smart metering and home control. Investments in Z-Wave technology are future-proof, for both consumers and energy utilities. Z-Wave technology lets homeowners obtain a clear overview of the energy consumption of their electric and heating devices. This new level of usage transparency allows consumers to make effective decisions on reducing consumption. Z-Wave integrates functions such as smart metering, consumer notifications, automated load shedding and whole-home control. This enables real-time energy management that reduces consumption and costs, and provides active control of all energy-consuming appliances. The Z-Wave ecosystem makes it possible to view the current status at any time and from any place in order to ascertain, for example, at what time the most resources are used, and allow adjustments as required. Furthermore, homeowners can also make the most of the availability of various billing methods, such as billing in accordance with duration of use or in accordance with certain tariff times. This allows consumption to be reduced at peak times, and also gives energy providers the opportunity to adjust their production levels to actual demand.

Secure transmission to the provider
Assurance of security is central to metering applications: data transmissions to providers contain personal information about consumers along with the readings and settings from the meters. Z-Wave provides a secure, dynamic and scaleable end-to-end data transfer between metering devices and energy provider. The Z-Wave AEC standardises the communication and/or the remote automated meter reading (AMR) process that occurs between the meter in the building and the energy supplier. The method of transmission is specially configured for AMR, which means that the accuracy and security of the data can be guaranteed. AES 128-bit encryption is used to enable provision of secure access to metering devices from any computer via the internet.

Source: Press Z-wave

Ducth specification on smart meter #normalisation

Ci-dessous une sélection des principales spécifications disponibles sur les compteurs intelligents au pays bas. Une mise a jour régulière est réalisée sur le site de l'energiened. Plusieurs technologies sont utilisées notamment: DLMS-COSEM pour les compteurs electrique et M-BUS et wireless M-BUS pour les compteurs sur piles.

(01/09) Dutch Smart Meter Requirements: Main Document V2.31

(08/07) NTA 8130: Minimum set of functions for metering of electricity, gas and thermal energy for domestic customers. (English version)

(01/09) NTA 8027: Minimum set of function for Smart Water Meters (only in dutch)

(01/09) Dutch Smart Meter Requirements: IP via Ethernet Requirements V2.31

This document defines the requirements for the IP via Ethernet communication. The main focus of this document is on requirements to be defined for (the communication device of)

the E meter.

(01/09) Dutch Smart Meter Requirements: GPRS Requirements V2.31

This document focuses on the P3 and P3.2 interfaces for Electricity meters and Data Concentrators since both interfaces can make use of a GPRS connection. The P3.2 interface is

introduced because a Data Concentrator (DC) can be placed between the CAS and the meter(

s). With this, the DC divides P3 into two parts, P3.1 and P3.2. The communication interface P3 (see figure 1.1) is based on the DLMS/COSEM standard and communication interface P3.2 is based on Web Services standards. GPRS meters and GPRS concentrators both contain 3GPP certified communication modules enabling them to connect to a GSM/GPRS network for data transmission. At a later stage, Grid operators might use alternative technologies for communication, for example UMTS, HSDPA, LTE, Wimax, SMS and/or Mesh.

Whenever the term Communication Unit is used within this document this applies for both the

communication unit of the meter and the communication unit of the DC since both can make use of a GPRS connection.

(01/09) Dutch Smart Meter Requirements: P1 Companion Standard V2.31

The goal of this companion standard is to reach an open, standardized protocol implementation and functional hardware requirements related to the communication between several types of Service Modules and a Metering System. Any specification in this standard is intended to encourage suppliers to develop their hardware and software in a common direction. Standardised protocols and hardware specifications are referred to as much as possible.

(01/09) Dutch Smart Meter Requirements: P2 Companion Standard V2.31

The goal of this companion standard is to reach an open, standardized protocol implementation and functional hardware requirements related to the communication between several types of meter and an electricity meter. The communication bus is based on the M-Bus and wirless M-BUS

(01/09) Dutch Smart Meter Requirements: P3 Companion Standard V2.31

This companion standard focuses on the P3 interface for Electricity meters. The goal of this companion standard is to reach an open, standardized protocol implementation based on DLMS/COSEM. This companion standard is the result of a combined effort of the major Dutch grid operators and different manufactures who defined the necessary DLMS/COSEM object mapping.

(01/09) Dutch Smart Meter Requirements: P3.1 Companion Standard V2.31

This companion standard focuses on the P3 interface for Electricity meters. The goal of this companion standard is to reach an open, standardized protocol implementation based on XML/Webservices. This companion standard is the result of a combined effort of the major Dutch grid operators and different manufactures who defined the necessary XML/Webservices object mapping.

Source: http://www.energiened.nl/

AMEE: a plateform to measure the “Carbon Footprint” of everything on Earth

AMEE est une plateforme qui permet de mesurer et de suivre l'emprunte carbone de n'importe quel objets au travers de service web (API) open source. Les données transmises - libres ou privées (copyright)- peuvent être utilisées pour construire des applications commerciales. Cette plateforme bien que soutenue par le monde anglo-saxon est en phase avec la directive performance energetique Européene pour le calcul du certificat de performance energetique --esa

AMEE’s aim is to map, measure and track all the energy data on Earth. This includes aggregating every emission factor and methodology related to CO2 and Energy Assessments (individuals, businesses, buildings, products, supply chains, countries, etc.), and all the consumption data (fuel, water, waste, quantitative and qualitative factors).

It is a web-service (API) that combines measurement, calculation, profiling and transactional systems. Its algorithmic engine applies conversion factors from energy into CO2 emissions, and represents data from 150 countries and regions.

AMEE aids the development of businesses and other initiatives - by providing common benchmarks for measurement, tracking, conversion, collaboration and reporting.

AMEE is designed to add to and support your business. Its role is to help create, stimulate and be part of the emerging ecosystems around energy data; whether you are creating a calculator or a marketplace, tracking a building or a supply chain. AMEE is complimentary to and can facilitate Smart Grids, information systems, legislative frameworks and compliance schemes.

We aim to assist with the development of energy as a global carbon currency, assisting governments and companies that need to account for and trade internationally in CO2 emissions.

The AMEE platform is used internationally by many organisations including The UK Government (Defra/DECC), The Irish Government, The Welsh Assembly, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Google, Morgan Stanley, Nesta, the Energy Saving Trust, BRE, Radiohead, Sun Microsystems, plus numerous other IT, business services and software companies.

AMEE has been designed to deliver a new standard in functionality, transparency and interoperability.

Example: Real-time, automated carbon footprints

Sending smart-meter data directly into AMEE, and retrieving CO2 in real-time via an Atom feed

AMEE now supports the UK standard assessment procedure (SAP and RD-SAP) for buildings and any future standards. This enables the calculation of an “Energy Performance Certificate” in line with the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.

Source: http://www.amee.com/

ESMIG, promotes smart Metering in Europe. #normalisation

European Smart Metering Industry Group (ESMIG) est une fondation ouverte aux fournisseurs de produits et de services dans le domaine du comptage. Créer le 21 janvier 2009, cette fondation promeut le développement d'un standard open source et interopérable pour l'électricité, l'eau, le gaz et la mesure de chaleur. Leur devise est 20% de CO2 en moins, 20% d'efficacité en plus et 20% d'energie renouvelable en 2020. L'ESMIG est très impliqué dans l'initiative de l'ESOs. Elle a d'ailleurs signé en fevrier 2009 avec le CENELEC un accord de cooperation pour créer des outils standardisés d'optimisation des consommations en Europe. L'ESMIG est présidé par Landis + Gyr --esa.

The foundation of the European Smart Metering Industry Group (ESMIG) recognises the fact that the relevant industries have a key role to play in

* the general roll out and adequate use of Smart Metering technology,
* a consistent technological roll out in each of the 27 Member States of the EU and
* the provision of maximum benefit from the new technology for users, utilities and the environment.

Traditionally, the primary role of utility metering has been to accurately measure usage of electricity, gas and water. Until now this usage data has been - with some exceptions - manually collected by the utilities. But the metering market is currently undergoing considerable change, and as smarter metering systems become available, they are being viewed as the future for utility metering.

ESMIG will give advice and provide its expertise to key stakeholders and actors, such as the European Union institutions, EU Member States governments and authorities, regulators, consumers and utilities on all aspects related to Smart Metering.

ESMIG has a number of objectives including:

• the pan-European introduction and roll out of Smart Metering through harmonisation and interoperability
• the creation and implementation of consistent standards for metering and communications
• the identification and promotion of best practice solutions for smart multi-utility metering.

The European Smart Metering Industry Group has been created by key players in the European Smart Metering market. ESMIG members are technical experts on all aspects of Smart Metering, i.e. utility metering, installation, consulting, software, meter reading, hosting and all relevant communications’ solutions.

• Actaris
• Cinterion
• Elster
• EnergyICT®
• Görlitz
• Hager
• Diehl Metering
• Iskraemeco
• Janz
• Landis+Gyr
• PRI Ltd
• Sagem
• Sensus
• Wavecom
• ESMIG Members

Source: http://www.esmig.eu/

Malte, premier Smart Grid grandeur nature pour IBM #market

Malte va se doté d'un réseau d'eau et d'électricité intelligent en 2012, sous le pilotage d'IBM -esa.

Les compagnies d'électricité et d'eau de l'île de Malte, Enemalta Corporation et Water Services Corporation (WSC), ont confié à IBM, pour 70 millions d'euros, le soin de mettre en place un réseau intelligents d'eau et d'électricté pour les 400.000 Maltais .

Le géant américain va d'abord remplacer par des compteurs intelligents électroniques les 250.000 compteurs électriques analogiques de l'île, qui intégreront désormais à la fois l'eau et l'électricité. Ils seront consultables et gérables à distance, et constitueront la première étape d'un réseau intelligent d'un bout à l'autre de la chaîne.

Les nouveaux compteurs permettront toute une série de nouveaux services, tant pour les consommateurs que pour les compagnies de distribution: le paiement de la consommation réelle et non estimée, des tarifs flexibles, la génération automatique des factures, le pré-paiement, le suivi de la consommation via un portail internet, qui permettra de choisir les forfaits les plus adaptés. En outre la consommation d'eau et d'électricité seront optimisées (réduction des pertes, gestion à distance du réseau, analyse en temps réel de la consommation sur le réseau).

Le système doit être entièrement terminé en 2012.

C'est peu sans doute face aux 40 millions de compteurs que Barack Obama veut installer aux Etats-Unis, aux quelques 35 millions que veulent déployer la France comme la Grande-Bretagne pour équiper tous les foyers, sans oublier les 28 millions de compteurs déjà installé en italie, pays pionniers, mais avec ce système intégral Malte servira de test grandeur nature à ses plus grands voisins, et de vitrine à IBM qui se positionne en force sur ce créneau convoité aussi par Google (voir: http://www.greenunivers.com/2008/11/google-un-pas-de-plus-dans-le-secteurs-des-reseaux-electriques-et-compteurs-intelligents926/ ).

IBM: It's All About Smart Grid in 2009
by: Greentech Media December 22, 2008
source: seekingalpha.com

Ethanol and fuel investing exploded in 2007. Solar went bonkers in 2008. And in 2009, the money is set to flow into smart grid companies.

"I'm more convinced than ever that it's just about to happen," said Drew Clark, of IBM's Venture Capital Group in an interview today. "Cleantech may be the only category [of venture investing] that is left relatively unscathed and [VCs] are looking to put new money into traditional IT type of companies and smart grid is exactly that."

Clark in some ways is a human weathervane of VC trends. IBM's VC group does not invest directly in startups. Instead, it meets with startups and VCs, tries to determine future trends and promising companies and then devises out ways to dovetail IBM's strategies and service divisions with these emerging ideas.

IBM then acts as a conduit for bringing these ideas to large customers. Thus, if Big Blue is excited about something, there is a good chance that a channel for bringing a new idea to market is already being assembled.

Smart grid is attractive on a number of levels. For one thing, a substantial amount of the power in the U.S. is wasted. UC Berkeley's Arun Manjumar recently said that the U.S. consumes 100 quads (or 100 quadrillion BTUs) of energy a year and 50 to 60 quads get lost as waste heat or by other means before it can be used. Smart grid technologies that can help shuttle around power loads over a network conceivably could put a dent in that.

Second, the technology better fits into the VC mold for building companies. Unlike solar or biofuel companies, most smart grid outfits don't need to build huge factories. They develop software or networking devices for controlling various aspects of power transmission or consumption.

Standout smart grid companies that have received VC funding in the past year include networks.com, Trilliant, GridPoint, eMeter, Silver Spring Networks, Smart Synch, GainSpan, Grid Net and Onzo. Smart grid actually passed biofuels in the second quarter in the number of VC deals completed and then passed biofuels in the amount of money and number of deals in the third quarter, according to VenturePower, a newsletter published by Greentech Media.

Third, the grid right now is ... uh ... pretty dumb. It was made to send electrons in one direction and was not designed for two-way communication.

"Smart grid may be the largest cloud," said Clark. "It will be expensive, but that also means it will be lucrative" for companies selling networking gear.

Fourth, because smart grid doesn't really exist yet, the time exists for startups to set standards and practices. Energy storage, for instance, could be a lucrative area. Right now, many companies are talking mostly about planting energy storage facilities where power like solar or wind is generated. But why not put energy storage where it gets consumed, sort of the way Akamai figured out how to cache network data closer to consumers. [Side Note: We hereby reserving the acronym NASE for Network Attached Storage for Energy, for these types of devices.]

The market, however, will likely evolve in a different manner than the computer revolution. The customer base for computers and networking equipment was huge: companies with five to seven people need at least some services and hardware. Utilities, which are fairly finite, will be the main customers for smart grid technologies and they will conduct lengthy trials before massive deployments.

That will be good for IBM, Clark noted. Pacific Gas & Electric is not going to want to deal with a bunch of startups. You can imagine the scene, he joked: Hundreds of people outside of PG&E headquarters touting laptops with business plans. Instead, they will effectively look to large companies that can integrate a bunch of these technologies into a platform.

Source: Energo

European standardization activities for smart meters

La commission Européenne a mandaté l'ESO (European Standardization Organizations) pour développer des standards Européens de communication ouvert et interopérables pour les compteurs. Un premier brouillon est prévu dans 3 mois (~avril 2009), le standard de communication sera présenté dans 9 mois (~oct 2009), les autres standards doivent être acceptés dans les 30 mois (~juillet 2012) --esa.

Note to CIML Members and OIML Corresponding Members 19.02.2009

Dear Colleagues, The European Commission has drafted a mandate to the European Standardization Organizations (ESOs) for the development of European standards on an open architecture for utility meters involving communication protocols enabling interoperability.

At the initiative of ESMIG, the recently formed European Smart Metering Industry Group, CENELEC has taken the initiative to establish a cooperation between the ESOs (CEN, CENELEC and ETSI) and stakeholder organizations (including the OIML) of standardization activities relating to smart metering.

This BIML Circular is intended to inform the OIML community about this coordination initiative and to suggest how the OIML may be involved in these standardization activities.

The EU Commission's mandate

CEN, CENELEC and ETSI are requested to develop:

1. A European standard comprising a software and hardware open architecture for utility meters that supports secure bidirectional communication through standardized interfaces and data exchange formats and allows advanced information and management and control systems for consumers and service suppliers;

2. European standards containing harmonized solutions for additional functionalities within an interoperable framework.

The draft mandate1 calls for a work program to be presented to the European Commission within 3 months after acceptance of the mandate (by the ESOs). The standard for communication is to be presented within 9 months and the other standards within 30 months of the acceptance of the mandate

The mandate:

• specifies that the deliverables shall indicate where they cover the requirements of the MID (Directive 2004/22/EC, notably Annex I points 7.6, 8.1-8.5 and 10.5 2);
• asks that special attention be paid to transparency in the process of developing these standards;
• instructs the ESOs to take 'the utmost account' of any relevant developments in international standardization;
• instructs the ESOs, as appropriate, to invite representative stakeholder organizations as well as WELMEC and the Open Meter Project to take part in the work.

Coordination of standardization activities

At the initiative of ESMIG, the European Smart Metering Industry Group, CENELEC organized an initial coordination meeting on smart metering on 21 January 2009 in Brussels. The meeting was attended by representatives from several TCs of the ESOs, industry, the regulators, the European Commission and the OIML.

SMART METERS Draft standardisation mandate

View more presentations from livemetering.

In the meeting information was given about the European Commission mandate and representatives from the relevant Technical Committees of CEN, CENELEC and ETSI gave information on present standardization activities.

Finally, a proposal was put on the table to establish an ad-hoc coordination group in which the main stakeholders (including the OIML) are represented. This group would not be concerned with the substance of the standards, but only with the work program (“who does what”).

OIML involvement

Several OIML TCs/SCs are concerned with the issue of smart metering:

• TC 5/SC 2 Software (secretariat: Germany and BIML)

• D 31: General requirements for software controlled measuring instruments

• TC 8/SC 5 Water meters (secretariat: United Kingdom)

• R 49: Water meters

• TC 8/SC 7 Gas metering (secretariat: The Netherlands)

• R 6: General provisions for gas volume meters

• R 31: Diaphragm gas meters

• R 137-1: Gas meters. Part 1: Requirements

• TC 11 Instruments for measuring temperature and associated quantities (secretariat: Germany)

• R 75: Heat meters

• TC 12 Instruments for measuring electrical quantities (secretariat: Australia)

• R 46: Active electrical energy meters for direct connection of class 2

Where appropriate, these TCs/SCs should investigate the adequacy of the OIML publications under their respective responsibility and which amendments would be required (if any) to make these publications applicable to smart meters.

Prior to that, however, it is necessary to identify the “additional functionalities” that make utility meters become smart meters and which of those additional functionalities should be in the scope of legal metrology.

The OIML Seminar on smart meters, which the BIML is organizing in Brijuni, Croatia (2–5 June 2009) provides an excellent opportunity for the OIML to formulate its position as regards smart meters in legal metrology (notably which additional functionalities should be under legal control) and to make proposals for work to be undertaken by relevant OIML TCs/SCs in this field, taking into account the ongoing activities in Europe and elsewhere.

The OIML TC/SC Secretariats mentioned above should be represented at the Seminar and be ready to discuss common issues in drafting requirements for smart meters under legal control. This 'discussion' may be continued after the Seminar and be facilitated by the BIML providing internet tools.

The BIML will continue to represent the OIML in the European standardization coordination


Source: www.kazinmetr.kz

Wireless M-BUS by Texas Instrument #normalisation #techno

Today I just want to give you a brief introduction to WMBUS since the upcoming CC430 will be a good fit for this emerging standard. In short, the WMBUS standard (EN 13757-4:2005) specifies communications between water, gas, heat, and electric meters and is becoming widely accepted in Europe for smart metering or Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) applications.

As you can see from my very simplified drawing, the intention is to use WMBUS inside the home to read different kinds of meters. The E-meter could either be used as a concentrator or a separate concentrator can be used (imagine the E-meter somewhere inside the house but not at a location where you would want to mount a gateway for external communication with the utility company).

Why would anyone want the meters to communicate? Well, it is all about saving energy and cost while increasing reliability:

• all meters can be read without human intervention
• allows status check of any meter for repair/maintenance

Energy displays which shows instant consumption and cost is also easy to add with this technology, and feedback from people I have talked to is that these displays actually have an impact on household powerconsumption (imagine being able to see just how much it costs to turn on that hairdryer or fry an egg on Sunday morning).

An example of an energy company deploying such a display is here:

http://www.scottishsouthern.co.uk/SSEInternet/index.aspx?id=12938&TierSlicer1_TSMenuTargetID=1364&TierSlicer1_TSMenuTargetType=1&TierSlicer1_TSMenuID=6

Who will benefit from this new technology? Here is my take:

1)Politicians: Higher customer satisfaction and CO2 savings

2)Regulators: "Fair" market conditions and consumption transparency

3)Customers: Save money&energy, new services

4)Energy Industry: Process improvement and load balancing (although connecting AC's and water heaters to the network would make things much more interesting as it enables realtime ajustment of peak load on the grid. This functionality can easily be incorporated at a later stage however, and perhaps some countries or companies will add this as a feature.)

Who are the first movers in this space? For now at least Germany, Austria and the Netherlands are moving towards WMBUS as part of their national smart metering solution.

Below are a few links from EnergieNed, the Association of Energy Producers, Traders and Retailers in the Netherlands which describe in detail how smart metering and Wireless M-Bus is being applied in the Netherlands - happy reading!

P3 interface for Electricity meters

http://www.energiened.nl/_upload/bestellingen/publicaties/286_P3Dutch%20Smart%20Meter%20%20v2.1%20final%20P3.pdf

P2 interface for Gas, Gas valve, Thermal (heat /cold), and Water meters.

http://www.energiened.nl/_upload/bestellingen/publicaties/285_P2Dutch%20Smart%20Meter%20v2.1%20final%20P2.pdf

P1 interface for gas, gas valve, thermal (heat /cold), and water meters.

http://www.energiened.nl/_upload/bestellingen/publicaties/284_P1Smart%20Meter%20v2.1%20final%20P1.pdf

By now you might wonder what TI has to offer in this space?

We are active both on chip development and engaging with software development partners. For more information on how to send WMBUS compliant packets with MSP430 and CC1101, take a look at this application note which includes software. http://focus.ti.com/general/docs/techdocsabstract.tsp?abstractName=swra234a

This will of course be updated with CC430 code once the chip is available!

Here are two links to TI development network partners using our technology for "Wireless M-Bus out-of-the-box" solutions - no need for additional RF hardware design, certification or WMBUS software stack development.

http://www.radiocrafts.com/index.php?sideID=328&ledd1=330

http://www.amber-wireless.de/en/produkte/funkmodule/default.php?fnum=122243584339

We would love to hear your comments, feel free to use the comment field on this blog!

Posted on Jan 07 2009 By Erling

Source: https://community.ti.com/blogs/cc430/archive/2009/01/07/wireless-m-bus-and-the-cc430.aspx

Radiocrafts and Wavecom introduce Wireless M-Bus and ZigBee® - enabled GSM/GPRS/EDGE gateway for smart metering #techno #market

Radiocrafts AS and Wavecom SA announced (2008-09-18) the launch of a new GSM/GPRS/EDGE gateway for smart metering which embeds Wireless M-Bus and ZigBee, all in a very compact form factor.

The Wireless M-Bus standard (EN 13757-4:2005) specifies the communication between water, gas, heat and electricity meters and concentrators, whereas ZigBee is a standard for monitoring and control applications using low power radio networking.

The unique new solution is based on Wavecom’s Fastrack Supreme, a programmable application processor with GSM/GPRS/EDGE modem capabilities. The Fastrack Supreme comes with an open-standard interface which allows developers to add supplementary I/O connectivity and features in the form of expansion cards. Radiocrafts has developed a unique expansion card for smart metering which adds Wireless M-Bus or ZigBee to the GSM/GPRS/EDGE communications function.

See the press release for more information.

Source: Radiocrafts

World's first Wireless M-Bus module #normalisation #techno

By Peder Martin Evjen

Wireless M-Bus is a new standard for communication between electricity, gas, water and heat meters using short range radio in the 868 MHz band. It has attracted great interest among utility companies and regulating bodies throughout Europe, in standardising data collection from battery operated utility meters. The two-way capability opens up new services and provides improved security and reliability.

Radiocrafts has recently launched the world’s first radio communication module compliant with the new standard. The module integrates all RF communication and Wireless M-Bus protocol in a small ultra low power device. This article provides information on the Wireless M-Bus standard, and the compact module solution used to implement the standard in metering equipment.

Overview
The Wireless M-Bus standard (EN 13757-4:2005) specifies the communication between water, gas, heat and electricity meters or concentrators. The standard is becoming widely accepted in Europe as a basis for new advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) installations.

The Wireless M-Bus standard can be used in several modes (S, T and R), making it suitable for both one-way and two-way communication in stationary or mobile systems. The one-way T1 mode has already been used to some extent in heat cost allocators and water meters. But the twoway modes, in particular T2, are very interesting because these open up not only meter reading, but also valve control, time synchronisation, encryption key distribution, etc. The radio specifications for the different modes are summarised in Table 1.



Table 1 - Radio specifications for the Wireless M-Bus standard

The T mode is made for systems with frequent transmissions. Typically each meter transmits its data once per hour. The high data rate (100 kb/s) ensures very short communication time and hence low power consumption in the RF transmitter.

In two-way systems the T2 mode is also very suitable for battery operated meters, as the RF receiver in the meter is only active for 2-3 ms after a transmission. Only if the concentrator acknowledges the message within this timeslot will the receiver remain on in order to receive further commands.

Wireless M-Bus module
The RC1180-MBUS RF Transceiver Module from Radiocrafts is a compact high performance Wireless M-Bus module for use in automatic metering reading (AMR) applications, in meters and in concentrators. This is the first compact all embedded module compliant with the new Wireless M-Bus standard available in the market.

The module has an UART interface for serial communication and configuration, and a one-pin antenna connection. The module supports all modes, S1/2, T1/2 and R2, including two-way communication. It operates at 12 channels in the 868 MHz frequency band. When used with quarter-wave antennas a line-of-sight range of 600 m can be achieved. The module is designed for use in battery operated systems with more than 20 years of battery lifetime.

The basic module serves as a communication module, acting like a modem. The module is then configured with address information and encryption keys. Application data sent to the module is packed into a Wireless M-Bus frame format and transmitted on air. Encryption is also supported and done by the module. A very low power sleep mode ensures long battery lifetime.

The module functionality can easily be extended to include the complete meter application using the built in real time clock, non-volatile memory and excessive program memory. Such an application module is built to meet customer’s specific requirements.

The module supports AES-128 encryption. This is the preferred encryption since the DES suggested in the original Wireless M-Bus specification is outdated. The AES algorithm is running in a co-processor in the module, helping to speed up the encryption while keeping the power consumption at a minimum.

The RC1180-MBUS module is a compact surface-mounted module measuring only 12.7 x 25.4 x 3.3 mm including EMC shielding, replacing tens of components compared to a discrete design. The module is delivered on tape and reel for volume production. The modular design ensures production scalability and quick ramp-up, rational testing of RF parameters even in volume, and regulation compliance. The RC1180-MBUS module is pre-certified for operation under the European radio regulations for license-free use, is CE-marked and RoHS compliant.


Wireless M-Bus module

Reliability, security and lifetime
Reliability, security and lifetime are crucial aspects in AMR. These aspects are taken care of in the module design.

The frequency stability and ageing of the frequency base are vital for RF performance and for ensuring reliability over time. The RC1180-MBUS frequency stability is specified for operation over more than 27 years.

Metering data is used for billing of large values, and the integrity of the data is vital. The RC1180-MBUS module supports AES-128, which is one of the safest encryption standards used today. A new key can be transferred to the meter using the two-way capability. The new key is encrypted with a default key to avoid compromising the key during distribution. The decoding of the new key is done internally in the module. Hence, the new key is never transferred openly. This encryption key is used together with a time stamp, which is a part of the encrypted data, to prevent fraud by recording and replay of old messages.

Ageing and battery lifetime are important to ensure low life cycle cost and long service intervals of the metering system. In a typical meter implementation, the module is put in sleep mode most of the time. The most important parameter is therefore sleep mode current consumption, and then keeping transmit and receive times as short as possible. In T2 mode, the receive on-time is as short as 2-3 ms. This timing is handled by the module itself, and ensures the lowest possible current consumption.

Current consumption
As an example of the achievable battery lifetime we calculate the power consumption for a system complying with the NTA 8130 standard for The Netherlands.

The battery operated gas meter is transmitting every hour an encrypted data packet including time stamp, equipment ID, meter reading and valve status. The module transmitter current is 37 mA, the receiver current 22 mA, and the sleep current is maximum 1 μA (typical 0.1 μA). Each transmission is approximately 1,100 chips. Using the T2 mode at 100 kb/s, the transmit time for a complete frame is 11 ms and the receive/active time is approximately 4 ms, giving a contribution of 0.14 μA to the total average current. Hence, the average current consumption is completely dominated by the sleep current at 1 μA. The battery lifetime is therefore limited by its shelf life and leakage currents.

Concluding remarks
With the launch of the first Wireless M-Bus module in the market, meter manufacturers, system integrators and AMI providers can now get a complete Wireless M-Bus solution in a small compact module form factor that is easy to integrate into meters and gateways. OEM manufacturers without RF design knowledge can easily add a fully compliant M-Bus solution to their space limited products, and significantly reduce time-to-market, development and compliance testing cost. The module and demo kits are available now.

About the author: Peder Martin Evjen is a co-founder and Managing Director of Radiocrafts. He has more than 20 years of experience in radio technology and short range radio communication. He holds an M.Sc. in Electronics Engineering from the Technical University of Trondheim.

Source: metering.com

Audition d'Edward Lu, Advanced Projects Program Manager chez Google

Témoignage d'Edward Lu Advanced Projects Program Manager, Google, Inc. Advanced Projects Program Manager, Google, Inc Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Comité du Sénat sur l'énergie et des ressources naturelles Hearing on Smart Grid Audition sur Smart Grid March 3, 2009 3 mars 2009 Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee, my name is Edward Lu and I am pleased to share my perspective on how to advance the deployment of smart grid technology. Monsieur le président et les membres de la commission, mon nom est Edward Lu et je suis heureux de partager mon point de vue sur la manière de faire progresser le déploiement de la technologie à puce grille. I serve as a Program Manager in Advanced Projects at Google. Je suis un gestionnaire de programme à des projets avancés de Google. I lead a number of energy-related projects including one that is developing an energy information software tool that will enable consumers to make informed choices about their energy use as they browse the web, read email, or use a mobile phone. Je dirige un certain nombre de projets liés à l'énergie, y compris celui qui est le développement d'une information sur l'énergie outil logiciel qui permettra aux consommateurs de faire des choix éclairés concernant leur consommation d'énergie comme ils le web, lire des emails ou utiliser un téléphone mobile. Prior to my position with Google, I served as a NASA astronaut for twelve years. Avant de ma position sur Google, j'ai servi comme un astronaute de la NASA pour une période de douze ans. I had the privilege of flying two Space Shuttle missions, a Russian Soyuz mission, and a six-month tour on-board the International Space Station. J'ai eu le privilège de voler deux missions de la navette spatiale, une mission russe Soyouz, et une tournée de six mois à bord de la Station spatiale internationale. I am an electrical engineer and have a Ph.D. Je suis un ingénieur électricien et d'un doctorat in applied physics. en physique appliquée. Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. Google a pour mission d'organiser l'information mondiale et la rendre universellement accessible et utile. We believe that access to information about personal energy consumption is critical to helping consumers save electricity and money, but unlocking this data requires upgrading the electricity grid to make it smarter. Nous pensons que l'accès à l'information personnelle au sujet de la consommation d'énergie est essentiel pour aider les consommateurs à économiser l'électricité et de l'argent, mais le déblocage de ces données nécessite une modernisation du réseau électrique afin de le rendre plus intelligents. We are tackling this informational challenge on several fronts including developing consumer tools, investing in energy technology companies, and advocating for policies that advance a smarter grid. Nous abordons ce défi d'information sur plusieurs fronts, y compris le développement des outils de consommation, l'investissement dans les technologies de l'énergie des entreprises, et en plaidant pour des politiques qui favorisent un réseau intelligent. The United States can build a "smart grid" and bring our 1950s-era electricity infrastructure into the digital age. Les États-Unis peuvent constituer une "smart grid" et de mettre nos années 1950, époque de l'infrastructure de l'électricité dans l'ère numérique. The main point that I will make today is that we need to develop this grid in a way that spurs innovation, drives competition, and supplies maximum information to consumers. Le point principal que je ferai aujourd'hui est que nous avons besoin de développer ce réseau d'une manière qui stimule l'innovation, la concurrence des lecteurs, des fournitures et un maximum d'informations aux consommateurs. First, we must develop and deploy smart grid technology in a manner that empowers consumers with greater information, tools and choices about how they use electricity, including access to real-time energy information. Premièrement, nous devons développer et de déployer la technologie à puce réseau d'une manière qui donne aux consommateurs une meilleure information, des outils et des choix sur la façon dont ils utilisent l'électricité, y compris l'accès en temps réel aux informations sur l'énergie. Second, energy information should be made available based on open non-proprietary standards to spur the development of products and services to help consumers save energy and money. Deuxièmement, les informations sur l'énergie devraient être mises à disposition, fondée sur des normes non-propriétaires pour stimuler le développement de produits et de services pour aider les consommateurs à économiser de l'énergie et de l'argent. I will also briefly describe a free software product that Google is developing to enable people to get better information about their home electricity consumption. Je vais également décrire brièvement, un logiciel gratuit que Google est en développement pour permettre aux gens d'obtenir de meilleures informations sur leur consommation d'électricité. I. Information helps consumers save energy and money I. Information aide les consommateurs à économiser de l'énergie et de l'argent The way Americans currently buy electricity is like shopping for groceries every day but not getting the bill until the end of the month. La façon dont les Américains actuellement acheter de l'électricité est comme l'achat d'épicerie tous les jours, mais de ne pas avoir le projet de loi jusqu'à la fin du mois. How can a family keep to a budget or make smart choices? Comment une famille peut tenir à un budget ou de faire des choix judicieux? When it comes to electricity, how many consumers know how much electricity their house uses, what appliances cost the most to run, or how to go about saving energy or money? Quand il s'agit de l'électricité, combien de consommateurs savent combien d'électricité de leur maison utilise, ce que le coût des appareils les plus à courir, ou comment s'y prendre pour économiser l'énergie ou l'argent? Studies show that when consumers can see in real time how much energy they are using, they save 5 to 15 percent on their electricity use with simple behavioral changes, and even more with investments in energy efficiency. Les études montrent que lorsque les consommateurs peuvent voir en temps réel la quantité d'énergie qu'ils utilisent, ils ont de 5 à 15 pour cent sur leur utilisation de l'électricité avec de simples changements de comportement, et plus encore avec des investissements dans l'efficacité énergétique. The average US residential customer spends about $1,200 a year on electricity, so savings simply based on a real-time feedback monitor could amount to $60 to $180 per year. Le client résidentiel moyen des États-Unis dépense environ 1200 $ par année en électricité, afin d'épargne tout simplement sur la base d'une rétroaction en temps réel de suivre pourrait s'élever à 60 $ à 180 $ par année. In fact, if just half of American households cut their demand by 10 percent, the CO2 emissions avoided would be equal to taking approximately eight million cars off the road. En fait, si seulement la moitié des ménages américains réduire leur demande de 10 pour cent, les émissions de CO2 évitée serait égale à la prise d'environ huit millions de voitures de la route. As a first step to establishing a smart grid, homes must be equipped with advanced energy meters called "smart meters" that identify detailed real-time energy consumption information. Dans un premier temps à la création d'un réseau intelligent, les maisons doivent être équipées de compteurs d'énergie avancée appelé «smart meters» détaillées qui permettent d'identifier en temps réel d'informations sur la consommation d'énergie. With the help of state public utility commissions, utilities throughout the United States are working to replace 40 million old-style electric meters with digital smart meters that can be automatically read throughout the day. Avec l'aide de l'Etat les commissions de services publics, les services publics partout aux États-Unis travaillent à remplacer 40 millions de vieux compteurs électriques numériques avec des compteurs intelligents qui peuvent être automatiquement lu toute la journée. Congress also recently included a provision in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to speed the installation of smart meters and other smart grid technology. Congrès a également inclus une disposition dans la récupération et le réinvestissement américain loi pour accélérer l'installation de compteurs intelligents et les autres technologies de réseau intelligent. Google applauds these efforts, and encourages utilities, transmission operators, technology companies, and public utility commissions to continue to modernize our electricity infrastructure with the support of Congress. Google se félicite de ces efforts, et encourage les services publics, les opérateurs de transmission, les sociétés de technologie, et les commissions de services publics de continuer à moderniser nos infrastructures d'électricité, avec le soutien du Congrès. The benefits of energy information can be enhanced when combined with programmable appliances and dynamic energy pricing. Les avantages de l'information sur l'énergie peut être renforcée en combinaison avec les appareils programmables et dynamique des prix de l'énergie. A study conducted by the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) gave customers access to energy consumption information, broken down by appliance, every fifteen minutes and allowed them to program their water heaters and thermostats to respond to changes in electricity prices. Une étude menée par le ministère de l'Énergie de la Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) a donné l'accès des clients à la consommation d'énergie des informations, ventilées par appareil, toutes les quinze minutes et leur a permis de leur programme de chauffe-eau et les thermostats pour répondre à l'évolution des prix de l'électricité. Participants in the PNNL study received cash when they operated their household loads in collaboration with the needs of the grid by reducing their energy usage at times of peak energy demand. Les participants à l'étude ont reçu PNNL espèces quand ils opéraient leur ménage des charges en collaboration avec les besoins du réseau, en réduisant leur consommation d'énergie en période de pointe de la demande d'énergie. Over the year of the study, peak load on the grid was reduced by approximately 15 percent and consumers saved approximately 10 percent on their electricity bills over the previous year. Au cours de l'année de l'étude, la charge de pointe sur la grille a été réduite d'environ 15 pour cent et les consommateurs sauvé environ 10 pour cent sur leur facture d'électricité sur l'année précédente. Based on these results, the authors determined that if all customers nationwide engaged in reducing peak loads, peak electricity prices would be substantially reduced and approximately $70 billion in new generation, transmission, and distribution systems could be avoided, with the savings passed along to ratepayers. Sur la base de ces résultats, les auteurs ont déterminé que, si tous les clients à l'échelle nationale engagée dans la réduction des charges de pointe, des pics de prix de l'électricité seraient considérablement réduites et d'environ 70 milliards de dollars en nouvelle génération, de transmission et de systèmes de distribution pourraient être évités, à l'épargne transmise à Ratepayers . II. II. Consumers should have access to real-time energy information Les consommateurs devraient avoir accès en temps réel aux informations sur l'énergie Google believes consumers should have access to real-time information about their home electricity use. Google estime que les consommateurs devraient avoir accès à des informations en temps réel sur leur utilisation de l'électricité. This means that consumers should know how much energy they are paying for at the time of use. Cela signifie que les consommateurs doivent savoir combien d'énergie ils sont à payer pour le temps d'utilisation. Personal energy information belongs to consumers and they should control who has access to it. Personal information sur l'énergie appartient aux consommateurs et ils doivent contrôler qui a accès à celle-ci. Policymakers should provide clarity on ownership of data as the smart grid is built out. Les décideurs politiques devraient fournir des éclaircissements sur la propriété des données que la puce est intégrée à la grille. To access energy information in greater detail, homes must be equipped with smart meters or consumer-installed energy monitoring devices. Pour accéder à l'information sur l'énergie de façon plus détaillée, les maisons doivent être équipées de compteurs intelligents ou des consommateurs d'énergie des appareils de contrôle installés. Smart meters are a key part of the smart grid and will enable utilities to provide better service and a more robust electricity delivery system, in addition to enabling consumer access to information. Les compteurs intelligents sont un élément clé de la puce réseau de services publics et permettra de fournir un meilleur service et une plus robuste système de livraison d'électricité, en plus de permettre l'accès des consommateurs à l'information. However, installing smart meters does not automatically mean that consumers will receive real-time information about their electricity usage. Toutefois, l'installation de compteurs intelligents ne signifie pas automatiquement que les consommateurs recevront des informations en temps réel sur leur utilisation d'électricité. While there are some limitations today on the ability of utilities to provide real-time data to consumers, we believe that there are substantial benefits to doing so. Bien qu'il existe aujourd'hui des limitations de la capacité des services publics à fournir des données en temps réel pour les consommateurs, nous pensons qu'il ya des avantages à le faire. Utilities should be encouraged to provide consumers with real-time access to their energy information. Services publics devraient être encouragés à fournir aux consommateurs un accès en temps réel à leurs informations sur l'énergie. III. III. Open standards spur innovation and drive competition Les normes ouvertes stimuler l'innovation et le dynamisme de concurrence In order to achieve the greatest potential for energy savings, consumers should receive information as part of an open ecosystem of hardware and software for energy monitoring, home automation, and device control. Afin d'atteindre le plus grand potentiel d'économies d'énergie, les consommateurs devraient recevoir des informations dans le cadre d'un écosystème de matériel et de logiciels de contrôle de l'énergie, la domotique et de contrôle de périphérique. For that to happen, the consumer-facing data from the smart meter needs to be available to the consumer in an open non-proprietary format as well as in real time. Pour cela, le consommateur face à des données du compteur intelligent a besoin d'être à la disposition du consommateur dans un format non-propriétaire, ainsi que, en temps réel. Truly open standards would allow consumers to share their data with third parties in a format that is standardized, freely published, and unencumbered by a patent or proprietary claim. Vraiment de normes ouvertes permettent aux consommateurs de partager leurs données avec des tiers dans un format qui est normalisé, librement publiés et inutilisé par un brevet ou d'une revendication de propriété. The goal is to foster a thriving ecosystem of partners where third-parties will develop and provide products to help consumers decrease and manage their energy demand and save money. L'objectif est de promouvoir un écosystème dynamique de partenaires en cas de troisième-parties de développer et fournir des produits pour aider les consommateurs à réduire et à gérer leur demande d'énergie et économiser de l'argent. For example, a utility or a third-party could offer a service that analyzes a household's electricity usage data, identifies inefficient appliances or practices in the home, and offers tips on how to reduce energy or provides special discounts on efficient appliances or electronic equipment. Par exemple, un service public ou un tiers pourrait offrir un service qui analyse les ménages des données d'utilisation de l'électricité, indique l'inefficacité des appareils ou des pratiques à la maison, et offre des conseils sur la façon de réduire l'énergie ou des réductions spéciales sur l'efficacité des appareils ou des équipements électroniques. The Texas legislature and Public Utility Commission have taken a thoughtful approach to these issues and provides a useful example of a consumer-friendly energy information policy: L'assemblée législative du Texas et la Public Utility Commission ont adopté une approche réfléchie de ces questions et fournit un bon exemple d'un consommateur d'énergie politique de l'information: Smart meters must be capable of providing consumers with direct, near real-time access to electricity usage data. Les compteurs intelligents doivent être en mesure de fournir directement aux consommateurs, en temps quasi-réel accès à l'électricité, l'utilisation des données. That data must be stored on the meter in a form that complies with nationally-recognized non-proprietary standards. Que les données doivent être stockées sur le lecteur sous une forme qui est conforme à l'échelle nationale, reconnu non-propriétaire des normes. Smart meters must also be capable of communicating with other devices on the premises, such as monitoring devices, load control devices, and prepayment systems. Les compteurs intelligents doivent également être capables de communiquer avec d'autres dispositifs dans les locaux, tels que des dispositifs de surveillance, le contrôle de la charge des dispositifs et des systèmes de prépaiement. Consumers own their energy usage data. Les consommateurs de leurs propres données, utilisation de l'énergie. As smart meters are deployed in Texas, consumers will not have to pay an additional fee or have to obtain special permission to view their data. Comme les compteurs intelligents sont déployés au Texas, les consommateurs n'auront pas à payer une taxe supplémentaire ou à obtenir une permission spéciale pour afficher leurs données. IV. IV. We're developing a software tool called Google PowerMeter Nous sommes en train de développer un outil logiciel appelé Google Powermeter Over the last year, our engineers have developed a simple and secure software tool called Google PowerMeter. Au cours de la dernière année, nos ingénieurs ont développé un logiciel simple et sécurisé outil Google Powermeter. This will give consumers a means to draw data from their utility or from devices they install themselves to see their own home electricity consumption in near real time, on their computer or cell phone. Cela donnera aux consommateurs un moyen d'attirer les données de leur utilité ou de l'installation d'appareils eux-mêmes de voir leur maison près de la consommation d'électricité en temps réel, sur leur ordinateur ou un téléphone cellulaire. The default view shows the current day's energy consumption compared to the previous day's, but the graph can easily be extended further back in time to look for peaks, troughs and other outlying data points. La vue par défaut affiche le jour de la consommation d'énergie par rapport à la précédente journée, mais l'image peut facilement être étendue dans le temps à chercher des pics, des caniveaux et d'autres périphériques de points de données. Our tool is free and scalable, and we plan to release the technical specifications (application programming interfaces or "APIs") so anyone can build applications from it. Notre outil est gratuit et évolutif, et nous prévoyons de publier les spécifications techniques (interfaces de programmation d'applications ou de "API") pour tout le monde peut créer des applications de celle-ci. Google PowerMeter is not yet available to the public since we are testing it out with Google employees first. Google Powermeter n'est pas encore disponible pour le public puisque nous sommes les tests avec les employés de Google en premier. Currently we are building partnerships with utilities and independent consumer device manufacturers to roll this tool out in pilot programs. Actuellement, nous construisons des partenariats avec les services publics et les consommateurs, les fabricants de dispositifs à rouler cet outil dans les programmes pilotes. We are busy collecting data regarding the impact that energy information provided by Google PowerMeter has on electricity savings and consumption, and preliminary results are promising. Nous sommes occupés à recueillir des données concernant l'impact que l'énergie des informations fournies par Google Powermeter a sur les économies d'électricité et de la consommation, et les résultats préliminaires sont prometteurs. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to providing consumers with detailed energy information. Il n'ya pas de one-size-fits-all solution à offrir aux consommateurs des informations détaillées d'énergie. It will take the combined efforts of federal and state governments, utilities, device manufacturers, software engineers and non-governmental organizations to empower consumers to use electricity more wisely by giving them access to energy information. Il faudra les efforts conjugués des gouvernements fédéral et régionaux, les services publics, fabricants, ingénieurs en logiciel et les organisations non gouvernementales à habiliter les consommateurs à utiliser plus judicieusement l'électricité, en leur donnant accès à l'information sur l'énergie. We look forward to working with utilities and other industry stakeholders to enable consumers to have a greater understanding of, and control over, their energy use. Nous avons hâte de travailler avec les services publics et autres intervenants de l'industrie pour permettre aux consommateurs d'avoir une plus grande compréhension et de contrôle sur leur utilisation d'énergie. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for the opportunity to testify today. Je vous remercie, Monsieur le Président, pour l'occasion de témoigner aujourd'hui. I look forward to working with the Committee in its important examination of ways to build and deploy a smarter electrical grid. J'ai hâte de travailler avec le Comité dans son examen des moyens importants pour construire et déployer un réseau électrique intelligent. Source en anglais: http://www.google.org/powermeter/sgtestimony.html

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