Energy Evolution - Smart Grid Technology

701_ Energy Evolution Speaker Series: Smart Grid Technology
Melody Harris, Senior Council, HRO Denver moderated a panel of experts discussing the latest in energy in a series called Energy Evolution Speaker Series. Larry interviewed Cameron Brooks, Senior Director of Market Development and Policy Strategy for Tendril Networks. Larry started out with, "Explain Smart Grid, we've heard it, but I'm not sure everyone understands it." Cameron replied, "The easiest way to understand what the Smart Grid is, is that it's really an overlay of information technology and control systems to our traditional electricity network. So in its highest form, it gives consumers the ability to interact with the grid. Instead of being passive consumers they can now understand what their usage is in real time and be able to modify their behavior - and I think it will enable, in the future and in many markets today, things like dynamic pricing, real time pricing to match what really happens on the supply side of electricity where prices change quite a bit. When asked, How will it help consumers make better usage of their electricity as well as saving money? Cameron had another great analogy, "In its simplest form, (and this analogy is used quite often) you can think of purchasing electricity today as though, maybe, you go to the grocery store and there are no prices on the shelf, you get what you want and maybe you're charged by weight and then at the end of the month you get a bill. You have no idea whether you filled your cart with caviar or with cottage cheese. One of the things it will do, it will enable consumers to see within their home, how their usage varies and what is causing their bill to go up quite a bit." There's much more...listen now...
Related Links: Tendril Networks || Holme Roberts & Owen LLP || It's the Law || Event Photos || Keywords: Cameron Brooks, Tendril, Energy Evolution Speaker Series, Smart Grid, Melody Harris, HRO, Holme Roberts & Owen LLP, >> Channel: HRO/It's the Law 4043235 bytes - 7/27/09 LISTEN

Comments

[Jack Ciaccia]

Larry,
I can arrange for you to hear the pulsing signals anytime. They are ALWAYS there. The FCC had tried to bury this little 'annoyance' from the public and got their hands slapped. Interestingly, it is an interactive technology and you can also interfere with their signals by transmitting nearby in their spectrum. Also, recently, it has been proven susceptible to being 'hacked' whereby someone could hack the Smart Grid and maybe turn off your electricity or change the demand characteristics. I think this technology is another deal being forced down our throats that is probably "not ready for Prime Time". The concept is good... the existing solution is not.

[Thomas Frey]

One person's sewage ends up being another person's drinking water. Similarly, one person's green technology is another person's pollution.

[w3w3.com]

That's an interesting point John. I not familiar with the technologies involved and what you have addressed. I'm going to check with Tom Frey at the DaVinci Institute. Thank's for your comment. We'll look forward to Tom's reply.
Larry Nelson, w3w3.com Larry@w3w3.com

[John A. Ciaccia]

What everyone tries to sweep under the mat is that this Smart Grid Technology is a form of BPL (Broadband Over Powerlines) and has created a spectrum of pulsing RF "pollution" around the City of Boulder. If we are to be proponents of green technologies, it should be 'Green' in all respects.