CIO and Smart Grid Master

Famous University of Kansas Alumni

noreply@blogger.com (Andres Carvallo) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 23:00:00 +0000

Phillip Anschutz

Founder, Qwest Communications whose portfolio includes telecom, sports and entertainment ventures, including San Francisco Examiner, LA's Staples Center, stakes in NBA's LA Lakers, soccer's LA Galaxy and hockey's Kings. Film company Walden Media produced Holes, Because of Winn-Dixie and the Narnia series. Cited on Business Week's 50 Most Generous Philanthropists List.

Harold Arlin

First broadcaster to call a baseball game on the radio, 1921. Also was the first to announce a college football game on the radio in the same year.

Sheila Bair

Chairwoman, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (2006-2011). Named second most powerful woman in the world by Forbes magazine in 2008.

Etta Moten Barnett

Actress and singer (first African-American woman to entertain at the White House).

Mark Batenic

CEO, IGA, Inc., largest independent grocers affiliation in world with 4,000 stores in 41 nations

David G. Booth

Cofounder of Dimensional Fund Advisors; namesake for the University of Chicago Booth School of Business; and owner of James Naismith's original 13 rules to basketball

William E. Borah

Influential U.S. senator from Idaho (1906-1940); 1889 graduate sponsored bills establishing labor department, Children's Bureau

George Brown

First African-American elected lieutenant governor in the U.S, (1974) and first African-American elected to statewide office in Colorado

Peter Brown

Former president, CEO and chairman of AMC Entertainment Inc., North America's second-largest theater chain

Sam Brownback

Governor of Kansas, 2011-. Former member of U.S. Senate and House.

Anand Burman

Chairman, Dabur India, a $3.1 billion consumer goods company.

Francisco Santos Calderón

Former Vice President, Republic of Colombia

Cynthia Carroll

CEO of Anglo-American, one of the world's largest mining conglomerates; in 2008 named most powerful woman in the world by Fortune magazine; 7th most powerful woman by Forbes magazine.

Andres Carvallo

Smart Grid Master. Defined Smart Grid term on March 5, 2004. Inventor of first Smart Grid deployment from 2003 - 2010. Co-Author of “The Advanced Smart Grid” published in July of 2010.

Wilt Chamberlain

NBA superstar

John E. Christensen

Chancellor, University of Nebraska-Omaha

Linda Zarda Cook

Former executive director of Shell Gas & Power (highest ranking woman) and CEO of Shell Canada; named 3rd most powerful woman in the world by Fortune magazine in 2008.

Dale R. Corson

President, Cornell University (1969-1977), physicist who discovered basic element Astatine (AT)

Jack Del Rio Jr.

Head football coach, Jacksonville Jaguars

David Dillon

Chairman and CEO, Kroger Co

Bob Dole

Former U.S. Senate majority leader, presidential and vice-presidential nominee.

More info: The Dole Institute of Politics

Bob Dotson

Award-winning NBC News correspondent and author

David Ewing Duncan

Award winning science writer, author and commentator

Robert Eaton

Former CEO of Chrysler Corp.

Joe Engle

NASA astronaut (see also Ronald E. Evans, Steve Hawley)

Paul Ehrlich

Environmental scientist, population expert and author ("The Population Bomb.") Also a MacArthur Fellow recipient

Ronald E. Evans

NASA astronaut (see also Joe Engle, Steve Hawley)

Lorenzo Dow Fuller Jr.

First African-American host on NBC-TV; first African-American to sing with KU symphony.

Sam Gilliland

CEO of Sabre Holdings, owner of Travelocity, a leading online travel company.

Moses Gunn

Actor ("Heartbreak Ridge," "Roots")

Benjamin D. Hall

Genetic scientist who developed, with a colleague, a vaccine for hepatitis B, one of the world's most common blood-borne viruses.

Ann Hamilton

Sculptor, installation artist and MacArthur Fellow recipient

Steve Hawley

NASA astronaut (see also Joe Engle, Ronald E. Evans )

Steve Haynes

President, National Newspaper Association

Kevin Helliker

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. At least 13 KU alumni have won the prize (see also Colleen McCain Nelson, Gerald Seib, William Allen White.)

David Hillis

Evolutionary biologist and MacArthur Fellow recipient

Jane Dee Hull

Governor of Arizona, 1997-2003.

Dave Hunke

President and publisher, USA Today

William Inge

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright ("Picnic"), Oscar Award-winner for "For Splendor in the Grass"

Wes Jackson

Environmental historian; president of The Land Institute, Salina, Kan., a research center on sustainable agriculture; a MacArthur Fellow recipient

Nancy Landon Kassebaum

First female U.S. senator (1979-1997) elected in own right without having been preceded in office by her husband.

Kenton Keith

U.S. ambassador to Quatar, 1992-1995.

Paul Keim

World's leading expert in anthrax DNA fingerprinting

Rick Kellerman

Past President, American Academy of Family Physicians

Clarence Kelley

Federal Bureau of Investigation director, 1973 to 1978

Rod Keenan

Noted milliner whose hat collection is sold internationally. His hats have been featured in movies and magazines, and custom clients include numerous actors and singers.

Rebecca Kolls

Gardening expert (HGTV's "Rebecca's Garden," ABC's "Good Morning America")

Lee Kyung-sook

President of Sookmyung Women's University, South Korea

Doug Lamborn

U.S. Congressman, 5th District, Colorado.

Alf Landon

Kansas governor and 1936 Republican nominee for president.

Neil LaBute

Film director/writer (Wicker Man, Nurse Betty, In the Company of Men)

Anne Levinson

co-owner of Seattle Storm, 2004 and 2010 WNBA champions

Delano Lewis

Former National Public Radio CEO and ambassador to South Africa

Rear Adm. Wayne E. Meyer

Engineer known as the "Father of Aegis," the Navy's primary air-defense weapon system, described as the first integrated air weapon system and the world's preeminent maritime combat system. A guided-missile destroyer is named for him.

Billy Mills

Olympic gold medalist in track (only American to win the 10,000-meters medal)

David McClain

President, University of Hawaii, 2004-2009

James A. McClinton

First African-American mayor of Topeka, Kan., 2004-2005

Brian McClendon

Google Earth director of engineering (that's why KU is the center of Google Earth)

Elmer McCollum

Scientist (discovered vitamins A and D)

John B. McLendon, Jr.

First African American basketball coach at a predominantly white university (Cleveland State University) and first African American head coach in professional sports (Cleveland Pipers in American Basketball League).

Lou Montulli

Co-founder of Netscape; co-authored Lynx text web browser while at KU; responsible for browser innovations such as HTTP cookies, the blink tag, server push and client pull, HTTP proxying, and encouraging the implementation of animated GIFs into the browser.

Dennis Moore

U.S. Congressman, 1999 to 2011.

Rep. Jerry Moran

U.S. Senator representing Kansas, 2011-. Former member of U.S. House.

Alan Mulally

President and CEO of the Ford Motor Company (link to video)

Janet Murguia

President, National Council of La Raza, U.S.' largest constituency-based Hispanic organization

Colleen McCain Nelson

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. At least 13 KU alumni have won the prize (see also Kevin Helliker, Gerald Seib, William Allen White.)

Chester Nez

One of the original 29 Navajo Code Talkers, who during World War II transmitted U.S. military messages in their native language—a code the Japanese never broke. The code talkers took part in every assault the U.S. Marines conducted in the Pacific from 1942 to 1945.

Lawton Nuss, Carol Beier and Eric Rosen

Current Kansas Supreme Court justices

Sara Paretsky

Best-selling mystery writer (V.I. Warshawski series)

Mark Parkinson

Kansas governor, 2009-2011

Mandy Patinkin

Actor ("Yentl," "The Princess Bride"; TV's "Chicago Hope")

Dave Peacock

President, Anheuser-Busch

Artur Pizarro

Concert pianist

Dr. William Plested III

President of the American Medical Association, 2006-07

William Powell

Leading Hollywood movie star of the 1930s, best known for The Thin Man series.

Malcolm S. Robinson

President, National Bar Association, 2002

Charles "Buddy" Rogers

Silent screen star whose 1927 movie "Wings" was first to win "best picture" Oscar; married Mary Pickford

Paul Rudd

Actor ("Clueless", "Knocked Up", TV's "Friends")

Roseann Runte

First woman president of Carleton University (Canada). Past president of Old Dominion University.

Adolph Rupp

Third winningest men's basketball coach after KU graduate Dean Smith, winning 876 games and four national championships in 41 years at University of Kentucky (His coach at KU was James Naismith)

Jim Ryun

Three-time U.S. track Olympian and world-record miler, former member of U.S. House of Representatives

Gen. Pahol Sanganetra

Deputy Permanent Secretary of Defense of Thailand.

Mathana Santiwat

President, Bangkok University in Thailand

Juan Manuel Santos

President, Republic of Colombia.

Luis Santos

CEO of Casa Editorial El Tiempo (CEET), a leading media company in Colombia, South America Its holdings include the national newspaper El Tiempo.

Gale Sayers

Famous football player and youngest player in NFL history to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Kathleen Sebelius

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, 2009-; governor of Kansas, 2003-2009

Gerald Seib

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. At least 13 KU alumni have won the prize (see also Kevin Helliker, Colleen McCain Nelson and William Allen White)

Douglas Shane

Director of flight operations for SpaceShipOne, first private manned space program

Bruce A. Smith

CEO of major oil refiner Tesoro, 1995-2010 (Retailed under Shell, USA Gasoline, Mirastar and Tesoro brands)

Dean Smith

NCAA's all-time winningest coach (at University of North Carolina) with 879 games until 2006 when surpassed by Bobby Knight; was member of 1952 KU national championship men's basketball team

Vernon Smith

Nobel Prize laureate in economics

Marla Spivak

Entomologist who studies bee colony health and a MacArthur Fellow recipient

Deanell Reece Tacha

Chief judge of the U. S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit

Clyde Tombaugh

Astronomer who discovered the planet Pluto

Rosalie Wahl

First woman justice on the Minnesota state Supreme Court

Kent Whealy

Founder of the Seed Savers Exchange and a MacArthur Fellow recipient

William Allen White

Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author. At least 13 KU alumni have won the prize (see also Kevin Helliker, Colleen McCain Nelson, Gerald Seib)

William F. Woo

First Asian-American to be the editor of a major daily American newspaper, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Sir Robert Worcester

British political commentator and market research pioneer; also chancellor of the University of Kent (UK)

Kevin Yoder

U.S. Congressman, 2011-. Former student body president.

Andres Carvallo & Three Other IEEE Smart Grid Experts Among FierceEnergy’s “Top 15 Most Influential People in Energy”

noreply@blogger.com (Andres Carvallo) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:40:00 +0000

Andres Carvallo, Dick DeBlasio, Erich Gunther, and John McDonald recognized for their achievements in advancing Smart Grid development and deployment

PISCATAWAY, N.J., USA, 30 November, 2011 – IEEE, the world's largest professional association advancing technology for humanity, announced today that four of its globally recognized Smart Grid experts have been named to FierceEnergy Magazine's "15 Most Influential People in Energy" list. IEEE Life Member Dick DeBlasio, IEEE Fellows Erich Gunther and John McDonald, and IEEE Computer Society member, Andres Carvallo are among the individuals singled out by the publication as having the greatest amount of influence in the energy industry during 2011.

"IEEE is home to the world's foremost Smart Grid innovators and experts – talented individuals dedicated to and responsible for architecting inspired, effective solutions that will carry us into a new generation of intelligent power generation, transmission, and distribution. Without their invaluable contributions, we would be without many of the meaningful Smart Grid milestones achieved to-date," said Wanda Reder, chair, IEEE Smart Grid, and vice president Power Systems Services at S&C Electric Company. "We congratulate Dick, Erich, John, and Andres on this honor, and thank them and all IEEE volunteers for their dedicated efforts in making the Smart Grid a reality."

Individuals named to the inaugural FierceEnergy list were selected by the publication based on a diverse array of factors, including industry nominations and recommendations, regulatory influence, business acumen, leadership, and technical expertise. Each of the four IEEE experts selected has had demonstrable impact upon the creation and deployment of the rapidly emerging Smart Grid.

Dick DeBlasio, an IEEE Life Member, IEEE 2030 Working Group chair, and a member of the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA) Board of Governors, is also the chief engineer and principle laboratory program manager for electricity programs with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. As working group chair for IEEE 2030, he was a driving force behind delivering its interoperability reference and knowledge base. The world's first system-of-systems, the foundational standard was created from the ground-up to ensure Smart Grid interconnection and interoperability.

Co-founder, chairman, and chief technology officer of EnerNex, Erich Gunther is an IEEE Fellow, as well as a member of the IEEE Smart Grid Task Force, chairman of the IEEE Power & Energy Society's (PES) Intelligent Grid Coordinating Committee, and an IEEE PES Governing Board member. He has focused on establishing a collaborative environment for the utility community to come together and develop broad requirements for grid modernization in a disciplined, traceable, and defensible way.

John McDonald, P.E., is an IEEE Fellow, a member of the IEEE-SA Board of Governors, IEEE PES Past President, as well as director, technical strategy and policy development at GE Energy's Digital Energy business. He pioneered the definition of Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs), as part of IEEE Std. C37.1, and the concept of their two types of data – operational and non-operational, which has been widely adopted by electric utilities and become a key Smart Grid component. Additionally, by providing detailed insight on how to manage these different data types, he has enabled utilities to realize considerably greater benefits from investments made in IEDs.

Andres Carvallo, IEEE Computer Society and IEEE Power and Energy Society member and Proximetry Inc. executive vice president and chief strategy officer, is recognized as a leading Smart Grid pioneer and innovator. Co-author of "The Advanced Smart Grid", he leveraged his expertise while overseeing the first end-to-end Smart Grid deployment in the U.S at Austin Energy from 2003 - 2009. He also helped establish the Pecan Street Project in 2008, a living Smart Grid lab designed to foster emerging technologies for residential and commercial use.

For FierceEnergy's complete roster of the 15 Most Influential People in Energy, please visit http://www.fierceenergy.com/slideshow/power-players-15-most-influential-people-energy.

Additional IEEE Smart Grid experts from around the world will be speaking during the second European conference and exhibition on Innovative Smart Grid Technologies (ISGT-EUROPE 2011), sponsored by the IEEE Power & Energy Society and hosted by the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at The University of Manchester. Full details about the conference, which is being held in Manchester, England 5-7, December 2011, can be found at http://www.ieee-isgt-2011.eu/.

For more information on IEEE Smart Grid efforts, follow @ieeesmartgrid on Twitter, or join the IEEE Smart Grid group on LinkedIn at http://linkd.in/udDFqG.

About IEEE
IEEE, the world's largest technical professional association, is dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. Through its highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, and professional and educational activities, IEEE is the trusted voice on a wide variety of areas ranging from aerospace systems, computers and telecommunications to biomedical engineering, electric power and consumer electronics. Learn more at http://www.ieee.org.

Andres Carvallo Named One of The 15 Most Influential People in Energy

noreply@blogger.com (Andres Carvallo) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 20:42:00 +0000

They have shaped the technology we call the smart grid. They have the ear of energy regulators. They lead customers through the often confusing and ever changing world of energy and smart grid. And they shape the discussions we have about energy. In alphabetical order, they are all power players in their own right -- whether because of the breadth, depth and years of experience they bring to the industry or their status as an up and comer to keep a close eye on. These are the individuals who have been the most influential in energy in 2011.

This list is a serious compilation of individuals based on many factors ranging from industry nominations and recommendations to regulatory influence and those with business savvy, leadership and technical expertise.

I have to admit that it was difficult to narrow the list to 15. You may find that some of your picks are absent. This is not an indication that they are not an industry power player. As this is an annual list, the players may certainly change from year to year. Please email me if you have a recommendation for a power player who is not on the list and why you would recommend them. --Barb

Power Players -- The 15 Most Influential People in Energy

§ Ron Ambrosio, Global Research Leader, Energy & Utilities Industry, IBM Research

§ Guido Bartels, General Manager, Global Energy & Utilities Industry, IBM; Chairman, Global Smart Grid Federation

§ Andres Carvallo, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, Proximetry; Co-author of "The Advanced Smart Grid"

§ John Cooper, President, Ecomergence; Co-author, "The Advanced Smart Grid"

§ Dick DeBlasio, Principle Laboratory Program Manager for Electricity Programs, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, U.S. DOE

§ Eric Dresselhuys, Executive Vice President, Silver Spring Networks

§ Patty Durand, Executive Director, Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative

§ Connie Durcsak, President and CEO, Utilities Telecom Council

§ Dave Elve, Vice President, Sensus

§ Erich Gunther, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, EnerNex

§ Lee Krevat, Director of Smart Grid, San Diego Gas & Electric

§ John Douglas McDonald, Director, Technical Strategy & Policy Development, GE Digital Energy

§ Ted Reguly, Director of Customer Programs and Assistance, San Diego Gas & Electric

§ Joaquin Silva, President and Chief Executive Officer, On-Ramp Wireless

§ Adrian Tuck, Chief Executive Officer, Tendril

Andres Carvallo and Austin Energy recognized by Energy Central

noreply@blogger.com (Andres Carvallo) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 21:54:00 +0000

Energy Central and Intelligent Utility Magazine Wrap Up Knowledge2011 Summit
Top utilities recognized for knowledge, innovation, technology, excellence and intelligence.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE— AURORA, Colo. — Nov. 21, 2011 — Knowledge2011 Utility Executive Summit wrapped up last week in Amelia Island, Florida. The summit, presented by Energy Central and Intelligent Utility magazine, joins leaders from top investor-owned, municipally owned and cooperatively owned utilities for two days of interaction and collaboration.

Eighty-six of the nation's senior customer service, operations, and information technology executives gathered at this year's summit to share knowledge and strategic insights regarding common challenges. In addition, several were recognized for their outstanding performance and dedication to furthering the industry as a whole.

Three electric utility executives took home key industry leadership awards at the 6th annual Knowledge, Innovation, Technology, and Excellence (KITE) Awards gala dinner. Energy Central and Intelligent Utility recognized:

Reid V. Nuttall, CIO, OGE Energy Corp, CIO of the Year
Paul Lau, Assistant General Manager of Customer, Distribution and Technology, Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), Operations Leader of the Year
Gregory Knight, Division Vice President of Customer Service for Regulated Operations, CenterPoint, Customer Service Leader of the Year

"We are pleased to recognize the distinctive leadership of our honorees," said Kate Rowland, editor-in-chief of Intelligent Utility magazine. "The immense talent throughout the industry provided us with some difficult decisions this year, but these three individuals clearly rose above the crowd, moving their companies forward through strategic initiatives, measurable technology efforts, and innovative solutions that have met business results such as high efficiency, greater production, measurement and profitability."

Prior to 2010, KITE award winners were categorized as top performers in small (less than 1 million customers) and large (greater than 1 million customers) categories. Previous award winners under that structure include 2007's Robert Arnett, Cobb Energy, and Joe Locandro, CLP Group; 2008's Wanyonyi Kendrick, JEA, and Michael Carlson, Xcel Energy; and 2009's Andres Carvallo, Austin Energy, and Becky Blalock, Southern Company. In addition, James Eitsert, of Northeastern Rural Electric Membership Corp., and Paul De Martini of Advanced Tech, SCE, were recognized in 2008 for small and large utility technical innovation.

In 2010, the KITE awards panel changed the structure to better reflect the roles of contributors, calling out the categories of CIO, Operations Leader and Customer Service Leader. Honorees in 2010 were Mashvash Yazdi, CIO, Southern California Edison; Ben LaPianta, Vice President Distribution Grid Management, Toronto Hydro; and Michael Lowe, Associate General Manager, Salt River Project.

For more information on the recipients or on the KITE awards, please contact Kate Rowland at 250.227.8938, krowland@energycentral.com or visit:
MailFilterGateway has detected a possible fraud attempt from "log.energycentral.com" claiming to be www.knowledgesummits.com/summit-information/kite-awards.

In addition, Intelligent Utility magazine in partnership with IDC Energy Insights developed UtiliQ, a unique project that cuts through smart grid hype to measure utilities' progress toward intelligent operation. UtiliQ rated 78 American utilities on operational efficiency, integration of renewables, smart-energy initiatives, demand response/energy efficiency programs and IT investments.

For the third straight year, San Diego Gas & Electric topped the UtiliQ survey of electric utilities, making it America's most intelligent utility. Following closely were two top alumni and two newcomers: PG& E Corp., Austin Energy, Pinnacle West Capital Corp., and Edison International.

These top five utilities ranked as "Near Genius," with IQs higher than 140. Utilities with IQs ranking between 120 and 140 were categorized as those with "Very Superior Intelligence". Most of 2011's top 25 utilities achieved "Superior Intelligence" ratings, with scores that fall between 110 and 119.

"While the smart grid is an exciting project, it generates hype," said Kate Rowland. "The reality is far more outcome-based. UtiliQ measures each utility's progress against five criteria needed for a reliable, affordable and sustainable utility. Scores compute into a three-digit IQ."

About Energy Central:
Energy Central was founded in 1996 to satisfy the global power industry's need for a reliable, trusted information hub where executives and field representatives alike could share ideas and discuss concepts that could alter the future of electric energy. Energy Central provides groundbreaking research, insightful reports and analytics, advisory services, and original, thought-provoking commentary — in print, online and through well-attended events — on energy-driven topics such as utility business, smart grid, renewable energy, energy storage, transmission and distribution, generation and customer analytics.

Media Contact: Kristin Prosowski, 303-782-5510 or marketing@energycentral.com.

Austin Energy ranked #3 in 2011 makes the Top 3 UtiliQ Rankings for the 3rd year in a row

noreply@blogger.com (Andres Carvallo) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 23:38:00 +0000

Austin Energy was ranked #2 in 2009 and #2 in 2010. This award began in 2009.

It is just down right humbling to see the awards to continue to pile on for the great work done from 2003 - 2010 and beyond on smart grid at Austin Energy. This is the 27th major award since 2005 related to the technological transformation that I started in 2003 and led until 2010. Congratulations to my former colleagues at Austin Energy. Keep it going !!!

IDC Energy Insights and Intelligent Utility Magazine Release 2011 UtiliQ Rankings Designed to Measure Utilities' Progress to Intelligent Energy

Sempra Energy's San Diego Gas & Electric Tops List for Third Consecutive Year

FRAMINGHAM, Mass., November 10, 2011 – IDC Energy Insights and Intelligent Utility magazine, an Energy Central publication today announced the results of the annual UtiliQ rankings – a joint study designed to cut through the smart grid hype and provide benchmarks for measuring the progress utilities are making on the path to intelligent energy. For the third straight year, Sempra Energy's San Diego Gas & Electric is the most intelligent utility in America, according to the annual UtiliQ survey of U.S. electric utilities.

This year, the UtiliQ had the benefit of more comprehensive data sources including SNL Energy, AWEA, SEPA, NREL, FERC, the Consortium of Energy Efficiency, and the IDC Energy Insights Smart Meter tracker. As a result, the 2011 analysis is based on better data on renewable generation, as well as energy efficiency, smart meter implementations, and demand response, at the utilities.

According to the findings, while demand response (DR) programs are not new to the industry, utilities consider demand response a top initiative in the next five years. Those utilities that have had experience with DR programs have built their "intelligence" for the future, and FERC data on DR programs were incorporated in the evaluation process. Dynamic pricing programs were given extra weight as a relatively new form of DR.
"Utilities are continuing to increase their intelligence in some critical areas and we were fortunate to gain greater and more comprehensive access to reliable data on which to base our evaluations. For example, while demand response programs are not new to the industry, we believe demand response to be a top priority in utilities in the next five years so that is reflected in our intelligence ratings," according to Jill Feblowitz, vice president of IDC Energy Insights. "The intelligent utility is steadfastly and thoughtfully re-aligning their objectives, business processes and technology to prepare for the future."

The UtiliQ rated 78 American utilities based on five criteria: operational efficiency, commitment to renewables, smart energy initiatives, demand response/energy efficiency programs, and information technology investments in support of business process improvements. In addition, commitment to sustainability is factored into the results. All but three of the top 25 intelligent utilities received "near genius" scores in smart grid IQ, indicating the importance of smart grid developments for achieving utility intelligence.
The top 5 scoring utilities for the 2011 UtiliQ rankings include:

San Diego Gas & Electric

PG&E

Austin Energy

Southern California Edison

In addition to the emphasis on demand response, this year's analysis also benefited from having access to more comprehensive and consistent data. Utilities featured in the top five were likely to have more renewables as a percent of generation. Of great benefit, the IDC Energy Insights Smart Meter Tracker data outlined the progress in implementation of smart grid initiatives, especially smart meters, rather than the existence of smart meter plans which, for some utilities, have been put on hold. In addition, this year's ranking took into account more granular data on investments in energy efficiency programs to help identify the most intelligent utilities on the market today.

A complete list of the top 25 utilities can be found on the Intelligent Utility Magazine website www.intelligentutility.com.

For additional information about this study, or to arrange a one-on-one briefing with Jill Feblowitz, please contact Sarah Murray at 781-794-3214 or sarahbethmurray@gmail.com. Reports are available to qualified members of the media. For information on purchasing reports, contact insights@idc.com; reporters should email sarahbethmurray@gmail.com

About IDC Energy Insights
IDC Energy Insights assists energy businesses and IT leaders, as well as the suppliers who serve them, in making more effective technology decisions by providing accurate, timely, and insightful fact-based research and consulting services. Staffed by senior analysts with decades of industry experience, our global research analyzes and advises on business and technology issues facing the utility and oil and gas industries. International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology market. IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world’s leading technology, media, research, and events company. For more information, please visit www.idc-ei.com, email info@idc-ei.com, or call 508-935-4400. Visit the IDC Energy Insights Community at http://idc-insights-community.com/energy .

About Energy Central:
Since 1995 Energy Central, based in Aurora, Colorado, has been widely known as the online hub for power industry professionals. With an unparalleled reach into the power industry, the Energy Central community has grown to encompass six web sites, fourteen eNewsletters, two print magazines - Intelligent Utility and EnergyBiz, two monthly webcast series, two highly acclaimed industry events and a strong market research arm, Sierra Energy Group.

Energy Central champions the development of information-enabled energy^TM by facilitating executive level knowledge sharing events as well as management level events where top government and industry officials provide power industry professionals with insights into the future of the power industry. Topic-specific content includes: Grid T&D – Smart Grid and Metering; Generation and Storage for Renewables, Solar, Nuclear, Hydro and Wind; and End-Use - Demand Response and Energy Efficiency. Energy Central — we connect the power industry.

http://www.idc-ei.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS23133911

Andres Carvallo's Top 10 Smart Grid Trends for 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Andres Carvallo) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 22:02:00 +0000

As you will read in my new book “The Advanced Smart Grid” – www.theadvancedsmartgrid.com – you will get to understand the beginning, evolution, and current journey of grid automation. Additionally, you will get to discover the coming future to a utility near you soon. In this post I am sharing my top 10 smart grid trends and the pages in the book the touch first on each trend. These trends are already on their way at different levels of inception and maturity. They will become more evident in 2012 and most will be in full force by 2015.

1) Advanced Grid Infrastructure (AGI) – (page 63) –

AGI follows Advanced Metering Infrastructure (a.k.a AMI), with real-time system information and control to integrate advanced metering with Distribution Automation functionality such as control of capacitor banks, switches, transformers, feeders, distribution/substation management, as well as Demand Response and Distributed Energy Resources system integration and management (e.g., inverters, solar PV, Electric Vehicles, Energy Storage, and Smart Appliances).

2) Deliberate Design and Planning – (page 90) –

Advanced Smart Grid architecture design starts with customer use cases, followed by process innovation, application selection, data flow design, and infrastructure design. Advanced Smart Grid architectures will emerge as a mandate requirement and best practice across the globe.

3) Smart Grid Architecture Framework (SGAF) – (page 197) –

An SGAF is a set of standards, best practices, rules, and methodologies to build a Smart Grid Architecture. Smart Grid Architectures will need to answer the how to questions of better grid reliability, safety, interoperability and security in a more smart device and distributed generation rich world where residential and commercial customers also evolve from passive customers to proactive prosumers (i.e. producers and consumers at the same time).

4) Smart Grid Optimization Engine (SGOE) – (page 200) –

Like a utility network modeling tool, the SGOE enables dynamic, predictive balancing of Volt/VAR levels with real-time data inputs from multiple devices. The main differences reside in the SGOE is built for massive scalability and interoperability of devices from many vendors, using multiple networking technologies, and collecting huge amounts of data to feed customer, operational, reporting, and regulatory needs and services offered by utilities and/or new energy service providers.

5) Predictive Volt/VAR Control (PVVC) – (page 193) –

The ability to anticipate the ratio between power (Volts) and reactive power (VARs) on the grid to maintain grid balance will become a bigger need to monitor, control, and manage as distributed resources emerge on the edge of the grid. Line loses today average 2% to 3% of the energy consumed. This is an important new efficiency strategy to pursue that helps reduce our ever growing fuel expenses.

6) Dynamic Modulation – (page 192) –

A new strategy for fine tuning the distribution grid and the edge resources within it in real time will emerge. Dynamic Modulation will enable utilities to better manage grid frequency and voltage levels with sensors for better demand management, load management, quality of service, and enhanced reliability.

7) Energy Municipal Utility District (eMUD) – (page 213) –

eMUDs will emerge in a similar fashion than water MUDs became a viable business model. Distributed Energy Resource advances such as Distributed Generation (e.g. solar PV), Community Energy Storage, and aggregated Demand Response, will become the basis for eMUDs to emerge and provide new local energy options for residential and commercial customers with or without connection to the utility grid. I expect electric utilities to be proactive in supporting this trendsby offering new services for a monthly fee such as back-up power, Volt/VAR modulation, etc.

8) Resource Islanding – (page 190) –

This new strategy will become a dynamic mechanism to manage the voluntary or involuntary off-grid functioning of a premise, community, or local area that has the capability to provide power for itself, or export power back to the grid. Resource Islanding will be required for managing dynamic Distributed Energy Resources on the distribution grid.

9) Peer-to-Peer Energy Trading (P2PET) – (page 212) –

P2PET will enable wheeling of power from the edge when Distributed Generation (e.g. solar PV), energy storage, and Demand Response are integrated within the Advanced Smart Grid and the utility adopts a Distribution Systems Operator (DSO) role for formally coordinated distributed resources within its service territory.

10) Energy Roaming – (page 208) –

Accounting transactions within a utility service territory to allow you to charge your electricity back to your master account regardless of where you charge will be the first incarnation of energy roaming. Once utilities enable the systems to manage such programs the next phase will start to happen as well. In this second phase, utilities will offer intra-utility energy roaming by enabling their back offices for Electric Vehicle charging that decouple energy service from the commodity energy sale, making the service open to be provided by third parties will emerge as a new viable business model. The proliferation of deregulated and competitive retailers will start to transform energy services across the globe.

Investment in Smart T&D Technologies in Asia Pacific to Total $123 Billion

noreply@blogger.com (Andres Carvallo) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 20:38:00 +0000

http://www.electricenergyonline.com/?page=show_news&id=161203

By Pike Research

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Boulder, CO, October 14, 2011 - Seeking to lower the ratio of electricity consumption to economic output, reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions via demand management, and encourage energy efficiency, utilities and governments across the Asia Pacific region are investing heavily in smart grid technologies. Transitioning to a smart grid is seen as a key goal of national energy policy by governments in China, Japan, South Korea, India, and other APAC nations. While much of the market attention has focused on advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), transmission upgrades and distribution automation (DA) systems actually represent the largest opportunities within APAC. According to a recent report from Pike Research, cumulative revenue from transmission upgrades alone will total $93 billion between 2010 and 2017. Cumulative revenue from smart transmission and distribution (T&D) systems will reach $123.3 billion, representing 72% of all APAC smart grid investment over that period.

AMI revenue in Asia Pacific will total $25.6 billion from 2010 to 2017, the cleantech market intelligence firm forecasts.

“Market potential for the smart grid in APAC is directly related to China’s huge investments in installing the essential components of power infrastructure over the next decade,” says senior analyst Andy Bae. “And China’s smart grid commitments are closely related to the country’s urgent power imbalance issues. China is attempting to solve these problems via the full completion of transmission capabilities.”

Indeed, smart grid strategies vary widely according to each country’s priorities and most urgent needs. In China, most investment priorities will target T&D upgrades, especially in ultra-high voltage and ultra-high voltage direct current construction. Japan, on the other hand, will take a much wider and systematic approach to creating world-leading green social systems by leveraging its existing leadership in IT and high-end technologies, while South Korea plans to form an advanced smart grid structure by leveraging its technology leadership in the IT and communications space.

Pike Research’s report, “Smart Grid in Asia Pacific”, provides an in-depth analysis of market drivers, business models and applications, and technology issues for the development of the smart grid in key markets within the Asia Pacific region. The study includes detailed forecasts by application area for China, Japan, Korea, Australia, India, and the ASEAN region. Profiles are also provided for more than 30 key industry players. An Executive Summary of the report is available for free download on the firm’s website.

Pike Research is a market research and consulting firm that provides in-depth analysis of global clean technology markets. The company’s research methodology combines supply-side industry analysis, end-user primary research and demand assessment, and deep examination of technology trends to provide a comprehensive view of the Smart Energy, Smart Grid, Smart Transportation, Smart Industry, and Smart Buildings sectors.

Seven Auto Manufacturers Collaborate on Harmonized Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Solution

noreply@blogger.com (Andres Carvallo) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 17:51:00 +0000

http://www.electricenergyonline.com/?page=show_news&id=161153

• Audi, BMW, Daimler, Ford, General Motors, Porsche and Volkswagen agreed to support a harmonized single-port fast charging approach for use on electric vehicles in Europe and the United States

• The system is a combined charging approach that integrates all charging scenarios into one vehicle inlet/charging connector and uses identical ways for the vehicle to communicate with the charging station

• The seven auto manufacturers also agreed to use HomePlug GreenPHY as the communication protocol. This approach will facilitate integration of the electric vehicle into future smart grid applications

• Agreeing upon a single, harmonized DC fast charging system, we believe will help infrastructure planning, reduce vehicle complexity and improve the ownership experience for electric vehicle customers

Recognizing the importance of a single international approach for DC fast charging, Audi, BMW, Daimler, Ford, General Motors, Porsche and Volkswagen have agreed on the combined charging system as an international standardized approach to charge electric vehicles (EV) in Europe and the United States.

The system is a combined charging approach integrating all charging scenarios into one vehicle inlet/charging connector and uses identical ways for the vehicle to communicate with the charging station. This allows electric vehicles from Audi, BMW, Daimler, Ford, General Motors, Porsche and Volkswagen can share the same fast charging stations.

The seven auto manufacturers believe the development of a common charging approach is good for customers, the industry and charging infrastructure providers. Standardization will reduce build complexity for manufacturers, accelerate the installation of common systems internationally and most importantly, improve the ownership experience for EV drivers.

The endorsement of the combined charging system was based on reviews and analysis of existing charging strategies, the ergonomics of the connector and the preferences of customers in both the United States and Europe. The harmonized approach – across both continents and all manufacturers - will provide a framework for future infrastructure planning as well as a communication protocol to assist in the integration of electric vehicles into the smart grids.

The seven auto manufacturers also agreed to use HomePlug GreenPHY as the communication protocol. This approach will also facilitate integration of the electric vehicle into future smart grid applications.

Automakers point to the success of Level 1 and Level 2 (for 220V charging in the U.S.) as an example of how standardization will increase the adoption of electric vehicles and increase customer satisfaction. The harmonized electric vehicle charging solution is backward compatible with the J1772 connector standard in the U.S. Backward compatibility also has been achieved in Europe where the system is based on the IEC 62196 Type 2. The approval of the J1772 standard has given electric vehicle owners the comfort of knowing they can charge at all Level 2 charging stations. Prior to standardization an EV owner had no way of knowing if the charge port they were pulling up to was compatible with their vehicle.

Metcalfe's Law--Interoperability and the Smart Grid

noreply@blogger.com (Andres Carvallo) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 01:01:00 +0000

Several times during the past 18 months, while I was speaking and participating at smart grid conferences, people in the audience have asked questions regarding standards and interoperability. In one particular event, our panel moderator was formulating an answer as he repeated the question, but before he had a chance to respond, another panelist chirped in, “Standards? That’s yesterday’s news. Now that NIST has published the 1.0 framework, everything is resolved.”

Ah, if only this were the case. While I congratulate my friend George Arnold, national coordinator of smart grid operability at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and his colleagues for their excellent, much needed efforts to architect the “NIST Framework and Roadmap for Smart Grid Interoperability Standards, Release 1.0,” this is just the beginning—not the end—of the smart grid interoperability and standards journey. That’s because many questions remain unanswered:

•With this framework, what are the ramifications for how the smart grid gets designed?

•Which vendors will adopt any of these standards, and which of the standards will they adopt?

•How will this NIST framework change how smart grid technology is developed and deployed?

•Why do standards and interoperability matter so much anyway?

At Austin Energy as CIO, I led the build out of the first smart grid in the U.S. and worked closely with many interdisciplinary teams in selection, procurement, design, deployment, and operations, and I can assure you that:

1.Adopting standards-based technologies with the goal of deploying interoperable systems is easy to talk about but difficult to achieve,

2.Not all standards implementations behave equally, and not all play an equal role in the smart grid build out, and

3.It’s what standards enable via interoperability—what benefits they confer to the overall smart grid ecosystem—that really matters.

I’ll start by elaborating on my first and last points: what standards enable in the smart grid, and why it’s so devilishly difficult to implement interoperable, standards-based technologies. In the past year, I’ve been exhorting my industry friends and colleagues to think about the smart grid more as a collection of networks; after all, lots of networks already exist in the grid. The smart grid challenge is about connecting these networks (and, in the case of the last mile of meters, connecting devices for the first time) into a scalable, reliable, real-time network of networks. I think it also must be an all-Internet Protocol (IP) network, too. Without standards and interoperability, this level of connectivity isn’t cost-effectively possible. At Austin Energy, our chosen standards to integrate our smart grid were based on application integration—layer 7 at the Open System Interconnection (OSI) Model. So we chose Web Services (SOAP, WSDL and XML) as core standards to leverage and ensure the most interoperability possible among applications and middleware. I wish that instead of integrating at the application layer only, we also could have integrated at the networking management layers (OSI layers 2, 3 and 4) with a standards-based network management system for smart grid devices.

But the potential payoff of a network of networks is mighty enticing. A fully connected, real-time, interoperable smart grid network would offer utilities (and their customers) many powerful benefits, such as:

•A unified view into grid operations and activities (e.g., true electric device interoperability and data integration),

•A means to respond more quickly and efficiently to unplanned events, such as outages, and restoration via self-healing technologies,

•With insights from experience and analysis, the ability to proactively manage and predict usage and load (e.g., predictive conditioning and management),

•More effective, targeted interactions with end customers regarding their energy consumption and preferences (e.g., time-of-use pricing, dynamic demand management programs, etc.), and

•A means to incorporate centrally generated renewables such as wind, solar and biomass and distributed energy such as electric vehicles and solar photovoltaics into the existing grid.

So why is it so hard to implement interoperable technologies? This gets to my second point: Not all standards behave equally. Standards are like architectural blueprints; they’re important guidelines, but contractors build the houses. So, too, it is with standards. How they are instantiated into technology will depend on the preferences, inclinations and limitations of the builders or vendors. NIST has laid down important, specific and pragmatic smart grid interoperability guidelines. It’s time for vendors to respond with equally thoughtful guideline interpretations in proven, tested, interoperable products.

How can my utility industry friends and colleagues be sure they’ve selected the right smart grid build out contractors? Consider that:

•Metcalfe’s Law applies when it comes to the smart grid. Pay attention to the network effect of key standards and their implementations. Look at how and where customers and vendors are coalescing because they signal a proven, interoperable technology. Networking giant Cisco Systems, for example, built its multibillion-dollar Internet business based on steadfast support of all-IP technology. It pledges to do the same in the smart grid, so choosing products and technologies that are part of Cisco’s partner ecosystem and investments is probably safe.

•The best, most important standards have been formed with significant utility input. IEC CIM 61968-9, the interoperability standard for distribution management interfaces (including meter reading), was developed and vetted in a multiyear process through the governance of the International Electromechanical Commission (IEC) and with ample contributions and oversight by participating utilities. This standard is essential in enabling application integration across vendors and technologies. Vendors that have implemented this standard with active deployments also are likely to be safe for utilities.

•Selective deployment of standards doesn’t deliver pervasive interoperability. If a vendor has implemented standards in only a portion of its solution, in only a finite number of devices or in only certain applications, then buyer beware. This vendor is merely paying lip service to standards adherence. Building standards into a diversity of devices, networks and software applications is difficult and time-consuming, but unless products are engineered this way, they won’t deliver necessary return on investment to end customers. IP-based isn’t the same as all-IP; the former refers to a proprietary networking technology, and the latter refers to the ubiquitous standard used throughout the Internet backbone.

To borrow a baseball metaphor, when it comes to smart grid standards, we still are in the early innings. Because the pace of innovation keeps accelerating, we are all likely to see many new, exciting smart grid developments.

That’s great because the utility industry needs the choice, rapid innovation and cost-effective price competition that result from a standards-based vendor ecosystem. It’s not so good because such rapid innovation puts utilities on a steep, ever-changing learning curve. In this industry, cooperation is the norm, not the exception. We all can learn from each other’s experiences. Here’s to a great ball game.

Austin Energy recognized as #1 Smart Grid in the nation

noreply@blogger.com (Andres Carvallo) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 19:50:00 +0000

Wow. It is an honor to be recognized for the work that we achieved at Austin Energy from 2003 – 2010.

We clearly transformed and set-up a great future trajectory for Austin Energy for the next decade, during my tenure there.

And we also came up with the Pecan Street Project, its vision, and won the DOE funding for it. Lots of great things to be proud of.

Some would call it “American earned exceptionalism”.

I salute my friends and colleagues at Austin Energy and encourage them to continue executing the vision and strategy that we created together.

The details of that journey can be found in my new book “The Advanced Smart Grid: Edge Power Driving Sustainability” - http://www.theadvancedsmartgrid.com/

FierceSmartGrid names the Top 5 Smart Grid Utility Leaders of 2011

1. Austin Energy-FierceSmartGrid Fierce 5

2. Salt River Project-FierceSmartGrid Fierce 5

3. Portland General Electric-FierceSmartGrid Fierce 5

4. Pacific Gas and Electric Company-FierceSmartGrid Fierce 5

5. San Diego Gas & Electric-FierceSmartGrid Fierce 5

Honorable Mention-CenterPoint Energy

Honorable Mention-Oncor

http://www.fiercesmartgrid.com/special-reports/fiercesmartgrid-names-top-5-smart-grid-utility-leaders-201-your-company-fie?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal

Andres Carvallo to Keynote at Gridweek

noreply@blogger.com (Andres Carvallo) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 03:49:00 +0000

Andres Carvallo will address Gridweek 2011 - http://www.gridweek.com/2011/ - on Wednesday and share key strategic solutions to some of the most difficult challenges holding back smart grid deployments worldwide.

Mr. Carvallo will emphasize key Advanced Smart Grid Network Management concepts and architectures. You won’t want to miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to hear from the creator of the very first city-wide smart grid in the US in Austin, Texas, who was also the very first chief architect of the Pecan Street Project, and who is now the executive vice president and chief strategy officer at Proximetry and the co-author of the best-selling book “The Advanced Smart Grid”.

The Advanced Smart Grid - Chapter 7 Excerpt

noreply@blogger.com (Andres Carvallo) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 14:17:00 +0000

Integrated Energy Storage, Virtual Power Plants, and Micro-Grids

Electrical energy storage at utility scale remains both the Holy Grail for electric industry redesign and one of the most vexing energy technology challenges. Storage applications may include: peak shaving (load leveling) systems to help commercial and industrial users manage electricity costs under variable utility tariffs and to help utilities manage generating assets to minimize waste; renewable integration systems to help power producers, utilities, and end users cope with the inherent variability of wind and solar power, transforming it into firm, dispatchable power, and to better match peak wind and solar output with peak demand; power quality systems to protect commercial and industrial users from interruptions that cost an estimated $75–200 billion per year in lost time, lost commerce, and damage to equipment; and transmission and distribution support systems to help utilities reduce grid congestion, defer upgrades, and minimize waste.

Because utilities still depend on spinning reserve and other supply-side strategies to ensure reliability—and even do long-term planning on the assumption that energy storage will not be viable in the foreseeable future—adding energy storage into the system will significantly disrupt the current energy ecosystem. Implementing an advanced smart grid will help utilities to develop a vision based on the potential of affordable energy storage, where they will move from R&D to active trials of various technologies in different parts of their service territory.

The use of energy storage does not need to concern any loss of comfort or convenience, but rather to accept some minor sharing of the resource in a collective strategy to pull in a new resource that has never existed before. An advanced smart grid will enable solutions that leverage distributed energy resources, tapping into some that haven’t yet been conceived. Integration with other assets, including distributed generation, demand response, electric vehicles (EVs), virtual power plants (VPPs), micro-grids, and utility-side smart grid technologies will be vital to maximizing the value of each individual new resource, but also of the collective advanced smart grid. With a network and smart grid optimization engine, all these distributed elements can be optimized and their potential realized.

Challenges in creating a utility energy storage program from a strategic perspective will include not only energy storage integration, but also designing the system and prioritizing energy storage locations. Energy storage is likely to be located where there is congestion on the grid.

The role of energy storage in a disaster recovery situation will need to be considered. Energy storage will be valuable in restoration of electricity service after a massive outage. Prioritizing distributed generation and energy storage for disaster shelters will buy utilities time, since there will be a minimal amount of power assured in those spots in the case of a prolonged outage. Co-location of distributed generation (DG) and energy storage (ES) with disaster shelters supports utility goals in a disaster recovery plan.

VPPs describe a demand-side alternative to accommodate growth in peak demand to the traditional supply-side alternative of adding a natural gas power plant, commonly referred to as a peaking unit or a peaker.

At the micro level, VPPs require technology to be refined at the scale of a single distribution feeder or neighborhood.

At the macro level, integrating a VPP system to the grid will require the ability to manage new levels of complexity in remote sensing, control, and dispatch. Integration of the complex VPP systems will require the utility control center to be able to “see” the status and availability of such distributed capacity. The complexity of system dispatch with these types of resources will require automated decision-making to signal a direct load curtailment condition to DR resources to make optimal use of these new resources and integrate into the larger system portfolio.

New control software now available in the market is designed to enable utilities to manage the numerous and complex dispatch requirements of such distributed energy resources as VPPs. Intelligent edge devices such as smart meters, smart routers, and smart inverters are now capable of communicating their operational status, calculating the ramifications of their actions on their surrounding environment, and making decisions to change their state in real time so that the network becomes self-healing and self-adapting. Autonomous, edge-based decision-making maintains safe energy flows, minimizes service disruptions, and, perhaps most importantly, helps to avoid catastrophic damage. Such a distributed network of smart devices connected to VPPs will provide them the intelligence they need to create new demand action capabilities that integrate new edge-based resources seamlessly with the advanced smart grid.

VPPs and micro-grids represent an emerging resource and application of creative bundling of multiple technologies. New concepts and thinking about how a grid works will be needed for these approaches to take hold.

For instance, while initial adopters of these solutions may have off-grid operations in mind, which we call Step 1 or “disconnect”), the actual realization of these concepts will be difficult. Step 2 could be called “independent operation,” and it will borrow from our knowledge of how we operate the grid today and concepts in this book about future operational protocols. Step 3 is likely to concern the previous discussion on resource islanding, with a focus on “reconnection for reliability.” Step 4, which we could call “replacement,” will finally be realized as NFTE is implemented as policy. As VPPs and micro-grids mature, they will become the LANs and WANs in the Smart Grid 3.0 world, connected by an energy Internet and offering new levels of independence and interdependence that we have barely contemplated today.

• Where the early grid developers embraced access to cheap, plentiful fossil fuels like coal, petroleum, and natural gas, building ever larger, more efficient coal-fired power plants, today we’re challenged to avoid the carbon that results from burning fossil fuels.

• Where grid resources on the supply side expanded to meet a growing population and increasing use of electricity, today we’re challenged to involve consumers to avoid peak load by making better use of existing and new types of distributed energy resources.

• Where production and distribution of electricity were central to planning and building the grid, today we also focus on our built infrastructure to use energy more efficiently and to better understand energy consumption behavior patterns.

• Using cost plus ratemaking to establish revenue targets for regulated utilities, the keystone of the twentieth-century “regulatory compact” that allowed monopoly franchises is giving way today to considerations of ecosystem impacts, decoupling, and more frequent true ups to meet the needs of society and a variety of stakeholders in a more dynamic environment.

• When information used to be scarce and expensive, utilities devised ingenious, artful methods to plan and operate the complex grid, but in today’s environment of abundant, low-cost information, we are challenged to add sensors to gather ever more data, and then use data analytics to plan, operate, and manage complexity.

• Late in the twentieth century, retail competition showed faltering progress and potential, and while markets still have a prominent role to play, in the twenty-first century communities out on the edge will leverage social networking, smart mobile devices, and other lessons learned from the Internet to identify and deliver greater value.

• Finally, where automated meter reading (AMR) evolved into advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and led the charge to deliver a smart grid, in the twenty-first century we will need a more expansive definition of smart grid, based on a new smart grid architecture to incorporate edge power by design, which we call the advanced smart grid.

An excerpt from The Advanced Smart Grid: Edge Power Driving Sustainability by Andres Carvallo and John Cooper © 2011 Artech House, Inc. Reprinted with permission of the publisher. The book is available at www.ArtechHouse.com.

The Advanced Smart Grid Approach - Chapter 2 Excerpt

noreply@blogger.com (Andres Carvallo) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 00:49:00 +0000

The process involved in deploying an advanced smart grid is noteworthy in three key areas. First, the utility pursues access to an IP network architecture capable of supporting all of its communication and application needs going forward. In this build versus buy decision, the utility has three options: build and own a network or networks, lease space on a commercial network or networks, or the third choice and probably the most likely: choose a hybrid of the two. Second, the utility leverages a smart grid optimization engine that enables it to avoid the multiple integration projects required in the first generation approach above while building the advanced smart grid, but also to do much more. The smart grid optimization engine provides dynamic balancing of volt/VAR levels based on real-time data inputs from a multitude of devices. But the smart grid optimization engine also provides the ability to control the devices and the grid in real time. The smart grid optimization engine anticipates a much more complex environment, where two-way power flow occurs as the norm rather than the exception. Finally, the utility leverages standards-based digital devices in the field, substituting for proprietary devices that it had previously relied on.

A New Energy Enterprise Architecture and Smart Grid Optimization Engine

Why are a new architecture and smart grid optimization engine needed for the advanced smart grid? In order to manage complex and growing databases, more and more granular decision making is required to use that data, so utility managers need an architecture that provides access to a universal set of timely data, and visibility of system operations of the entire organization. Accuracy and timeliness depend not just on which database the data is drawn from, but when that database was refreshed and so on. Without such a management system, utility management has what one utility executive has described as “ten thousand versions of the truth.” At any particular point in time, a utility manager in an energy control center must ask, “What is real, right now?” With inadequate, incomplete, and/or out-of-date information, the definition of reality becomes skewed and highly subjective. At a minimum, management decisions that rely on a subjective interpretation of reality lose effectiveness, with risks escalating from there.

Utilities today have a fragmented view of operations derived from the silos approach and dependence on proprietary technologies that lack the ability to communicate with each other. Beyond operations, the fragmented view impacts utility system planning as well. At the beginning of each week, electric utility managers design on paper an electric network model based on anticipated conditions, which describes the current status of all the systems that comprise the distribution grid, but the planned design they envision is not maintained throughout the week. In fact, walking through an energy control center today would show multiple operational units monitoring and managing different parts of the grid, from DCS to EMS/SCADA to OMS to AMI to DR, each with a distinct view of the state of the grid provided by the stand-alone proprietary systems. It is left to the human grid operators in the control center to integrate these disparate views of the grid and make management decisions with the information they have at hand.

Features and Benefits of an Integrated Energy Ecosystem

A smart grid optimization engine, as described above, becomes an essential component of the advanced smart grid. Let us explore in more detail the features of this new visionary tool. First, a smart grid optimization engine would need to provide universal management functionality; it should be capable of running on any conceivable IP network (i.e., wired networks such as fiber and Ethernet, or wireless networks such as 3G, Wi-Fi, WiMAX, or LTE). Second, it is critical that the smart grid optimization engine provide complete security that is NIST, NERC CIP, and FIPS compliant; it should support end-to-end security, from the devices at one end, on through the software running on the devices, to the network transporting the data, down to the databases hosting the data, and to the utility NOC presenting the data. Third, the smart grid optimization engine should be capable of operating at near real-time speeds—at 100 milliseconds or less—and be able to fully support Internet Protocol (IP). Instant communication will be needed to support the functionality of an advanced smart grid.

Fourth, a smart grid optimization engine should provide superb interoperability; it should be able to support all electric devices (e.g., transformers, feeders, switches, capacitor banks, meters, inverters) from any vendor, because utilities are unlikely to settle for a reduced set of options when it comes to finding the right devices and applications to run their grids. Fifth, a smart grid optimization engine should be capable of growing to meet future needs. Such massive scalability will be needed—when the distributed energy resources now under development become commercially viable and begin deployment, millions of new devices will come under utility management purview. Finally, the smart grid optimization engine deployed to run the advanced smart grid must not only be affordable, it has to be economically competitive on a total cost of ownership basis: it must be more affordable than a dedicated multi-network solution it intends to replace and offer the lowest total cost of ownership (TCO).

Beyond features, what benefits would be expected to derive from such a smart grid optimization engine? First, the smart grid optimization engine would be expected to provide enhanced energy efficiency, not only improving distribution grid reliability and power quality but also reducing distribution line losses. Second, the smart grid optimization engine would certainly provide improved operational efficiency, based on new capabilities such as real-time monitoring and control at the NOC level, self-healing network functionality on the grid, and adaptive distribution feeders managing the distribution circuits all over the utility service territory. Third, the smart grid optimization engine would offer greater customer satisfaction, as proactive outage and restoration services were enacted, as enhanced energy products and services were made available, and as retail energy products were bundled based on targeted customer needs. Fourth, the smart grid optimization engine would contribute mightily to societal and utility goals for a gentler utility environmental impact, whether from reduced or sequestered CO2 emissions, better use of existing infrastructure, closed fossil fuel plants, or from leadership in meeting regulatory requirements. Finally, the smart grid optimization engine would provide tremendous economic benefit, as it reduced capital and operating budgets based on its more effective use of system inputs and infrastructure.

The Advanced Smart Grid - Chapter 1 Excerpt

noreply@blogger.com (Andres Carvallo) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 15:34:00 +0000

On March 5, 2004, Andres Carvallo defined the smart grid as follows. “The smart grid is the integration of an electric grid, a communications network, software, and hardware to monitor, control, and manage the creation, distribution, storage and consumption of energy. The smart grid of the future will be distributed, it will be interactive, it will be self-healing, and it will communicate with every device.”

And he also defined an advanced smart grid as follows. “An advanced smart grid enables the seamless integration of utility infrastructure, with buildings, homes, electric vehicles, distributed generation, energy storage, and smart devices to increase grid reliability, energy efficiency, renewable energy use, and customer satisfaction, while reducing capital and operating costs.”

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released a handbook on the smart grid in 2009, and in the first few pages, made a distinction between a “smarter grid” and a “smart grid.” By this reasoning, the former is achievable with today’s technologies, while the latter is more of a vision of what will be achievable as a myriad of technologies come on line and as multiple transformations reengineer the current grid. The DOE vision for a smart grid uses these adjectives: intelligent, efficient, accommodating, motivating, opportunistic, quality-focused, resilient, and green.

In effect, all definitions of the smart grid, envision some future state with certain defined qualities. So for purposes of discussion and clarity, we have adopted a convention for this book in which we refer to smart grids today as first generation smart grids, or Smart Grid 1.0, if you will. Our vision for the future we define as second generation smart grids, or Smart Grid 2.0, or as in the title of this book, we simply refer to the advanced smart grid. And at the end of this book, we envision a future where the smart grid has evolved to an even more advanced state, which we call Smart Grid 3.0.

We use a key distinguishing feature to mark the difference between smart grids as they’re envisioned today and how they will evolve as experience is gained and a more expansive vision—our more expansive vision, we hope—is adopted. The difference, while it may seem trivial at first, is fundamental, and that has to do with the starting point for the smart grid project. If the project starts off with an application then that smart grid by our definition must be a Smart Grid 1.0 project. If on the other hand, the starting point is a deliberate architecture, design and integrated IP network(s) that supports any application choice, then it is a Smart Grid 2.0, or an advanced smart grid project.

Nearly all smart grid projects today start with a compelling application, whether generation automation (e.g., distributed control systems), substation automation (e.g., SCADA/EMS), distribution automation (e.g., distribution management system, outage management system, or geospatial information system), demand response, or meter automation, and then design a dedicated communication network that is capable of supporting the functionality of each stand-alone application. Evolved from the silos of the current utility ecosystem (i.e., generation, transmission, distribution, metering, and retail services), the first generation smart grid carries with it a significant level of complexity, often perceived as a natural aspect of a smart grid project.

In fact, a considerable amount of the complexity and cost of a first generation smart grid project derives from its application-layer orientation. Starting at Layer 7 of the OSI Stack, the application layer—regardless of the application—requires complex integration projects to enable grid interoperability, from the start of the smart grid project onward into the future. As additional applications and devices are added to the smart grid, whether as part of the original deployment or subsequently and over time, the evolving smart grid must be integrated to ensure system interoperability and sustained grid operations. In short, starting with the application brings greater complexity, which comes at the expense of long-term grid optimization.

The advanced smart grid perspective begins with a basic tenet. At its core, a smart grid transition is about managing and monitoring applications and devices by leveraging information to gain efficiency for short-term and long-term financial, environmental, and societal benefits. For a system architecture whose principal goal is to leverage information on behalf of customer outcomes, it makes better sense to start with use cases, define necessary processes, choose application requirements, optimize data management and communication designs, and then make infrastructure decisions. A primary focus on the appropriate design process ensures that the system will do what it is meant to do. This key insight—starting at the network layers rather than the application layer—produces the appropriate architecture and design, and drives incredible benefits measured not only in hard cost benefits, but also in soft strategic and operational benefits.

Network-layer change stresses investment in a future-proof architecture and network that will be able to accomplish not only the defined goals of the present and near-term future, but also the undefined but likely expansive needs of a dynamic digital future, replete with emerging innovative applications and equipment. A well-informed design and resilient integrated IP network foundation puts the utility in a position of strength, able to choose from best-of-breed solutions as they emerge, adapting the network to new purposes and functionality, consistently driving costs out by leveraging information in new ways. The advanced smart grid is foundational; we go so far as to say that its emergence is inevitable.

The advanced smart grid is bound to emerge for two principal reasons. First, electricity is an essential component of modern life, without which we revert to life as it was in the mid-nineteenth century. The loss of electrical power, even for just a few hours, is the ultimate disruption to the way we live. We simply cannot live as a modern society without electricity. And second, at its core, technological progress is all about individual empowerment. But only recently have advances in component miniaturization, computers, software, networking, and device power management technology and the standards that drive their pace of innovation combined to enable individual empowerment in the electric utility industry. A new distributed grid architecture is beginning to emerge that will not only ensure future reliability, but also empower individuals in new ways.

Networks and individual empowerment define twenty-first century technology. It is inevitable that the design of advanced smart grids will begin with a network orientation that is able to accommodate any and all network devices and applications that will emerge in the future. It is also inevitable that advanced smart grids will evolve to ensure an abundant and sustainable supply of electricity and to empower individuals to manage their own production, distribution, and consumption of this essential commodity. The advanced smart grid must be robust, flexible, and adaptable, so it will be; as projects move along the learning curve, society who will insist on an advanced smart grid.

An excerpt from The Advanced Smart Grid: Edge Power Driving Sustainability by Andres Carvallo and John Cooper © 2011 Artech House, Inc. Reprinted with permission of the publisher. The book is available at www.ArtechHouse.com.

The Advanced Smart Grid - Best Selling Book - Gets website

noreply@blogger.com (Andres Carvallo) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 22:28:00 +0000

"Far and away the best book yet about the smart grid. Just the right blend between theory and practice. I especially appreciate the way the Carvallo and Cooper talk not just about what smart grid is today, but also about what it could and should be tomorrow. And about why and how to start with a solid foundation capable of carrying the weight of those larger ambitions. Must reading." - Jesse Berst, Smart Grid News

For all the details on the book content, authors, reviews, excerpts, in the news links, and more, please click to official website link

http://www.theadvancedsmartgrid.com/

Intelligent Utility Magazine shares on my new book

noreply@blogger.com (Andres Carvallo) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 20:56:00 +0000

Kate Rowland and her team at the Intelligent Utility Magazine were kind enough to publish three pagesof their choice out of my new book - The Advanced Smart Grid - http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/energycentral/iu_20110708/#/48

It is quite a privilage to get such an endorsement.

Knwobility hosting SightSoundSoul

noreply@blogger.com (Andres Carvallo) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:01:00 +0000

I am writing today to ask you to make a donation to help Knowbility, the nonprofit that I serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors. We have been invited to produce a series of activities including a unique art performance event at the Southwest Conference on Disability in October of 2011. Donating is easy to do and hundreds of people with disabilities will benefit. Your donation of $5, $10, $20 or more will provide an unforgettable experience.

SightSoundSoul is a performance event that makes music and art accessible. People who are deaf and those who hear, the blind and the sighted all participate in the creative energy as a painting takes shape on stage while New Orleans jazz pianist Henry Butler soulfully plays his music. American Sign Language, open captioning, audio description, and real time painting engage all of the senses. SightSoundSoul is joyful expression and shared experience - and how cool is that?

Please visit the Kickstarter web site for SightSoundSoul and make your donation now. In addition to this event, Knowbility will present their programs and services to more than 1000 conference attendees to demonstrate how technology improves the lives of people with disabilities.

Thank you for your support and enjoy the event !!!

Andres Carvallo's new book - "The Advanced Smart Grid"

noreply@blogger.com (Andres Carvallo) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 16:35:00 +0000

Title:

The Advanced Smart Grid

Content:

The Inevitable Evolution of Smart Grids. The Rationale for an Advanced Smart Grid. Vision, Planning, and Initiative. Smart Grid 1.0: From Power Plant to Meters. The National Perspective on Smart Grid. Interfacing with Distributed Energy Resources (DER). Smart Grid 2.0 Emerges: An Integrated, Advanced Smart Grid. The Potential of Advanced Smart Grids. Fast Forward to Smart Grid 3.0

Overview:

Placing emphasis on practical "how-to" guidance, this cutting-edge resource provides you with a first-hand, insider’s perspective on the advent and evolution of smart grids in the 21st century (smart grid 1.0). You gain a thorough understanding of the building blocks that comprise basic smart grids, including power plant, transmission substation, distribution, and meter automation. Moreover, this forward-looking volume explores the next step of this technology’s evolution. It provides a detailed explanation of how an advanced smart grid incorporates demand response with smart appliances and management mechanisms for distributed generation, energy storage, and electric vehicles.

The Advanced Smart Grid uses the design and construction of the first citywide smart grid in the US as a case study, sharing the many successes and lessons learned. You gain working knowledge of successful tools and best practices that are needed to overcome diverse technological and organizational challenges as you strive to build a next-generation advanced smart grid (smart grid 2.0). Additionally, this unique book offers a glimpse at the future with interconnected advanced smart grids and a redesigned energy ecosystem (smart grid 3.0).

Reviews:

“The Advanced Smart Grid is the visionary book on smart grids. It is the right book for these times. If you read only one book on the smart grid – you have already picked the right one.” - William R. Moroney, President & Chief Executive Officer Utilities Telecom Council

“In The Advanced Smart Grid, Andres Carvallo and John Cooper give us insight into how the evolution and integration of ICT and the electric system will power our 21st century economy.” – George W. Arnold, National Coordinator for Smart Grid Interoperability at NIST and U.S. Department of Commerce

“Carvallo and Cooper deliver in The Advanced Smart Grid a practical approach and candid opinions that bring clarity to the advancement of Smart Grid.” – Guido Bartels, Chairman, Global Smart Grid Federation; Board Member and Former Chairman, Gridwise Alliance; and Member of the Electricity Advisory Committee, US Department of Energy

"The Advanced Smart Grid by Carvallo and Cooper should be required reading for anyone attempting to get up to speed quickly with respect to the smart grid" - Rick Nicholson, Group Vice President, IDC Energy Insights

“The Advanced Smart Grid: Edge Power Driving Sustainability presents a compelling roadmap for anyone who wants to learn how they can participate in building this future." – Brewster McCracken, Executive Director, Pecan Street Project

“Carvallo and Cooper have written a thought-provoking and holistic view of the future history of the smart grid. This is an important read for anyone interested in the intersection of innovation with the democratization of energy.” - Laura Ipsen, SVP/GM, Connected Energy, Cisco Systems

“Carvallo and Cooper have written a book that is long overdue, as smart grid made its way into the public lexicon before it had a chance to be understood or defined. Their cogent explanation and perspective will help both technical and non-technical players navigate the confusing world of smart grid. Public policy around this multi-billion dollar industry could benefit significantly.” -- Laura Doll, ERCOT Board of Directors Chairman

"Smart Grid has entered the popular lexicon, but it is the rare individual that can actually explain its meaning, rationale, and potential. Carvallo and Cooper concisely provide a compelling read for layperson and expert alike." -- Paul Hudson, Former Texas Public Utility Commission Chairman

"The Advanced Smart Grid: Edge Power Driving Sustainability is a timely, comprehensive and insightful overview of the powerful potential that a truly advanced smart grid has in the U.S. power industry. Carvallo and Cooper deliver a must-read for anyone interested in the promise and capability of these fast-evolving networks - from novices to seasoned professionals." – Laura Chappelle, Former Michigan Public Service Commission Chairman

“The emergence and growth of the Smart Grid is a development that affects us all and requires our ongoing attention and understanding in order to fully realize the benefits and opportunities. Carvallo and Cooper deliver in The Advanced Smart Grid: Edge Power Driving Sustainability an excellent resource to heighten our understanding and bring this important infrastructure integration concept to the next level and beyond.” - Stuart R. Bell, Dean of the School of Engineering at the University of Kansas

"The Advanced Smart Grid represents a valuable perspective for utility executives and engineers, investment bankers, technology vendors, university professors, and graduate and undergraduate engineering students working on Smart Grid." - Rajit Gadh, Professor at the Henry Samuel School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at the University of California Los Angeles

"Carvallo and Cooper share an excellent introduction to Smart Grid technologies, focusing on the essential role of a systematic approach to telecommunications, and including visions of future exciting scenarios." – Ross Baldick, Professor at the Department of Engineering and Computer Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin

"Carvallo and Cooper show enthusiasm and share extensive knowledge of emerging Smart Grids and future possibilities. They present challenges of distributed generation, dealing with the plethora of data, and balancing grid operation and consumer privacy. They use their extensive 'hands on' experiences to describe how to build a smart grid and list techniques for others." - Gary J. Minden, Information and Telecommunications Technology Center at The University of Kansas

Where to buy the book:

The book can be bought at www.amazon.com, www.borders.com, www.barnesandnoble.com and other online bookstores.

ISO launches ISO 50001 energy management standard

noreply@blogger.com (Andres Carvallo) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 16:56:00 +0000

I am delighted to see that ISO has created an energy management best practices standard for companies and institutions to follow.

As the Smart Grid emerges globally, the proliferation of customer-owned connected devices and systems to Utility grid will explode. Here is what the ISO folks have to say on their website - http://www.iso.org/iso/pressrelease.htm?refid=Ref1434:

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With energy one of the most critical challenges facing the international community, the publication on 15 June of the ISO International Standard ISO 50001 on energy management systems is an eagerly awaited event because it is estimated the standard could have a positive impact on some 60 % of the world’s energy use.

ISO 50001 will provide public and private sector organizations with management strategies to increase energy efficiency, reduce costs and improve energy performance.

The standard will be available on the ISO Website www.iso.org on 15 June. In addition, ISO is launching the standard on 17 June at the Geneva International Conference Centre (CICG). Presentations on the following themes are planned:

-ISO 50001 within the context of ISO standards in general and how they can contribute to solving global problems

-A description of ISO 50001 and its benefits

-How the standard was developed, who was involved and how they overcame challenges

-What ISO 50001 can do for developing countries.

ISO Secretary General Rob Steele comments: “Energy is critical to organizational operations and can be a major cost to organizations, whatever their activities. An idea can be gained by considering the use of energy through the supply chain of a business, from raw materials through to recycling.

“Individual organizations cannot control energy prices, government policies or the global economy, but they can improve the way they manage energy in the here and now. Improved energy performance can provide rapid benefits for an organization by maximizing the use of its energy sources and energy-related assets, thus reducing both energy cost and consumption. The organization will also make positive contributions toward reducing depletion of energy resources and mitigating worldwide effects of energy use, such as global warming.

”ISO 50001 is intended to provide organizations with a recognized framework for integrating energy performance into their management practices. Multinational organizations will have access to a single, harmonized standard for implementation across the organization with a logical and consistent methodology for identifying and implementing improvements. The standard is intended to accomplish the following:

-Assist organizations in making better use of their existing energy-consuming assets

-Create transparency and facilitate communication on the management of energy resources

-Promote energy management best practices and reinforce good energy management behaviors

-Assist facilities in evaluating and prioritizing the implementation of new energy-efficient technologies

-Provide a framework for promoting energy efficiency throughout the supply chain

-Facilitate energy management improvements for greenhouse gas emission reduction projects

-Allow integration with other organizational management systems such as environmental, and health and safety.

Andres Carvallo Quoted in Washington Post

noreply@blogger.com (Andres Carvallo) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 20:30:00 +0000

Smart-grid technology gets electric utilities and consumers interconnected

By Katherine Salant, Published: June 10

In the world of home building, a phrase such as “the new American dream” conjures images of flashy show houses and the latest and greatest in features and materials. In the world of engineering it conveys something else altogether, as I learned at a conference at the University of Kansas last month.

The focus of the New American Dream symposium — jointly sponsored by KU’s Transportation Research Institute, its Interdisciplinary Research Initiative in Nature and Culture, and the university’s Commons partnership — was the “smart grid” and the evolving relationship between electric utilities and residential customers.

Not so long ago, electric utilities generated and sold electricity and customers consumed it. The customers paid the same kilowatt-per-hour price for the electricity, regardless of the time of day or the time of year. The utilities had no idea what the homeowners used the power for or when they used it. Their meters measured only total consumption. For decades, the system worked well.

But as homeowners began to acquire more electronic equipment and the majority in most service areas installed central air conditioning, the utilities came to dread days when the temperature topped 100 degrees, the humidity was off the charts and everyone sought relief by cranking up the air conditioning to the max.

To meet their peak-load demand during a summer’s 100 unbearably hottest hours, the utilities bought electricity from their competitors at a premium price or ran their own peak-load generators, which are highly polluting and expensive to operate. Compared with conventional generating equipment, peak-load generators are about eight to 10 times as costly to run.

The peak-load problem could be solved if utilities had a way to encourage customers to use less electricity on the hottest days, and if the customers knew in real time what the power was costing them on the hottest days as well as during off-peak periods.

The solution has been the “smart grid,” a digital two-way communication system between utilities and customers. In 2003, installation of the first smart grid began in Austin, where the green building movement began in the early 1990s. It took Austin Energy five years to complete the project. Today, many electric utilities around the country are planning or installing a smart-grid system.

Sharing information

How does a smart grid work? In each utility’s smart grid, every household has a “smart meter” outside and a display of consumption information inside. Depending on the system, a household can follow its consumption online in real time or within a few hours, or on a digital-display dashboard. The consumption information conveyed to customers can be extensive. At a minimum, it includes the amount of electricity being consumed, its cost per kilowatt hour, and the household’s accumulating total in the billing period. The information can also include the household’s accumulating electricity expenditure for the year and the size of the household’s carbon footprint for the billing period, the year or both. Pilot studies have shown that when households can follow their electricity consumption and its cost in real time, rather than receiving a bill weeks after consumption, they tend to use 5 to 15 percent less power.

As a further inducement, some utilities offer dynamic pricing — different kilowatt-per-hour rates, depending on the time of day and time of year. When this information is provided, a household can see exactly how much it can save by altering its routines. For example, families might do laundry and other household chores at night when rates are lower, or turn up the thermostat a degree or two during hot summer afternoons, when rates are highest.

In addition to the smart meters and in-home displays, some households will have a programmable, communicating thermostat that allows the local utility to control the homeowner’s use of central air conditioning during peak-load periods. With the homeowner’s permission, the utility sends a signal to the thermostat to reduce the number of times the air-conditioning compressor cycles on during a peak-load period.

Westar, a Kansas utility serving 685,000 customers, installed the first of its planned 90,000 “watt-saver” thermostats last year. When Westar’s central generating plant sends its signal to the watt-saver, it “messages” the customer’s air-conditioning compressor to cycle on about half as many times during a peak-load period, which can be four hours. Instead of running continuously, the compressor will cycle on for 15 minutes and off for 15 minutes. When the compressor is off, the customer’s fan unit, which circulates cooled air in the house, will still be running.

During the first summer of its watts-saver program, Westar found that as long as its customers had air movement, “they didn’t notice any discomfort and only later learned that the cut-back was on,” said symposium presenter and Westar engineer Hal Jensen.

Westar’s watt-saver thermostat program does not operate on holidays and weekends.

Benefits for utilities

From the customers’ perspective, the peak-load control is the most obvious application of the smart grid, but it was not the prime motivation for developing it, said symposium presenter Andres Carvallo, who designed the nation’s first smart grid for Austin Energy.

The smart grid gives utilities control over other crucial aspects of their business. For a utility, the outside meter is like a cash register. The two-way communication allows it to collect billing information quickly, without having to deploy an army of meter readers and contend with biting dogs. The two-way communication allows utilities to pinpoint power outages quickly because the meter can send an “I am dying” signal before it stops. The method of detecting outages still used by most utilities is primitive by comparison. When the power goes out, the utility waits for unhappy customers to call in the news, and then their employees plot pins on a map of their service area. When enough pins are plotted, they know where to send their service trucks.

The smart grid also provides a much easier way for utilities to buy electricity from small producers at the “grid edge,” including homeowners with solar photovoltaic equipment on their roofs or wind turbines, Carvallo said.

A utility could also buy the electricity stored in the batteries of hybrid and electric vehicles, he said. It’s not being done, because of regulatory and business-model issues. No price has been established for “vehicle battery sourced” electricity, he said, and it’s impractical to buy small amounts of electricity from individual car owners. But in the future, as electric vehicles become more common and car-generated kilowatts are assigned a price, utilities could buy power from organizations with fleets of electric-powered vehicles, such as the U.S. Postal Service, Carvallo said.

Katherine Salant has an architecture degree from Harvard. A native Washingtonian, she grew up in Fairfax County and lives in Michigan. If you have questions or would like to suggest topics for coverage, contact her by e-mail or go to katherinesalant@gmail.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com/realestate/smart-grid-technology-gets-electric-utilities-and-consumers-interconnected/2011/05/23/AGNf2wOH_print.html

Smart Grid Investment Will Deliver Trillions in Benefits

noreply@blogger.com (Andres Carvallo) — Wed, 25 May 2011 21:27:00 +0000

This article in www.smartmeters.com is a good indicator that there are plenty of benefits in the making after deploying smart grids nationwide.

---

According to industry experts, the modernization of the United States national power grid will cost up to $476 billion over the next 20 years. However, it will also provide up to $2 trillion in customer benefits over that time by saving energy, reducing costs, and increasing reliability.

Matt Wakefield, smart grid program manager at the Electric Power Research Institute, says, “The implementation of the smart grid is a continuous process. As new technology is developed and becomes cost effective, it is being used to find the most effective way to meet supply and demand.”

To make the smart grid a reality, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), a non-profit electric research and development company, says power companies need to invest between $17 and $24 billion a year over the next two decades. Much of those costs will be passed onto consumers.

Clark Gellings, an EPRI Fellow, explains, “We need to tell power customers there is going to be an improved power system that will result in reduced costs even if they do not see an immediate reduction in their bill.”

EPRI estimated that by the year 2050, the average electric bill will probably go up by about 50 percent if the smart grid is deployed. If not, Gellings said, the average electric bill could go up by almost 400 percent.

Some of the biggest technology firms in the world are competing to supply the smart grid infrastructure, including IBM, General Electric, ABB, Siemens, Google, Toshiba, Cisco, and Microsoft. In addition, Power retailers like NRG and Consolidated Edison’s ConEdison Solutions, can use the smart grid to sell more demand response and other services.

The United States currently gets about 46 percent of its power from coal, 21 percent from natural gas and 20 percent from nuclear. Renewables, like wind and solar, generate less than 5 percent of the total. But in his State of the Union message in January, President Barack Obama set a goal of 80 percent clean energy by 2035.

http://www.smartmeters.com/the-news/2249-smart-grid-investment-will-reap-trillions.html

Andres Carvallo Speaks at UTC 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Andres Carvallo) — Mon, 09 May 2011 14:58:00 +0000

The Utilities Telecom Council 2011 Conference and Expo is the premier event for utility telecommunications professionals and providers. You don’t want to miss it. This year I am delivering my speech, titled “The Advanced Smart Grid”, on the vision and successful transformational journey that I led from 2003 – 2010 at Austin Energy.

The Advanced Smart Grid

In my presentation, I will cover the genesis of Smart Grid, the emergence of a new energy paradigm, Smart Grid Architectures, Smart Grid design, Building2Grid design, Home2Grid design, Vehicle2Grid design, Smart Grid standards, and the Smart Grid Ecosystem of vendors. My experiences draw from three books that I have co-authored and from my work and firsthand knowledge from 2003 through 2010 at Austin Energy, San Diego Gas & Electric, Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison, Baltimore Gas & Electric, Oncor, Centerpoint, American Electric Power, Duke, Direct Energy, Reliant and others.

You can pre-order the book at any online bookstore today.

http://www.utctelecom2011.utc.org/

Why Aren't VCs Investing in the Smart Grid?

noreply@blogger.com (Andres Carvallo) — Sun, 08 May 2011 16:32:00 +0000

This is a great article that GreenTech Media and Eric Wesoff put together

http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/why-arent/vcs-investing-in-the-smart-grid/

------

So far in 2011, only two percent of greentech VC dollars have gone to smart grid companies. Updated with feedback from some VCs. Venture firms have invested $3 billion in greentech startups in the first four months of 2011. That's a record pace if the investment community keeps up the momentum.

That said, the biggest deals this year were in solar, automotive and fuel cells. Kleiner and TCV did make a $135 million investment into OSIsoft, a developer of data management solutions for industrial energy efficiency applications, but that deal was arguably venture capital and arguably smart grid. I'm not including it in our totals.

In parsing these numbers, it seems that VCs talk a lot about the smart grid but don't pull the trigger on too many deals -- especially when it comes to pure smart grid deals in metering, distribution automation, transmission technology, transformers and the like.

There's certainly a lot of energy efficiency investment (see below). And sure, there was the great HAN (home area network) scare of 2008 and 2009 -- but as far as this smart grid, the next and last big network, in John Doerr's words -- VCs seem long on words and short on cash.

Except for Gridpoint. VCs still keep giving money to Gridpoint.

There's also the issue of categorization -- does a lighting control company like Adura or Redwood Systems or Digital Lumens count as a smart grid investment? Yes, those firms are certainly building automation or smart building or energy efficiency companies -- but calling them smart grid firms seems a bit of a stretch. Does Bloom Energy or a megawatt-sale energy storage technology fit into the smart grid basket, or does it make sense to just call it "energy storage"?

I welcome our reader's comments on how to categorize those types of firms.

So, out of the $3 billion invested in 140 deals in 2011 so far, I count seven smart grid deals totaling more than $53 million. Which works out to less than two percent of total greentech VC dollars this year going into pure smart grid plays. Yikes.

Are VCs unsure of the exit path for smart grid firms? Were EnerNOC and Comverge the last smart grid firms to ever make it through the IPO window? It certainly seems that ABB and Siemens and GE have an M&A appetite for this type of firm. Is it too capital intensive? (See Silver Spring Networks.) Are the firms overvalued and is it too difficult to make the exit math work?

Mike Dauber of Battery Ventures had this to say:

"I think a lot of this has to do with definitions as you pointed out. If we use a strict definition of Smart Grid to mean only assets that sit in or in front of the meter (meaning back towards the utility) then, from my perspective, this isn’t really a surprising finding (btw, in that definition Control4 wouldn’t be a Smart Grid company either, so you’re down to six companies). I think a lot of VCs see selling to utilities as similar to selling to telcos, except each utility has a PUC that they need to answer to (Duke Energy has to answer to five separate PUCs!). That creates dramatic unpredictability with customers/revenue, not to mention very long sales cycles. Very few Smart Grid companies have been successful selling with a frontal approach directly to large utilities. SilverSpring, Opower and eMeter are the three that come to my mind (though eMeter has mostly succeeded in selling outside the US utilities from what I understand). Many of the true Smart Grid companies also took a tremendous amount of capital. Anyone who is in the metering or communications infrastructure needed to raise a lot of money both to build-out products and create a sales force.

I would argue that investing in the Smart Grid is still alive and well, but it’s just one step removed from the grid – many times selling to commercial or industrial customers rather than relying on utilities. In some cases the sales aren’t exclusive (an energy efficiency company can improve its value proposition through rebates provided through the utilities). One could argue that EnerNOC and Comverge could fit in this grouping as well. At Battery we’ve chosen to spend our time focused on investing in businesses with shorter, more capital efficient sales models that we still believe have tremendous upside (I wrote about this late last year in my predictions blog). Redwood Systems, mentioned in your article, is one example from our current portfolio, but we hope to have more examples in the very near future.

In short, don’t get hung up on the semantics. I think this is still a great market. Like any market, however, investors are going to find some areas that are ideal for developing new companies, and leave other portions of the market to the large, existing installed base. I think that’s all that’s happening here."

Rodrigo Prudencio of Nth Power suggested a definition for the Smart Grid:

SmartGrid” is any technology or service that focuses its value on the infrastructure side of the meter (could be electric utility, could be gas utility, could be water utility). The key is that it allows a massive fixed asset to be better monitored and utilized, improving the returns on that fixed asset investment. Smart Meters are a perfect example of this.

Efficiency and Controls is any technology or service that focuses its value on the customer / user side of the meter. Per this definition, MANY “smart grid” companies are actually efficiency / control companies. HAN companies and building efficiency / controls plays are perfect examples of these.

The lines blur on companies like Comverge / Enernoc and others that deploy a solution on the customer’s side of the meter but get value from the energy market (that is managed on grids). Similarly with companies that use controls to save their customers energy, but can participate in Demand Response, thus doubling their value proposition. But the reality is that there are few that are effective at doing this and the regulatory structure to reward this kind of interaction “through” the meter is just developing.

Here's a comment from an anonymous VC:

"I worry that for many 'smart grid' opportunities, the replacement cycle is too long to support the exit valuations that VCs expect."

"By contrast, servers and PCs need to be replaced every three to five years -- because there is something better, cheaper and faster every generation. New software, chips, servers, routers, etc., are always needed to support this endless pursuit of more computing power. Even games and new social media platforms need to be upgraded to take advantage of this increase computer power -- whether in a server, desktop PC, or mobile device. In fact, one may argue that Apple's market cap is so (justifiably) high because they provide new product upgrades -- that people want/need to buy -- at a ferocious rate."

"Many smart grid products are designed to last 25+ years. I love my new PG&E smart meter -- but I hope they don't have to upgrade it during my lifetime."

"I think giant markets that turn over every three to five years may be better than giant markets that turn over ever 25 to 50 years. [...T]here may be some interesting exceptions for software and services in smart grid -- or really unique technologies. And I bet the companies that obtain the highest valuations will have a high component of software and/or services -- and I'm still looking for new ones with shorter upgrade cycles."

Here's the list:

VC Investments in Smart Grid

Powerit Solutions (Seattle, Wash.), focused on automated demand management for the enterprise, raised $5 million led by Black Coral Capital.

Grid2Home (San Diego, Calif.), a provider of smart grid connectivity communications software, raised a $2.6 million Round B from Granite Ventures. Viridity Energy raised a $14 million round B led by Braemar Energy, Intel Capital -- an energy resource management firm building a real-time dynamic demand management platform.

Utilicase (Montreal, Quebec) won a $5 million investment deal from Cycle Capital for optimization in real time of electrical production management.

Cuculus (Germany), a developer of smart metering and home control products, received a strategic financing round from T Venture.

SmartSynch, using cellular networks for utilities’ smart grid projects, raised $25.7 million of a planned $33.4 million round. The firm has raised more than $80 million in total.

Entelios (Munich) raised an undisclosed Round A from Yellow & Blue Investment Management and High-Tech Gründerfonds for demand response for commercial and industrial customers.

Control4, a home automation firm, closed $15 million of a $25 million round from Frazier Technology Ventures, vSpring Capital, and Thomas Weisel Venture Partners, bringing the firm's current VC total to $65 million.

VC Investment in Grid-Scale Energy Storage

Silent Power (Baxter, Minn.), a distributed energy storage systems firm, won $2M in a Round A from Hunt Technologies’ founder Paul Hunt, Wright-Hennepin Holding Company, et al. The firm looks to provide turnkey storage products by integrating renewable energy and EV charging systems.

Bloom Energy raised $100M from Kleiner Perkins, NEA, and Morgan Stanley for their solid oxide fuel cell.

SustainX (West Lebanon, New Hampshire), a developer of utility-scale energy storage using above-ground compressed air in vessels, raised $14.4 million from GE Energy Financial Services, Cadent Energy Partners, Polaris Ventures, and Rockport Capital -- bringing its VC total to about $25 million.

Unipower Battery (China) received $15 million from Origo Partners for large polymer batteries for electric vehicles and high-capacity storage.

VC Investments in Energy Efficiency

Raritan (Somerset, New Jersey), a power management business that helps firms improve energy efficiency and operations in data centers, raised an undisclosed amount from NewSpring Growth Capital.

Phononic Devices (Raleigh, NC), a maker of heat-to-energy conversion products, won a $10 million Round B from Venrock and Oak Investment Partners.

CLEAResult (Austin, Texas) received an investment from General Catalyst for designing energy efficiency and renewable energy programs for utilities.

Earth Aid (Washington, D.C.), a provider of an online energy tracking system and social network raised a $4 million Round A from Point Judith Capital.

Recyclebank (New York, NY), a provider of an environmental social platform that rewards green behavior, closed a $14 million Round C from Physic Ventures, Generation Investment Management, Kleiner Perkins Caulfield and Byers, Paul Capital Investments, RRE Ventures, Sigma Partners, and The Westly Group.

OnChip Power (Cambridge, MA), a developer of efficient transformer technology for electronic devices closed a $1.8 million Round A led by Venrock.

Transphorm (Goleta, California) raised $38 million from Kleiner Perkins, Google Ventures, Foundation Capital, and Lux Capital to build an energy efficient GaN power conversion module.

Retroficiency (Boston, Mass.), a developer of energy auditing software for commercial buildings, raised $800,000 from World Energy Solutions.

Groom Energy (Salem, Mass.) a provider of energy assessments and renewable energy projects received $2.6 million in funding from a group of angel investors.

GMZ Energy (Waltham, Mass.) won $7 million as part of a first funding round from Mass High Tech and with seed capital from Kleiner, Perkins Caulfield & Byers for its nanothermoelectric materials for cooling and waste heat harvest.

Hybrid Energy Solutions (Kilkenny, Ireland) won $1.2 million for its energy-efficient power generators used to power telecom infrastructures without access to power grids. Kernel Capital led the round.

Next Step Living (Boston, Mass.) won $1.5 million of a $2.8 million equity offering, according to an SEC filing. The firm assists consumers in the process of auditing their homes for energy inefficiencies. Previous investors included Black Coral Capital and the Clean Energy Venture Group.

Energy Savvy (Seattle, Washington) raised $1.1 million from Northwest Energy Angels, et al. The startup builds software systems that integrate with utility and government energy efficiency programs.

Sustainability Roundtable (Cambridge, Mass.) providing shared-cost research and consulting for sustainable facilities, secured $1.2 million in Round A financing led by Navitas Capital with the Massachusetts Green Energy Fund (MGEF).

VC Investment in Smart Buildings

Scientific Conservation (San Francisco, California), a building energy management company, closed its round B with more than $19 million from GE Energy Financial Services, Intel, and Triangle Peak Partners. Scientific Conservation's software-as-a-service approach reduces energy spending by contrasting modeled energy and system efficiencies against real-time operation.

OutSmart Power Systems (Natick, Mass.), a spin-out of Manifold Products building a network of software and hardware for energy management and monitoring in commercial buildings, added $1.8 million to a debt-based funding round that could reach $4.5 million. Previous VC investors included Bainco International Investors, the Clean Energy Venture Group, and Manifold Products.

Panoramic Power (Israel), a real-time, cloud-hosted energy-monitoring company, raised $4.5 million in new funding from Israel Cleantech Ventures, Greylock Parnters, Clal Energy, Qualcomm Ventures, Israel Electric Co., and Alexander Schneider, bringing the company's total funding to $6 million.

Digital Lumens, (Boston, Mass.), a developer of LED lighting systems, raised a $10 million round B. Return backers include Black Coral Capital, Flybridge Capital Partners and Stata Venture Partners. The company also secured a line of credit from Silicon Valley Bank.

Who Knows What Gridpoint Actually Does?

GridPoint (Arlington, Virginia) raised an additional $23.6 million, according to an SEC filing, bringing the firm’s total venture financing to over $240 million. Confusingly, their latest effort describes them as a solar developer.

Andres Carvallo Speaks at KU's Smart Grid/House/Car Conference

noreply@blogger.com (Andres Carvallo) — Thu, 05 May 2011 21:27:00 +0000

As an energy and technology advisor to The University of Kansas, my alma mater, I am very excited about the work that professors and students are doing to advance the research and commercial solutions to have a smarter world. This conference, one of many that KU has put together and will continue to do so, will bring together members of academia and industry to share technologies ready to deliver a new smart grid, smart house, and smart car world.

http://www.smartgridhousecar.com/

Web ADA Training - AccessU 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Andres Carvallo) — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 16:13:00 +0000

As Chairman of the Board of Knowbility, I can not help myself in sharing our most advanced training opportunity for you to make your websites ADA compliant and meet the calling of diversity and equal opportunity for all. If you can not attend the May training in Austin, TX., contact Knowbility for other options for you and your location.

John Slatin AccessU 2011

WHAT: AccessU is Knowbility's annual institute that provides two days of classes in how to make electronic information technology accessible to everyone - including people with disabilities. If you believe that the web should empower ALL people, if you need information about how to meet state and federal accessibility mandates, if you are a commercial web developer who wants to understand emerging best business practices for the web, AccessU is the place to be in May.

Join world-renowned accessibility experts for two days of classes, many of them hands-on, to help you improve your skills and understand the both the need and the techniques for inclusive IT design. From the basics to the bleeding edge, AccessU will provide the resources you need.

WHO: Web developers, IT Managers, policy developers, programmers and anyone else with IT responsibilities in your company. If you believe that the web should empower ALL people, if you need information about how to meet state and federal accessibility mandates, if you are a technologist who wants to understand emerging best practices for the web, AccessU is for you.

WHEN: May 17 – 19, 2011
WHERE: St. Edward's University, Austin, Texas

Thank you,
Knowbility
http://www.knowbility.org