Les quatre éléments

Secretary Chu Unveils Cleantech Group’s 2010 U.S. Smart Grid Vendor Ecosystem Report

Secretary Chu Unveils Cleantech Group’s 2010 U.S. Smart Grid Vendor Ecosystem Report

Greg Neichin

Working in energy technology one can’t possibly ignore the transformative role that the current Administration is having on the promotion of clean technology.  We have been lucky to have a window into some of the great work happening at the Department of Energy as the agency commissioned the Cleantech Group to produce a new Smart Grid research study. The report, announced today at the GridWise Global Forum by Energy Secretary Chu himself, is a comprehensive review of the Smart Grid Vendor Ecosystem. 

From the introduction to the report: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Smart Grid investments, and broader package of $11B for grid-related projects,  did not, and will not alone, solve the hurdles that stand in the way of smart grid deployments.  However, this significant infusion of capital and – perhaps equally as important – sense of urgency and attention has proven to be an important catalyst in the development of the smart grid ecosystem.  There are a myriad of industry associations, standards development organizations, government agencies, and policy think tanks actively providing critical input into the future of the grid, shaping standards via the NIST Smart Grid Interoperability Panel, convening

The complete report is available for download at the following link: http://www.cleantech.com/smartgridvendorreport

Le marché du smart grid continue son expansion aux Etats-Unis

 
2010 U.S. Smart Grid Vendor Ecosystem Report . Le marché du smart grid continue son expansion aux Etats-Unis, indique dans une étude* le Clean Tech Group. Selon les prévisions du cabinet, ce sont plus de 2.75 milliards de dollars qui seront dépensés au total dans des produits liés aux infrastructures dites "intelligentes", en 2010. Quant aux investissements dans les services du smart grid - les chiffres seront, selon les analystes, équivalents voire supérieurs. Plus important encore : le marché arrive à maturité, avec des acteurs centraux qui commencent à se dessiner. "Selon nos données, seuls 30 % des 177 plus grandes entreprises spécialisées dans le domaine du smart grid sont apparues au cours de la dernière décennie", rapportent les consultants.

The Smart Grid vendor ecosystem is an increasingly interdependent web of companies. Vendors of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) products (meters, communication units, and related software) have emerged as leaders in establishing cross-industry partnerships. Investments in AMI infrastructure have catalyzed new working relationships throughout the industry. There is strong "coopetition" playing out in the market between vertically integrated vendors and product specialists. Market dynamics are being reshaped by the entrance of new technologies and new companies. This results in vendor cooperation on some projects and competition on others. Acquisitions and consolidation are increasing and will continue to shape the landscape in the coming years. Large, established, global companies are expanding product portfolios to stretch across smart grid categories with the goal of providing end-to-end solutions to utilities and other large customers. $2.75B will be spent in 2010 on smart grid products in the core industry sub-sectors of Advanced Metering, Demand Response, and Distribution Grid Management. Commissioned by the U.S. Department of Energy, this report is available to the public. Download the report here >>

Compteurs intelligents : le coréen NURI Telecom choisit Sierra Wireless

Compteurs intelligents : NURI Telecom choisit Sierra Wireless. Sierra Wireless a annoncé que NURI Telecom, une société sud-coréenne spécialisée dans les solutions de relève automatique de compteurs de nouvelle génération, a sélectionné Sierra Wireless pour apporter la connectivité sans fil à sa dernière génération de compteurs intelligents. NURI a intégré le module AirPrime Q2686 de Sierra Wireless dans AiMiR, une solution d’AMR (Advanced Meter Reading – relève avancée de compteurs). NURI Telecom selects Sierra Wireless for advanced meter reading solution

Baltimore Gas and Electric has teamed with Accenture and Oracle to implement a smart meter network for its 1.2 million customers

 
Baltimore Gas and Electric Company Teams with Accenture and Oracle For Smart Meter Implementation Throughout Central Maryland for its 1.2 million customers. The planned implementation is part of BGE’s smart grid initiative that aims to reduce peak electricity demand, increase customer service and enhance operational performance. Smart grid will provide customers with detailed information regarding energy consumption and cost, and will deliver data that will enable BGE to enhance the performance of its distribution network. Combined with BGE’s energy efficiency and demand response initiatives, smart grid will help the state of Maryland, under EmPOWER Maryland, achieve its goal of a 15 % reduction in total system demand by 2015.

Smart Grid. DOE's Recovery Act - Q&A with Matthew Rogers on stimulus funding

 
Q&A: Matthew Rogers on stimulus funding

Matthew Rogers has been the point man helping to craft policies and distribute an unprecedented wave of federal spending to just about every corner of energy universe —from smart grid to renewables to diverse, promising new technologies. He was tapped by the Obama administration early in 2009 to make sure that federal stimulus funds in the energy sector are wisely applied and deliver millions of new jobs. Rogers, a former senior partner of McKinsey and Company, recently sat down with EnergyBiz in his office in Washington, close to the office of Steven Chu, the U.S. energy secretary, to discuss what has been accomplished and what remains to be achieved.

EnergyBiz: Are stimulus funds being spent fast enough on smart grid in the energy sector?

Rogers: I am very excited about where we are in the grid. We'll have done certainly well more than $50 million in June in terms of outlays. This is a program that runs effectively over three years in terms of the output. Our task now is to get it up to about $120 million a month. If it runs at that rate, then it effectively spends out the money during the course of the program....

http://www.intelligentutility.com/article/10/09/qa-matthew-rogers-stimulus-funding

 

 

Comment impliquer les différents types de consommateurs pour la réussite des projets smart grids ? Cela passera en grande partie par des applications pour mobiles dédiées

 
Will the customer engage in a meaningful and sustainable way in smart grid ?  That was one of the central questions of a smart grid panel at the SAP Utilities North America. The panel was led by Michael Vallochi of IBM Global Services, with participation but lots of industry veterans from vendor and analyst community – Ivo Steklac from Tendril, Andy Zetlan from Telvent, Larsh Johnson from emeter, and Zarko Sumic from Gartner, with me representing IDC Energy Insights. The discussion is about achieving the value of the investment, especially for an industry that is used to making large capital investments, not infrastructure with a long life cycle, such as generation, vs. the shorter lived technology investment.  The consumer has to be engaged to get value out of the investment. 

The game changers will be smart phone, smart appliances and electric vehicles (EV). 

The consumer will engage, but not all customers are alike. Utilities will need to segment the customer population, much more granularly than what has been done in the past (by residential, small commercial and industrial, and large C&I or cost to serve and credit risk), but they are on the right track. Many utilities are now polling their customers to determine what appeals to them.  They are looking at segments like those in the BGE communications plan - green altruists, privacy resistors, digital control enthusiasts, survival mode, comfort lovers, and bargain hunters.  One retail provider we know has 53 segments. Utilities will need to use this information to design products, as the messaging around those products accordingly. They will need also to answer "What’s in it for me?" Customers expect the message to be delivered according to their preferences – via various devices (smart phone, website, e-mail, text messaging, etc.) and social media that they use (twitter, facebook, utube, website). And the "consumer" is not just the residential customer. There are other segments to be considered as well - colleges as micro-grids for example.   

Smart phones, smart appliances and EV will change the way customers understand and control their energy usage. IDC research has revealed that there are 7 billion communicating devices in 2010 and 5 billion aren’t laptops. Smart phones will surpass laptops by close to 2.5 times by 2020 and with more devices comes more interactions. Smart phones and innovative apps are already starting to engage some consumers in managing energy in the home. Smart appliances will eliminate the need to get the consumer's active attention to usage. With smart appliance, the consumer will only need to set their preferences and have appliances respond. Of course, a price signal is critical to get most customers really engaged. 

America has a love affair with the car, so EV will be the biggest attention getter. As soon as the consumer sees the impact on their electric consumption and bill when they plug in their EV, a lot of things will change about how closely energy is monitored. The introduction of the EV will also be when I expect time-based pricing will be introduced. Consumers expect fluctuations in fuel price, so time-base pricing will almost be expected. 

The utility business model will change, what are the home-based technologies that we expect to see over the next two to five years and what is the future of AMI technologies and how will that impact the Smart Grid.  What's your take on these questions?

5 raisons pour lesquelles les constructeurs automobiles et les compagnies d’énergie ont intérêt à s’entendre

 
For electric vehicles to become truly mainstream, utilities and auto makers need to partner on a variety of details to make sure the power grid keeps working well, consumers are happy with their new plug-ins and car companies can maintain warranties for electric cars that have been used as distributed grid energy storage. Some auto makers and power grid operators are already working together, for example, Ford has been reaching out to utilities, including Portland General Electric last month, and this morning CenterPoint Energy.

Constellation Energy a racheté CPower, le spécialiste de l’effacement énergétique.

Constellation Energy achète CPower, spécialiste de l’effacement énergétique.

Constellation Energy Buys CPower: First of More Deals to Come?

Big energy companies have been talking about moving deeper into demand response.

Constellation Energy, a large, diversified power producer, has bought demand response specialist CPower. CPower has often been the third banana in demand response. EnerNoc has been the leader in demand response services linking utilities and commercial/industrial facilities, and Comverge has been the leader in demand response services for the home. CPower competes directly against EnerNoc and is one of the largest players in Texas. It has also been trying to move away from classic demand response services -- i.e., turning down the power during peak events -- to demand management, which entails modulating power on an ongoing basis to curb overall consumption.

"Demand response is a technology with many uses. The ability to manage peak load is one very simple deployment of that application," CPower CEO Gary Fromer said in June. "The issue is, can you do it across more and more customers and do it more surgically?"

Le protocole Internet et les standards ouverts sont l’avenir du smart grid

Le protocole Internet et les standards ouverts sont l’avenir du smart grid. Now that the smart grid appears to be settling around Internet Protocol and a future based on the desire for open standards, software developers are emerging and taking a crack at making applications that are interoperable over various networks and can enhance the power grid. For example, smart grid software developer Grid2Home, a year-old company, emerged this morning with its first round of seed funding from Granite Ventures.

Recovery Act Project : Smart grid stimulus project updates: what, where, how much?

100 Recovery Act projects that are changing America

In a new report, Vice President Joe Biden identified 100 Recovery Act projects that are changing America. Smart grid initiatives and related technologies were well-represented on his list. We've pulled out 10 to highlight, but you can click the link in the box to see all 100.

1. Bringing Large Wind‐Turbine Testing to America for the First Time - Boston, Massachusetts ‐ $24.7 million

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center received a $24.7 million award from the Department of Energy to construct a wind blade testing facility. This facility will be the largest of its kind in the world – capable of testing 3 large wind‐turbine blades, up to 90 meters in length. The project is expected to be completed by February 2011, and a number of private blade manufacturers have already agreed to send their blades to Boston for testing. Currently, blades of this size are rarely produced in the United States because the cost of testing them overseas is too high. In addition to employing 60 construction workers, this facility could change the wind turbine manufacturing industry in America. Read more about renewable energy technologies and trends>>

2. Transforming the Future of Electric Distribution and Energy Consumption - Houston, Texas – $200 million

CenterPoint Energy will accelerate the completion of its current smart meter system by the end of 2012 and install the first phase of its grid hardening and automation called the Intelligent Grid “IG”. The project in Houston, Texas includes two distinct but interdependent parts, including accelerating and completing the installation of 2.2 million smart meters and associated equipment that make up CenterPoint Energy’s advanced metering system. These smart meters will enable residential and commercial customers to more effectively manage and control their electricity usage. The project will also install distribution grid automation equipment and technology, allowing CenterPoint Energy to operate the distribution grid more efficiently, improve system reliability, and create the capability for the grid to “self‐heal.” Once completed, CenterPoint Energy's smart grid will serve as an example of an integrated, cyber‐secure, scalable, and replicable smart grid. CenterPoint reported supporting nearly 300 jobs last quarter. CenterPoint estimates nearly 2,500 total direct and indirect jobs will be created as part of their smart grid project. Read more about grid optimization>>

3. Bringing Energy Efficient Appliance Production Back to America - Louisville, Kentucky ‐ $24 million

Supported by $24.8 million in Recovery Act funds through a 48C Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit from the Department of Treasury, General Electric is investing $600 million into its Louisville, Kentucky Appliance Park facility to expand manufacturing of energy efficient home appliances. With these funds, GE will bring the production of one of its lines back from China, as well as plan to add 800 new jobs through 2013. Already, according to GE, more than 135 new employees have been hired – a literal example of “in‐sourcing” production. Vice President Biden is pictured here talking with GE workers at the park.  Read more about smart homes and appliances>>

4. Solar Lab on Bean Federal Center - Indianapolis, IN ‐ $35.5 million

The Emmet J. Bean Solar Lab is one of more than 50 Federal building rooftops across the country upon which GSA is installing solar arrays using Recovery Act funds. In addition to generating clean, renewable energy, GSA's Recovery Act projects are putting people to work in construction and emerging green industries. Indianapolis construction company Shiel Sexton has put more than 60 people to work with GSA’s Recovery Act funds to convert the roof of the Emmet J. Bean Federal Center into a proving ground for solar power technology. Workers are installing approximately 6,000 solar panels on the roof that will generate 1.8 megawatts of renewable energy. A portion of the panels will serve as a “Solar Lab,” where the performance of four different types of solar technology will be researched by GSA and the Department of Energy’s Sandia National Lab to determine which solar panels work best in the Midwestern climate. Read about a new solar cell technology>>

5. Illinois Wind Drives Economic Growth with Treasury’s Help - Livingston County, Illinois – $170 million

The Streator Cayuga Ridge wind park in Livingston County, Illinois, received $170 million through the 1603 grants‐in‐lieu‐of‐tax‐credits program for renewable energy generation. This 150‐turbine project will generate 300 megawatts of clean, renewable energy, enough to power the approximate equivalent of over 86,000 typical American homes. In addition, the project is creating jobs and helping to drive local growth. During construction, the wind park created over 300 jobs, while the increased tax revenue has allowed the local government to disburse economic development grants to local businesses. The project has also helped preserve jobs at component factories in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and North Dakota. When completed in March 2010, it was the largest wind project in Illinois. Read about the surge in wind energy>>

6. Electric Vehicles Made in the U.S.A - Kansas City, Missouri – $32 million

As part of the Recovery Act’s commitment to helping American companies develop the best vehicle technologies in the world, Smith Electric in Kansas City, Missouri received a $32 million grant to build and deploy up to 510 all‐electric trucks. Smith is selling trucks to Coca Cola Enterprises, AT&T, FritoLay and Staples, plus utilities Pacific Gas & Electric and Kansas City Power & Light. Smith and its customers will test vehicle performance in California, Georgia, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, and Texas. According to Smith, they recently hired their 50th worker at the Kansas City facility, with plans to expand to 70 workers. At the project’s peak, Smith estimates it will support more than 220 direct and indirect jobs. President Obama talks with workers during a visit to the plant.  Read more about EVs>>

7. Fueling America’s Exports: Lithium‐Ion Battery Manufacturing - Indiana – $118 million

EnerDel makes advanced lithium‐ion batteries for electric vehicles in Indiana. A $118 million Recovery Act grant is helping the company expand production at its current facilities in Noblesville and Indianapolis –as well as build a new facility in Mt. Comfort. The grant has helped EnerDel support nearly 80 jobs through July 2010, and the company expects to grow from roughly 150 workers in the state today to over 1,400 by 2014. The company forecasts that exports will represent as much as 75 percent

of near‐term sales. EnerDel has signed a contract with Norwegian carmaker Think and will be shipping batteries produced in Indiana to Europe within the month. Read more about battery and storage technologies>>

8. Wind Project Allows Hawaii to Reduce Reliance on Imported Oil  - Kahuku, Hawaii – $117 million loan guarantee

The Department of Energy has closed a $117 million loan guarantee for First Wind’s Kahuku Wind Power project in Hawaii. The project includes the development of an innovative 30 megawatt wind power plant that incorporates a 10 megawatt battery energy storage system that will modulate and smooth fluctuations in power output caused by changes in wind levels. The project will supply electricity to approximately 7,700 households per year and reduce Hawaii's reliance on imported oil. Having recently broken ground, it is estimated that the project will create over 200 jobs on the island of Oahu. Read about Hawaii’s smart grid setback>>

9. Enabling Customers to Manage their Energy Use - Las Vegas, Nevada – $137.9 million

The Department of Energy awarded a Smart Grid Investment Grant to NV Energy for a comprehensive smart grid project that will integrate multiple smart grid technologies, including 1.3 million smart meters, dynamic pricing, customer communications and in‐home networks, grid monitoring, distribution automation, distributed renewables, and electric vehicles. This will help NV Energy manage its electric system more efficiently and enable customers to more actively manage their energy use. Headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, NV Energy serves 2.4 million Nevadans ‐‐ as well as a state tourist population of approximately 40 million annually. Additionally, the company serves more than 46,000 electric customers in the Lake Tahoe‐area of California. 15 Nevadans have been employed by this grant and NV Energy estimates that the project will create 400‐500 temporary and 45 permanent jobs. Read more about smart grid strategy>>

10. New Facilities for High Concentrating Solar Panels - Las Vegas, Nevada and Phoenix, Arizona ‐ $9 million

Amonix makes large high‐concentrating solar panels the size of tractors. Their systems use less water, utilize land better, and produce more energy per acre than other solar technologies. The company is commercializing solar technologies first developed for space. Amonix is receiving more than $9.5 million under the 48C Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit program. Amonix high‐efficiency panels have the potential to achieve 30 percent system efficiency, compared to 20 percent or less for most of today’s solar panels. Amonix has a small manufacturing facility at their headquarters in Seal Beach, California. The Recovery Act is supporting two new Amonix factories in Las Vegas, Nevada and Phoenix, Arizona. When completed in the first half of 2011, the Nevada facility is expected to create about 270 new jobs. Read more about smart grid stimulus awards and projects>>

Smart Grid : 100 Recovery Act projects that are changing America

Download now

	This report from the White House spotlights what the Obama Administration considers some of the most innovative and effective projects funded by the Recovery Act, including many that are smart grid initiatives and or related technologies. For example, the report notes that in the 18 months since the Recovery Act became law, ground has been broken on nine electric car battery plants, which will provide capacity for 20 % of the world’s car batteries which is up from 2 % when the Recovery Act passed in February 2009. Work has been approved on the world’s largest solar plant, wind farms are being supported and almost 200,000 homes have been weatherized, plus over two million smart meters have been installed. This report provides a snapshot of 100 varied Recovery Act projects, not just those that are energy-related projects.
	The White House

ABB étend son centre d'excellence Smart Grid de Raleigh en Caroline du Nord

 
ABB is investing $10 million to expand its Raleigh, North Carolina, facility to include a technology center called the Smart Grid Center of Excellence (COE). ABB will temporarily locate the Smart Grid COE in its existing Centennial Campus facilities at North Carolina State University in Raleigh until it can build and lease out space on the Centennial Campus for a permanent facility. The site is already home to the North America headquarters of ABB’s Power Products and Power Systems divisions as well as one of eight global corporate research centers that is focused on advanced power system technology. ABB region manager for North America, Enrique Santacana, says, “As the world’s largest supplier of power transmission and distribution systems, ABB has always been on the leading edge of power technology. This initiative reaffirms ABB’s commitment to the smart grid and positions us to play an even larger leadership role in its development and implementation.” ABB’s long history with the state played a key factor in Raleigh’s selection, Santacana says. “The combination of North Carolina’s support for technology innovation, our great partnership with N.C. State University, the abundance of engineering talent, support from state officials, and the Triangle’s growing reputation as a hotbed of smart-grid activity make Raleigh the right place to make this investment.”

The Smart Grid Center of Excellence will include a testing and development laboratory, a center to certify customer solutions before deployment, and a demonstration center to showcase ABB’s smart grid technologies and collaborative partnerships. ABB will work closely with their strategic partner, the FREEDM Systems Center which develops smart grid technology based on advanced power electronics and information technology. Dr. Alex Huang, Progress Energy Distinguished Professor of Electrical Engineering, FREEDM Systems Center, calls the COE an important development. “This new initiative by ABB will further enhance our collaboration. We are excited that ABB has initiated this new

Smart Grid et Cyberguerre : le général américain Keith B. Alexander veut un deuxième Internet aux Etats-Unis

  
Pour certains, la cyberguerre est un sujet de scénario de films de science fiction ; pour d'autres, c'est la réalité de la guerre contemporaine. Exemple avec le général Keith B. Alexander, chef du Cyber Command de l'armée américaine, selon qui il existe « une réelle possibilité que, dans l'avenir, ce pays soit l'objet d'une attaque destructrice, et nous devons nous y préparer ». Dans un entretien avec plusieurs journalistes, dont rend compte cette semaine le New York Times, le général Alexander propose la création d'un réseau Internet distinct de celui qui existe aujourd'hui, afin de sécuriser le réseau électrique américain, considéré comme le maillon faible de la sécurité des Etats-Unis.

Cette proposition d'une ampleur considérable, financièrement et techniquement, est lancée publiquement par le général en anticipation d'une remise à plat de tous les enjeux stratégiques liés à Internet par la Maison Blanche d'ici à janvier. Elle fait partie d'un exercice classique aux Etats-Unis de lobby public en faveur d'arbitrages budgétaires par chaque branche de l'appareil militaire, mais pas seulement.

Des « bombes logiques » dans le réseau électrique

Le réseau électrique américain actuel utilise les réseaux Internet et se révèle donc particulièrement vulnérable. C'est la thèse développée au début de l'année par Richard A. Clarke, un ancien responsable de la Sécurité de l'administration Clinton, dans un livre coécrit avec Robert K. Knake, intitulé « Cyber War : The Next Threat to National Security and What to do About It » (« Cyber guerre : la prochaine menace à la sécurité nationale et ce qu'il faut faire »). Clarke affirme que les services américains ont découvert dans le réseau électrique américain des « bombes logiques » chinoises. Une « bombe logique », c'est comme un virus informatique, dormant, qui peut se déclencher à distance et des années plus tard si nécessaire. Ces « bombes » auraient pu être introduites par une faille dans le réseau internet utilisé par les producteurs et distributeurs d'électricité.

Dans son livre, Richard A. Clarke utilise cette découverte pour plaider en faveur d'un réseau internet séparé pour les installations vitales des Etats-Unis (comme le montre le schéma ci-contre). En effet, selon lui, la vulnérabilité du Net américain peut potentiellement mettre les Etats-Unis à genoux en peu de temps en cas de cyber-attaque, privant le pays d'électricité, de transports, de services d'urgence, et affaiblissant même sa capacité de défense. L'ancien conseiller de Bill Clinton se livre même à un exercice de simulation de cyberguerre avec la Chine, avec des étudiants, basé sur un scénario étrangement similaire à un sujet de tension entre Washington et Pékin il y a quelques mois, peu après la sortie du livre. Il imagine ainsi une crise entre la Chine et le Vietnam sur la souveraineté d'îles riches en hydrocarbures dans la mer de Chine, et un engagement de Washington au côté du Vietnam. Ça ne vous rappelle rien ? C'est ce qui s'est produit l'été dernier, sur le plan diplomatique uniquement…

La Chine peut encore passer son réseau électrique en mode manuel…

Au cours de cet exercice, les étudiants ont constaté que plus un pays était informatisé et dépendant d'Internet, plus il était vulnérable. Et donc l'avantage de modernité des Etats-Unis devenait une faiblesse comparé à la Chine, qui a conservé la possibilité de faire repasser en « manuel » son réseau électrique, son contrôle aérien ou son système hospitalier… La cyberguerre est loin d'être de la science fiction. On a ainsi vu la Russie procéder à une attaque massive sur l'Estonie en 2007, qui a paralysé le pays pour le punir d'avoir déplacé un monument controversé lié à la période d'occupation russe. Depuis, l'Otan a ouvert à Talinn, la capitale de l'Estonie, son centre consacré à la cyberguerre…

Il est rare que ces sujets soient ouvertement traités au niveau du grand public, et la sortie du général Alexander constitue une tentative, certes avec des arrières-pensées budgétaires et de pouvoir au sein de l'appareil d'Etat américain, de faire prendre conscience sur les enjeux d'un type de guerre qui n'est pas réservé aux jeux vidéo. Une évolution avec toutes ses ambiguïtés, ses menaces potentielles sur l'espace de liberté qu'est Internet, sur les enjeux de vie privée et de protection des données…

Et sur le risque de remplacer la guerre froide d'hier, avec son équilibre de la terreur dû à la peur de l'arme atomique, par une guerre froide en apparence moins meurtrière car souterraine, mais de fait potentiellement aussi destructrice.

par Pierre Haski - A la Une de Rue89 - http://www.rue89.com/

Vidéo : extrait du film « Wargames », via Vodkaster.

Gestion des données Smart Grid : Oracle annonce la disponibiltié d'Oracle Utilities Meter Data Management 2.0

 
Oracle vient d’annoncer la disponibiltié d'Oracle Utilities Meter Data Management 2.0 (PDF). Destiné aux producteurs d’énergie, il les aide à gérer les très grandes quantités d’informations collectées par leur réseau de distribution (smart grid et smart meter). Cette solution s’inscrit dans la gamme de logiciels décisionnels Utilities Smart Meter Platform qui vise à transformer les données brutes en informations utiles pour réduire le coût de revient de l’énergie et adapter les tarifs en fonctions des habitudes de consommation. Cette nouvelle version réconcilie les données provenant des systèmes d’informations existants avec les données issues des compteurs électriques intelligents (smart meter). Les données peuvent ensuite être présentées sur un portail destiné aux clients afin de les encourager à adopter des gestes éco-responsables.

Les spécialiste des compteurs intelligents Elster, espére une entrée en bourse réussie

 

Investing in the Smart Grid

 
Le secteur du smartgrid est l'un des plus effervescent de tous les domaines des cleantech. Si les rafales de fusions-acquisitions se poursuivent, d'autres comme le fabricant américain d'infrastructures pour compteurs intelligents Elster (logiciels pour compteurs, systèmes de communication, compteurs intelligents) a déposé un dossier d’entrée en Bourse pour lever 164 à 185 millions de dollars, et rembourser une partie de ses dettes. Le groupe a déjà posé 200 millions de compteurs (de gaz, d'eau, et d'électricité) dans 130 pays en 10 ans. Elster a annoncé le 10 septembre 2010 avoir été retenu par ERDF pour une expérimentation.

ERDF is working with Elster to develop advanced metering technology to support its smart grid initiatives. The ERDF meters will be a part of the utility's Linky automated meter management system, which is designed to provide advanced metering infrastructure services. Elster's modular proof-of-concept meter will be designed with a dual architecture featuring both a socket and a communications module. Connected to the smart socket, the Linky smart module could be easily replaced to keep pace with advances in communications technologies, the companies say.Elster notes that the meter concept, once complete, will be submitted to the European Union's Measuring Instruments Directive committee for approval. SOURCE: Elster

 

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British Gas choisit Ember pour le plus important déploiement de compteur intelligenten UK

 Ember-enabled Zigbee smart meters and Zigbee smart energy devices will be used in the largest smart energy initiative in the UK

Smart meters utilizing the Ember technology are becoming more common throughout Europe as the ZigBee wireless technology is deployed in some of the largest smart meter project on the continent. Ember's low-power ZigBee wireless solutions – CMOS wireless system-on-chips (SoCs), networking co-processors (NCP) and ZigBee protocol software – are extensively used in the smart grid and Home Area Networks (HAN) as well as a variety of other sensor networking applications.

British Gas, the largest energy supplier in the UK, just announced the first commercial-scale smart meter deployment in the UK. The project will supply electricity and gas smart meters to a million customers, plus touch screen in-home energy management displays. The smart energy initiative is designed for reducing an overall carbon footprint by using Ember-enabled Zigbee smart meters and Zigbee smart energy devices in homes.

"It's the first step in our commitment to lead the UK into a new realm of energy management as part of which we will roll out two million smart meters to customers by 2012," said Petter Allison, Director Smart Metering, British Gas. "ZigBee as the preferred standard for smart meters and Home Area Networks combined with the over-the-air upgradeability of Ember-enabled low-power networking solutions will ensure we can keep our consumers always up-to-date with the latest capabilities and performance improvements."

"Europe is at the forefront of smart metering, driven largely by the European Union's goal of having 80 percent of households enjoying the benefits of smart energy by 2020," said Bert Lutje Berenbroek, Ember vice president of sales for EMEA. "Ember's ZigBee technology is optimized for large-scale deployments like the ones in the UK and other parts of Europe, giving utilities and consumers new energy efficiency capabilities such as demand response, time-of-use pricing programs, energy monitoring, pay-as-you-use and net metering programs."

Samuel Palmisano (IBM) : les réseaux intelligents doivent être construits avec et en pensant aux utilisateurs

 
Le CEO d’IBM s’exprime sur l’industrie du smart grid et l’importance désormais à accorder au consommateur. 

Build a System, Tell the People: Samuel Palmisano argues at GridWise that the smart grid must be designed, and it must be designed for the energy consumer.”

There are two fundamental hurdles to building a truly smart grid, according to Samuel J. Palmisano, Chairman, President and CEO of IBM. Palmisano delivered the keynote address on the opening day of the GridWise Global Forum in Washington, D.C., and while he was optimistic that a connected electrical grid is on its way, he cautioned that "connectivity alone is not enough." He argued that there must be clarity of the system's purpose to design a smart grid, and that the purpose has also to be realized by consumers, who must become active participants to truly realize the full benefits of an intelligent grid. "We haven't cracked the code on conveying the importance to the individual," he said. "I don't think it will happen through dashboards."

Instead, it will come from the design of the system itself, which will offer analytics that will deliver the data to a range of stakeholders. "It's not how much data there is," he said, "it's what the data can tell us." Everyone is an energy consumer, and so it is not just the individual resident, as many companies focus on, but rather a segmented group of businesses, individuals and households. "Context is important," he added.

To move beyond a fragmented grid, and the current paradigm of the energy system as a whole, Palmisano noted four key areas that need to be addressed for smart grid to be realized.

1. Open standards. "We've got to finish the job," he said.
2. Smart Systems. The system has to be smart by design, and the design must be integral and not so complicated that it can't be added on to in the future. He also pointed back to open standards as a way to ensure that there is flexibility to adjust to future needs.
3. More Collaboration. He called for partnerships beyond just public and private, but rather those that involve all stakeholders for maximum benefit from the grid.
4. Policy and Ethics. There needs to be clear guidelines from an ethical point of view, addressing issues of security and privacy that concern all parties from government bodies down to individuals.

http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/build-a-system-tell-the-people/

Smart Grid : l'énergéticien australien Fieldforce retient Sensus

 
Sensus Partners with Fieldforce Services to Build Smart Grid in Australia

Sensus is bringing its FlexNet Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) communications system and advanced metering systems (AMR) to Australia to build a smart grid in partnership with Fieldforce Services. Fieldforce, Australia’s leading provider of energy and water efficiency and conservation services, will be the first to offer the FlexNet network in Australia. Tim Ryerson, Fieldforce’s Executive General Manager says, “Partnering with Sensus furthers our mission of developing global alliances that allow us to continue expanding our range of conservation services for the environmental and utility sectors. We look forward to bringing Sensus technologies to our customers as Australia makes the Smart Grid a reality.”

Australia has a history of being a Smart Grid innovator. The government is investing up to $100 million to develop the Smart Grid, Smart City demonstration project, which intends to partner with the energy sector to link 9,500 homes to a smart grid from 2010 to 2013, marking Australia’s first commercial-scale Smart Grid. A recent report from the International Data Corporation (IDC) found that most Australian utilities were already updating their communications networks to prepare for smart metering rollouts. Utilities named smart metering and the management of data collected by those meters among their top priorities.

Sensus vice president of global business development, Mark Wells, complimented the Australian government and public for demonstrating “they are ready, willing and able to deploy Smart Grid technology today and we are excited to partner with Fieldforce to bring the Sensus FlexNet system to Australian utilities. As we pursue an aggressive growth strategy, partnering with recognized industry leaders such as Fieldforce will ultimately enable us to deliver on our commitment to the intelligent use and conservation of water and energy resources on a global scale.” 
http://www.sensus.com / http://www.sensusesaap.com/fr/

 

 

Empower Launches Home Energy Portal

 
Empower Launches Home Energy Portal
Web-based energy portal Empower Software has announced the launch of an advanced home energy portal for electricity, gas and water. Empower specializes in consumer usability. That expertise is leveraged with existing communication information channels in order to anticipate consumers’ future energy consumption based on their usage today. Empower says it works with the utility’s data and visually presents it to the consumer “in an easy to understand and meaningful way through a client portal or desktop application.” The company also says its application “is the only energy conservation tool to offer communication messaging and up to date energy monitoring across all three utilities.”

Michael Silmont, Empower Software COO, says, “Customer’s need to understand what the smart grid can do for them. With our new energy portal, utilities can offer their consumers that expected dynamic information that educates and informs consumers of how their home responds while alleviating fears of higher bills and utility controls.”

Empower is merging energy efficiency programs, alerts, ratings, and messaging with real-time monitoring of power consumption to enable utility consumers to participate in managing their energy usage without having to spend money on additional hardware. Empower Software’s launch across electricity, gas, and water will help the three main utilities better engage and motivate their customers to change their in their energy consumption.  Empower’s visual information and messaging about usage has proven to change consumer behavior, reducing peak consumption and carbon emissions. For more information, visit www.empowersoftware.ca

 

Smart grid managed services will reach $4.3 billion in global revenue by 2015.

Smart Grid Managed Services Market to Grow 75% Year-over-Year Between 2010 and 2011

According to a new report from Pike Research, the smart grid managed-services market is expected to experience year-over-year growth of 75% between 2010 and 2011, rising from $470 million to $821 million during that period. The firm anticipates that smart grid managed services will reach $4.3 billion in global revenue by 2015. Application outsourcing, including demand response (DR) programs, is currently the largest segment within the managed-services space, Pike Research says. But by 2015, infrastructure outsourcing will likely become the leading segment, and business-process outsourcing will also experience strong growth during the 2010-2015 forecast period. Pike Research’s study, “Smart Grid Managed Services”, examines global and regional smart grid managed services trends, and forecasts market size and growth prospects by region and managed services segment from 2009 through 2015.  In addition, the study assesses the competitive landscape, including a detailed competitive analysis of major smart grid managed service vendors.  An Executive Summary of the report is available for free download on the firm’s website.  

SOURCE: Pike Research

Airspan and Grid Net to Enable 4G Smart Grids for Utilities

 
Airspan and Grid Net to Enable 4G Smart Grids for Utilities

Airspan Networks Inc., a provider of broadband wireless solutions, says smart grid software company Grid Net has completed an interoperability test with Airspan's 4G wireless infrastructure solution. Airspan says its 4G infrastructure "facilitates the communications path" for Grid Net's network-management software over a wireless network operating in the 2.3 GHz and 2.5 GHz wireless bands. This smart grid network is designed to support the operation and management of smart metering, distribution automation, demand response, distributed generation and energy storage for utilities. The interoperability testing simulated a network consisting of smart meters with embedded 4G WiMAX chips that communicated electricity-usage data directly to Airspan 4G MacroMAX base stations, which then transferred the data to the Grid Net network management server. SOURCE: Airspan Networks

Kepco : description des enjeux du smart grid

 

Le marché américain des Smart Grid devrait atteindre 9,6 milliards de dollars en 2015

 
Smart Grid to be $9.6 Billion Business by 2015 

According to a new report from GTM Research, the United States smart grid market will grow more than 70 percent over the next five years, reaching $9.6 billion by 2015.  The U.S. Smart Grid Market Forecast : 2010–2015 analyzes key trends in four technology sectors – Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), Distribution Automation (DA), Home Area Networks (HAN) and Smart Utility Enterprise. The study concludes that the factors driving the market expansion include federal ARRA grants for utility modernization, increased market competition and consolidation, and enhanced technology synergies.

David J. Leeds, the report’s author and lead smart grid analyst at GTM Research, says, “Over the next 10 to 15 years, GTM Research expects the distinction between ‘smart grid’ and traditional distribution grids to dissolve. The day is quickly approaching when the bulk of new hardware, software and systems added to grids will be intelligent.”

The report also addresses some of the long-term challenges facing the emerging smart grid industry such as the $165 billion estimated cost of wide scale integration and a deployment timeline of 20 years. Such obstacles, says the report, require stable government incentives, clear policy at the state and national levels, and more effective utility demonstrations pertaining to how the new technology benefits customers.

Leeds adds: “The promises and pitfalls of smart meters continue to monopolize the headlines, and the industry remains in the ‘honeymoon’ phase of technology transition. Utilities are only beginning to deploy next-gen devices and to re-conceptualize how their grids will operate at the distribution level.”

Leeds will be moderating the Meeting Climate Goals session on September 23 at the GridWise Global Forum in Washington, D.C., and his report will be highlighted when GTM Research and Greentech Media host The Networked EV in San Francisco on Nov. 9, 2010.

For detailed information about U.S. Smart Grid Market Forecast : 2010–2015, visit www.gtmresearch.com/report/us-smart-grid-market-forecast-2010-2015

 

Global Smart Grid Federation Seeks International Collaboration

 
Global Smart Grid Federation Seeks International Collaboration

Seven leading global smart grid organizations have founded the Global Smart Grid Federation (GSGF), an international organization with a mandate to promote best practices and to accelerate the deployment of smart grids and associated technology around the world. The founding members of GSGF are either national smart grid policy organizations or advocacy groups: GridWise Alliance (United States); India Smart Grid Forum; Japan Smart Community Alliance; Korean Smart Grid Association; Smart Grid Australia; SmartGridIreland; and SmartGrid Canada. Each is represented by their respective chairman, president, or equivalent officer on the Board of Directors. http://www.globalsmartgridfederation.org/

NIST Finalizes Initial Set of Smart Grid Cyber Security Guidelines

 
NIST Finalizes Initial Set of Smart Grid Cyber Security Guidelines

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has issued its first Guidelines for Smart Grid Cyber Security, which includes high-level security requirements, a framework for assessing risks, an evaluation of privacy issues at personal residences, and additional information for businesses and organizations to use as they craft strategies to protect the modernizing power grid from attacks, malicious code, cascading errors and other threats. The product of two formal public reviews and the focus of numerous workshops and teleconferences over the past 17 months, the three-volume set of guidelines is intended to facilitate organization-specific Smart Grid cyber security strategies focused on prevention, detection, response and recovery.

On the Web : National Institute of Standards and Technology

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Granite Ventures Leads Seed Funding for Smart Grid Start-up Grid2Home

Granite Ventures Leads Seed Funding for Smart Grid Start-up Grid2Home Grid2Home, developer of Smart Energy G2HSE2 Software, announced that it has completed a round of seed funding, led by Granite Ventures. The funding will enable the company to customize the G2H-SE2 Software for multiple platforms and expand its business across the Smart Grid HAN ecosystem. In addition, the company announced that Doug Rasor has joined Grid2Home as Chairman of the Board of Directors, while Rick Kornfeld has joined as President and CEO. read full release

The Cisco, Juniper Rivalry Extends to the Smart Grid

 The Cisco, Juniper Rivalry Extends to the Smart Grid
The rivalry between networking gear giants Cisco and Juniper has extended across routers, wireless products, and security services for years. But now it’s extended into a seemingly unusual area: the smart grid.  While Cisco recently announced its strategy to develop and sell an end-to-end smart grid network product to utilities, Juniper has been quietly focused on providing networking gear to utilities much deeper in the grid, spanning from the utility’s data center back into the substation (which houses all those big transformers). At the GridWise Forum this week, Juniper’s Eric Toperzer explained Juniper’s target smart grid markets to me, including a partnership announced this week with IBM to provide gear and software to connect with IBM’s smart grid network management software. To date Cisco has announced that it is working with utilities like Duke Energy, Florida Power & Light, Germany’s Yellostrom, and Canada’s Enmax.

Smart Grid : STMicroelectronics annonce du nouveau pour StarGRID

 
STMicroelectronics annonce que son nouveau système sur puce (SoC) de communications sur courants porteurs ST7590 STarGRID va être utilisé dans les appareils de gestion automatique de relevé de consommation d'électricité d'avant-garde déployés dans le cadre du nouveau projet espagnol STAR.

Basé sur le standard PRIME (PoweRline Intelligent Metering Evolution), le projet STAR est le programme d'infrastructure de relevé avancé mis en place par l'énergéticien IBERDROLA. D'ici début 2011, 100.000 compteurs intelligents conformes au standard PRIME seront installés par IBERDOLA dans la ville de Castellon (Espagne). Au cours des prochaines années, plus de 10 millions de compteurs seront installés à travers l'Espagne. Le système de gestion automatique des compteurs qui intègre le système sur puce ST7590 STarGRID de STM a passé avec succès tous les tests de certification et de conformité au standard PRIME effectués par l'organisme de certification international KEMA.

Le système sur puce ST7590 est le dernier-né de la famille STarGRID de STMicroelectronics, qui propose une plate-forme de communications par courants porteurs à la fois flexible, modulaire et évolutive, et qui peut être facilement adaptée à différents standards de protocoles et aux besoins applicatifs de différents réseaux intelligents. De plus, cette plate-forme optimise la consommation d'énergie et le coût système de façon plus efficace que les solutions architecturées autour de processeurs de traitement de signal numérique (DSP) polyvalents et autonomes qui nécessitent l'ajout de composants analogiques d'interface et de commande sur courants porteurs externes.

STMicroelectronics’ STarGRID™ Power-Line Communication Chip Used in Smart-Metering ‘STAR Project’ in Spain

Accenture, Oracle Supporting BGE Smart Meter Implementation In Maryland

 

Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) says it is working with Accenture and Oracle to implement a smart meter network for 1.2 million customers. Accenture will provide systems-integration services, including the design, development and management of a customer Web portal and advanced metering infrastructure, as well as integration related to BGE's existing platforms. BGE currently uses Oracle's outage management system and will now implement the vendor's meter data management system. BGE says its network will help manage and analyze high volumes of meter data more effectively while providing customers with detailed energy-usage data, which is expected to result in decreased peak energy consumption and electric bills.

IBM Accelerates Smart Grid Adoption; Helps Utilities Modernize Communications Networks

IBM Accelerates Smart Grid Adoption Helps Utilities Modernize ... Communications Networks

Company first to Offer Complete Smart Grid Communications Services for Utilities

IBM facilite l’adoption des Smart Grid et aide les producteurs, distributeurs et transporteurs d’eau, de gaz et d’électricité à moderniser leur réseaux de communication

 

ARMONK, N.Y., Sept. 21, IBM today announced it will help utilities modernize the underlying communications networks that enable them to deliver energy resources. By providing complete consulting, design and implementation services with network technology from industry partners, IBM will deliver the first-ever comprehensive communications services offering of its kind. This new offering will allow utilities to transform their networks and make the transition from traditional to "smart" grids.

Here Come the Open Smart Grid Software Players

 
Now that the smart grid appears to be settling around Internet Protocol and a future based on the desire for open standards, software developers are emerging and taking a crack at making applications that are interoperable over various networks and can enhance the power grid. For example, smart grid software developer Grid2Home, a year-old company, emerged this morning with its first round of seed funding from Granite Ventures.  Grid2Home’s execs have deep roots in the wireless world — from Qualcomm to Texas Instruments — and have approached the smart grid in much the same way you’d see a traditional wireless network software company. The company makes a software platform that can be used by developers to connect various devices across numerous smart grid networks, and Grid2Home licenses the software to chip companies, smart energy device makers, electric vehicle charging companies and car companies.    

Lire l'article complet sur le site d'origine

GE se voit piloter les réseaux Smart Grid et les villes durables via plate-formes logicielles

 
Le futur réseau électrique intelligent, ou Smart Grid, suscite des convoitises. GE Intelligent Platforms veut sa part du gateau. Pour prendre part à sa gestion, il veut étendre sa solution logicielle.  Sur le Smart Grid, GE Intelligent platforms se positionne  autour de 6 thématiques :

1. Le traitement et la distribution d'eau ;
2. L'optimisation des énergies renouvelables ;
3. Les automatismes dans le réseau électrique ;
4. Les transports innovants ;
5. Les espaces (publics et privés) plus propres ;
6. Les usines "durables".

"Tous ces axes s'articulent autour de la ville durable. C'est la bonne échelle pour déployer et optimiser le Smart Grid", propose Marcel Van Helten, responsable infrastructuresde GE.

Solution globale
GE Intelligent Platforms possède déjà des solutions logicielles. Historiquement destinées à la gestion de l'eau et de l'énergie dans l'industrie. Avec le Smart Grid, "la seule différence vient de l'étendue de la solution à déployer, surtout d'un point de vue géographique", assure Bernard Cubizolles, responsable du marché logiciels et services de GE Intelligent Platforms. Pour s'imposer en dehors des usines, il parie sur une solution globale. Pour tout utilisateur (novice ou confirmé) et toute application : électricité, eau, pétrole et gaz, industrie...

Trois niveaux
Sa stratégie ? Une approche filières en 3 stades : acquisition des données ; automatisation des processus ; visualisation des résultats.

Dans son offre, une plate-forme logicielle donne accès à une base de données communes. Elle est destinée à tous les acteurs d'une même filière. Par exemple, pour l'électricité, de la production à la consommation, en passant par sa transformation et sa distribution. Les fonctions de base, comme les alarmes, peuvent être standardisées. Les données sont exploitées par un "workflow", un logiciel automatisant les processus, comme la réponse aux alarmes. Des outils de visualisation permettent, par exemple, à l'opérateur de voir l'ensemble des alarmes hiérarchisées par criticité. Il est également possible de créer ses propres solutions, comme pour assurer l'équilibre production/consommation d'un réseau. Reste à attendre le déploiement d'un véritable réseau électrique communicant...Thomas Blosseville

09/20/2010 - GE Intelligent Platforms Speeds Development, Deployment Of GPGPU-based Digital Signal Processing Applications

Plus de 302 millions de compteurs intelligents installés dans le monde en 2015 ?

 
According to Berg Insight, the worldwide installed base of smart electricity meters will hit over 300 million by 2015. The research firm states that over the next five years, smart meter technology is projected to move from 15-20% market penetration to almost 50% in Europe and North America, while Asia-Pacific will go from less than 1% to as much as 25%. But considering how many homes are hooked up to an electrical grid across the globe, and that smart meters are essential to get a smart grid up and running, can this be considered quick enough progress ? Perhaps it does mark progress, considering how cumbersome it has been for the smart grid community to create standards so all the pieces of the technological pie -- from meters to utilities to power generation facilities -- can talk to one another. And considering how reluctant some communities have been in receiving smart meter installations, due to concerns over security risks and accurate billing.

Still, progress is indeed slow enough that other companies are already making leapfrog moves that could change the direction of the smart grid -- or at least provide energy-savvy consumers with options for monitoring and minimizing their consumption. For example, Google has created an easy-to-follow dashboard, PowerMeter, for users to follow their energy use, and partnered up with The Energy Detective (TED) to make tracking energy easy. They're also making moves to partner with utilities to provide usage information and feedback to consumers. Microsoft is not too far behind with their Hohm dashboard and Blue Line device.

But while these are great solutions for now, the smart grid is a much more complicated beast that will connect everything about our power supplies, enabling more intelligent use of energy and more renewable energy sources. That's why it is important that meters get installed, standards are agreed upon, and technology put in place from start to finish, and fast. Hitting just 302.5 million smart meters worldwide by 2015 doesn't sound very speedy.

The Berg Insight report outlines issues areas around the world face with developing the smart grid, including, "increasing efficiency demands on the electricity sector to the implementation of energy policies related to power conservation, renewable generation and the security of supply. National governments play a key role in the adoption of smart meters through new future-oriented energy policies, addressing these issues." Smart meters are a tiny fraction of the puzzle, and if they're rolling out this slowly, we are a little concerned about the speed at which governments will move with necessary policies and regulations.

More on the Smart Grid
GE Puts Up Serious Cash For Smart Grid Ideas
Smart Grid + Demand Response = Underrated Renewable Energy Storage?
Utilities Poised to Blow It When Smart Grid Rolls Out
Cisco's Smart Grid Bests Google's PowerMeter When it Comes to Climate Change Solutions
Chinese Gov't to Spend More on Smart Grid Projects than U.S. in 2010

ZigBee Alliance établit son nouveau siège européen à Cambridge

ZigBee Alliance établit son nouveau siège européen

ZigBee AllianceceR annonce la nomination de Larry Taylor au poste dedirecteur du développement des normes en Europe et chef des nouveaux bureaux européens situés à Cambridge (Royaume-Uni). Larry Taylor, fort de ses 20 ans d'expérience dans les normes internationales, dirigera l'équipe responsable de l'élargissement des efforts de l'Alliance en réponse aux besoins spécifiques de l'Union européenne en matière de normes de gestion de l'énergie et d'activités des réseaux intelligents (Smart Grid). Le siège européen concentrera également ses efforts sur le soutien à ses membres toujours plus nombreux en Europe et sur l'expansion de son rôle grandissant dans la mise en place- au sein de l'UE, de ZigBee Smart Energy dans l'infrastructure des compteurs avancée (AMI, Advanced Metering Infrastructure) et sans fil, ainsi que des réseaux domestiques (HAN, Home Area Networks).

Le marché du smartgrid s'attend à voir GridPoint en Bourse en 2011

 Lancée il y a 7 ans comme l’une des nombreuses start-up de logiciels destinés à aider les entreprises à mesurer et réduire leur consommation d’énergie, la société américaine GridPoint avait d’abord démarré brillamment, en levant au total 220 millions de dollars. Elle est ainsi devenue l’une des deux start-up américaines du secteur les plus richement dotées, avec le spécialiste des compteurs intelligents Silver Spring Networks.

Début 2010, après avoir effectué quatre rachats entre 2007 et 2009, participant à la frénésie d’acquisitions dans le secteur, la société semblait patiner, mais elle a ensuite repris sa marche en avant.

GridPoint Continues Buying Spree - Business in The Beltway - Money ...

GridPoint Inc., the Arlington company that develops technology to manage the nation’s electrical grid, is positioning itself for what could be the region’s next big initial public offering, possibly as soon as 2011. The 7-year-old company has raised more than $220 million in venture funds, so it needs a lucrative exit to pay off investors and generate funds for broadening its national footprint in the growing clean-technology sphere. GridPoint officials declined to comment, as did several of its investors. The company has not yet filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

But signs point to a coming IPO: The smart-grid company has taken on increasingly lucrative contracts — most recently a $28.7 million deal with the Postal Service — and made at least four acquisitions in the last three years. Over the past year, it has also beefed up its management team with executives who have experience taking companies public. Joe Chinnici, who joined in April as chief financial officer and executive vice president, helped prepare telecom equipment supplier Ciena for an IPO. Last summer, the company brought on John Spirtos from NeuStar Inc. as executive vice president and chief strategy officer. NeuStar hired Spirtos a year before it went public in 2005. Read more: GridPoint Inc. moves closer to possible IPO - Washington Business Journal

Smart Grid -Smart Home : Rokkashomura, un réseau électrique 100 % renouvelable

Les partisans des énergies renouvelables sont souvent qualifiés de rêveurs, voire d'utopistes, de par la nature fluctuante, et incontrôlable de ces énergies. On ignore s'il y aura du vent la semaine prochaine, et c'est le premier argument du lobby du nucléaire, dont la production est stable et prévisible, pour garantir la sécurité de l'approvisionnement aux consommateurs exigeants que nous sommes tous.

Japan Wind Development Co.,Toyota, Panasonic Electric Works et Hitachi se sont alors associés pour développer un nouveau réseau, isolé, non connecté au réseau national. Il ne serait alimenté que par de l'électricité verte, 100 % renouvelable, avec des batteries de grande capacité pour balancer l'offre avec la demande.

La construction de ce réseau vient de débuter au Japon, elle s'achèvera en juillet 2012. Les maisons qui y seront reliées possèderont toutes des compteurs intelligents, avec un stockage d'électricité local, dans la maison. Il y aura pourtant aussi un autre stockage, central, pour le réseau. L'électricité pouvant aller, circuler (!), d'une maison à une autre, ou d'une maison vers le réseau et évidemment vice-versa.

Ce réseau servira aussi pour le chauffage, et enfin l'alimentation des voitures, qui seront hybrides rechargeables ou électriques. Avec le meilleur de l'industrie japonaise pour le développer, on peut se montrer confiant quant au succès de ce projet situé à Rokkasho. L'objectif est de montrer qu'un réseau vert est possible, tout en validant la technologie de contrôle et d'exploitation d'un réseau écologique autonome.

Off the grid : Un nombre croissant d'américains se débranchent du réseau

 

Pour Nick Rosen, l'auteur du livre et du blog Off the Gridd,  un nombre croissant d’Américains choisissent de ne pas se raccorder à l’eau ou à l’électricité. Pour lui, le réseau a été organisé pour répondre aux besoins de l’industrie, pas des consommateurs. “Et maintenant, on nous vend le “réseau intelligent”, qui ne va faire que pérenniser un système qui n’a plus aucun sens à l’ère des énergies renouvelables. Le réseau intelligent à l’air convaincant à première vue, mais il n’y a pas eu de débat sur l’instance habilitée à contrôler la technologie, à accéder aux données collectées par les compteurs intelligents au domicile des usagers et à décider des tarifs que les compagnies d’électricité pourront pratiquer en cas de pics de demande.”

Nick Rosen était à New York ce jour de 2003 où une panne d’électricité géante priva 50 millions de personnes de courant dans le nord-est des Etats-Unis. “Cela m’a fait réfléchir à ce réseau électrique muet, invisible, dont nous dépendons tous sans jamais y penser”, raconte-t-il. Vivre off the grid [non raccordé au réseau] n’était pas une idée entièrement nouvelle pour cet auteur britannique, qui vient de publier Off the Grid: Inside the Movement for More Space, Less Governement, and True Independence in Modern America [Débranchés : au cœur du mouvement pour plus d’espace, moins d’Etat et une vraie indépendance dans l’Amérique moderne]. Propriétaire d’une “vieille cabane de berger dans un coin magnifique d’Espagne”, il sait qu’“on peut vivre très confortablement sans être raccordé aux principaux réseaux de base”.

Toyota lance son Smart Grid Village

 
A tiny village in Japan with six "smart houses" and eight Toyota Prius plug-in hybrids is designed to show the world how to generate power from renewable energy sources.

Après Nissan et son île sans CO₂ au Japon, c'est au tour de Toyota de dévoiler son projet pour une société plus propre. Toyota a présenté sa vision du futur en inaugurant un petit lotissement équipé d'un réseau intelligent. Il regroupe 6 habitations écologiques et 8 Prius rechargeables. Pendant deux ans le constructeur testera le Toyota Smart Center qui a pour rôle de gérer l'énergie au sein de ce petit groupe d'habitations ainsi que la consommation et le stockage de celle-ci pour alimenter la Prius. Le constructeur ne fait pas les choses à moitié puisqu'il s'occupe de tout, de l'eau chaude aux courses, pour les personnes qui y sont installées. Pendant toute la durée du projet, elles seront aiguillées pour apprendre à gérer au mieux l'énergie et, pourquoi pas, la revendre aux voisins en cas de surplus.

ROKKASHO, Japan — Toyota unveiled its vision of the future on Thursday by launching a smart grid village here with six "smart houses" and eight Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid vehicles. The village is a two-year project designed to show the world how to generate power exclusively from renewable energy sources. The concept is reminiscent of Walt Disney's Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, the genesis of EPCOT, the Orlando, Florida, resort designed to generate new ideas for urban living using new technologies.

Toyota's project is on a much smaller scale. The automaker said the two-year demonstration project will test "the Toyota Smart Center system for creating and controlling the smart houses, plug-in hybrid vehicle control systems and energy consumption and storage." So detailed is the project that Toyota even "governs" the "EcoCute hot water heaters installed in the houses, taking usage patterns and supply loads into account."

The intriguing idea will show residents how to adjust power usage and allow them to "take part in power trading with their neighbors," the automaker said. The village's grid supplies six houses equipped with different energy management systems and automatic metering. There are vehicle charging points set up to power the Prius plug-in hybrids.

Toyota is partnering with Japan Wind Development, Panasonic Electric Works and Hitachi on the project. Electricity will be produced by wind power stations and local solar energy generation. Toyota said it is trying to develop a strategy for a "future low-carbon society" by setting up the village.

Inside Line says: It's a brave new world when Toyotaville can have its finger in everything from your car to your hot-water heater. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent

Toyota said it is trying to develop a strategy for a "future low-carbon society."

The village is a two-year project.

Prolongement de l’expérimentation : Linky passera finalement l'hiver

 

Compteurs communicants : Linky passera finalement l'hiver

Le gouvernement a fait machine arrière le 15 septembre 2010 en prorogeant d’au moins trois mois les tests sur le compteur communicant d’ERDF, deux semaines seulement après avoir réduit le temps de son expérimentation. Une décision qui satisfait les collectivités concédantes.

Le revirement gouvernemental est subtil. Car c’est sous la forme d’une «mise au point» et de «précisions à la suite de certaines affirmations relayées ces derniers jours dans la presse» que le ministère de l’Ecologie, de l’énergie et du développement durable est revenu le 15 septembre sur son décret publié deux semaines plus tôt – le 2 septembre – au Journal officiel, fixant au 31 décembre 2010 la fin de l’expérimentation technique des compteurs communicants Linky.

Ce texte avait provoqué la colère de la Fédération nationale des collectivités concédantes et régies (FNCCR) et de deux organisations de consommateurs, UFC Que Choisir et la CLCV.
La FNCCR avait dénoncé une décision de généraliser le compteur d’ERDF avant d’en avoir réellement testé ses fonctionnalités en grandeur nature.  L’association représentant les autorités concédantes reprochait notamment au gouvernement de ne pas respecter la demande expresse de la Commission de régulation de l’énergie (CRE) faite au gestionnaire du réseau de distribution ERDF «d’englober la période du 1er novembre 2010 au 31 mars 2011» dans son expérimentation, ceci, pour couvrir la période hivernale et en particulier janvier et février.  Après avoir fait l’impasse sur cette requête du régulateur, le ministère reconnaît désormais la pertinence «d’une évaluation du système en période de froid» et envisage maintenant une expérimentation «au moins jusqu’au 31 mars 2011».

Généralisé seulement si c’est concluant

La FNCCR « se félicite du prolongement de l’expérimentation » du compteur Linky mais n’entend pas pour autant mettre en veilleuse ses critiques à l’égard d’un outil censé permettre à l’usager de maîtriser sa consommation d’énergie mais qui doit faire ses preuves.  C’est la raison d’être de la phase d’expérimentation en Indre-et-Loire et dans l’agglomération lyonnaise, insiste le ministère, en rappelant que le gouvernement ne décidera d’une généralisation du compteur Linky «qu’en cas de résultat concluant et uniquement dans ce cas».
Comme si cela devait être précisé…

Avec les compteurs intelligents seuls, les consommateurs ne réduiraient pas significativement leur consommation d'énergie

 
Study: Smart Meters May Not Reduce Energy Use

Voici un travail passionnant réalisé par Sarah Darby, du Centre de l’environnement à l’université d’Oxford, et publié dans la revue Building research and information. Une réflexion poussée sur la manière dont les compteurs peuvent être acceptés par le public, et les économies qu’on peut en attendre et à quelle condition. On nous dit que les compteurs intelligents feront économiser 15% d’électricité. Un chiffre bien théorique puisqu’il laisse penser que le compteur est un magicien de la chasse au gaspi. Ces économies ne se feront que si chaque usager décide de réduire sa consommation, et d’agir en conséquence. Pour Sarah Darby, si l’économie constatée peut atteindre 15%, elle peut tout aussi bien être trois fois plus faible. Et là où il existe un service internet de suivi de consommation, seules 2 à 4% des clients le consultent régulièrement. D’ailleurs, une autre étude publiée dans la même revue montre, sur un panel d’usagers néerlandais que l’économie réelle a été de 7,8% sur les quatre premiers mois, mais que moins d’un an après, le chiffre revient à seulement 1,9%.

Any energy-use reduction associated with smart metering depends heavily on social factors, say Oxford researchers. The use of smart meters to cut energy consumption is far from straightforward, and will depend on both business and social considerations, according to new research from the University of Oxford. The research, carried out by Sarah Darby of the university’s Environmental Change Institute (ECI) and published in the journal Building Research and Information last week, found that a reduction of energy demand “did not flow naturally from improved billing information”.The study examined how householders used feedback on their energy consumption with and without smart meters.

Smart meters are designed to improve the accuracy of energy billing. In some countries, including the UK, they are also designed to provide feedback to consumers, allowing them to form a more accurate picture of their own energy consumption, and thus make better-informed choices, in theory reducing their power consumption and the related carbon emissions.Smart metering is also intended to facilitate the development of smart grids, which integrate the actions of all users connected to them in order to efficiently deliver sustainable, economic and secure electricity supplies.

However, previous studies have shown that the technology on its own does not necessarily lead to changes in consumer habits, and the new study backed this up. Darby’s research found that the technology must be accompanied by education in order to be effective.

“There is the potential to use (advanced metering infrastructure) for demand reduction if there is a strong strategic intention to do so, and if the social support is there,” Darby said in the paper.

In a separate study in the same journal, Delft University of Technology academics found that the short-term benefits of smart metering did not necessarily translate into longer-term changes in habits. The Dutch study found that smart meters initially provided electricy consumption savings of 7.8 percent after four months, but this was not sustained over the following 11 months. “Participants who kept the monitor (…) did not manage to sustain their electricity savings any better than those without a monitor,” the researchers wrote. The research also found that the results varied with different social groups. “A second finding is that certain groups of people seem more receptive to energy-saving interventions than others. A ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach for home energy monitors cannot be justified.”

Ovum Slams UK Government’s ‘Hasty’ Smart Meter Rollout

Ovum Slams Government's 'Hasty' Smart Meter Rollout | eWEEK Europe UK

Ofgem's prospectus on smart metering is not all it's cracked up to be, according to analyst firm Ovum.  Ovum has criticised the government’s smart meter strategy, calling the plans for an accelerated rollout “hasty” and the role of the DataCommsCo, or DCC, “uninspiring”.

Ovum’s comments appeared in a report circulated over the weekend in response to Ofgem’s smart metering prospectus of 27 July, which detailed plans for rolling out smart meters to every home and small business in the country. The prospectus was included in the government’s Annual Energy Statement, and emphasises the need for a significant acceleration in the rollout of smart meters compared to previously published targets.

Securing the Smart Grid

 
The grid's flow of data is supposed to improve energy delivery but must be protected from hackers' prying eyes. Unlike the traditional power grid, a "smart" grid is designed to accommodate a two-way flow of both electricity and data. This creates great promise, including lower energy prices, increased use of renewable resources and, it is hoped, fewer brownouts and blackouts. But a smart grid also poses several potential security problems—networked meter data, power companies' computers and those of customers could all be vulnerable to tampering.
A smart grid adds a layer of cybersecurity complexity to challenges that already existed with the traditional grid. In the past, a lot of cybersecurity efforts have focused on securing the bulk transmission system—from the utility company's generating plants to its substations—because those locations are where the worst-case scenario could happen: a large regional blackout, says Don Von Dollen, a program manager at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), a Calif.-based non-profit research center. The bulk transmission system remains the top security priority, but with the dawn of the smart grid, power companies now have to think more about protecting the network connections they have with individual customers' homes, he adds.

If a customer has a home area network (HAN) that links computers, appliances and other electric appliances back to the power company for real-time monitoring, the company needs to make sure the network connection to that home is secure, "so as a prank the kid next door can't turn [the customers'] lights on and off," says Von Dollen, who coordinates EPRI's smart grid activities with the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Department of Energy and other federal agencies.
Computer hackers who tamper with smart meters could do damage that spreads far beyond a few homes. At a Black Hat technical security conference (pdf) last year, Mike Davis, a senior consultant with Seattle computer security firm IOActive, used simulations to show how one smart-meter worm could infect a community and potentially shut off power to 15,000 homes within 24 hours.
NIST steps in with recommendations but few answers
With such scenarios in mind, NIST's Smart Grid Interoperability Panel–Cyber Security Working Group (SGIP–CSWG) in February released the second draft of its Smart Grid Cyber Security Strategy and Requirements, a 305-page document the agency expects to issue formally by July. It identifies potential vulnerabilities and outlines "recommended requirements" that the North American Electricity Reliability Corporation (NERC) can choose to add to its critical infrastructure protection standards. These measures to protect the grid from cyber-tampering would be enforced by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
Scientific American

Smart Meters Will Be Hacked, Warn Researchers

 
The actual meters are a weak point between home networks and smart grid infrastructure that will be exploited, experts warn The technology at the heart of the government’s plans to roll out smart meters to every home and small business in the country are fundamentally insecure and will be successfully attacked by hackers, according to researchers.

In the report - Smart Meter Security - clean technology analyst group Pike Research states that governments and industry have rushed to develop smart meter technology but have not considered all the security issues around the technology. “It would be naïve to think that smart meters will not be successfully attacked. They will be,” the report states. “In fact, smart meters represent a worst-case scenario in terms of security: the devices lack sufficient power to execute strong security software; they are placed in physically non- secure locations; and they are installed in volumes large enough that one or two may not be missed.”

Specifically, Pike believes that smart meters are an inherent weak point in the various networks which will ultimately form smart power grids, stated Pike industry analyst Bob Lockhart. “Smart meters are one of the weakest links in the smart grid security chain,” he said. “Home area networks, commercial building networks, and utility networks all perform well in terms of keeping data encrypted within their domains. However, these domains terminate at the smart meter, and the only way for data to pass from one network to the other is for the smart meter to decrypt the data from one side and re-encrypt it on the other. Consequently, the data are, for a short while, unencrypted on the meter and could be successfully eavesdropped.” ....eWeek Europe

Smart Grid : Les systèmes de télégestion ne sont pas sûrs !

 Extrait de l'article de Jean-Marc Manach : Les compteurs “intelligents” : des bombes à retardement ?

Créés pour permettre le contrôle à distance et la surveillance de processus industriels, la télégestion de systèmes d’approvisionnement, de transport et les canalisations de produits chimiques, de gaz, de pétrole, d’eau et d’électricité, les systèmes SCADA sont souvent perçus par les spécialistes de la sécurité informatique comme un maillon faible qu’auraient beau jeu d’exploiter des cyberterroristes, pirates informatiques ou hackers militaires.

En 2007, le projet Aurora avait ainsi démontré la possibilité de pirater le système SCADA d’un générateur électrique afin d’entraîner son autodestruction. Or, et comme le souligne l’un des experts interrogés dans ce documentaire de CBS, ces générateurs coûtent très cher, ils ne sont plus fabriqués aux Etats-Unis, et il faudrait des mois pour s’en procurer d’autres ou les réparer, ce qui aurait des conséquences non seulement économiques, mais également politiques :

En 2008, le Club de la Sécurité de l’Information Français (CLUSIF) évoquait, dans une étude sur les Enjeux de sécurité des infrastructures SCADA (.pdf), plusieurs explosions dans des usines chimiques, le fait que des sites nucléaires, guichets automatiques bancaires, systèmes de signalisation ferroviaire avaient été perturbés par des vers informatiques, entraînant, dans un cas, l’arrêt de 13 usines d’assemblage de véhicules, dans un autre l’arrêt d’une station nucléaire. La présentation évoquait également plusieurs actes de malveillance ayant perturbé des feux de signalisation, systèmes d’approvisionnement en eau, et même la prise de contrôle et le déraillement, par un adolescent, de 4 wagons.

Dans une intervention intitulée Electricity for Free ? (.pdf) présentée lors du dernier Black Hat (l’un des symposiums les plus réputés en matière de sécurité informatique), en juillet dernier, Jonathan Pollet, spécialiste de la sécurité SCADA chez Red Tiger Security, a expliqué avoir identifié 38 000 problèmes de sécurité, lors de 100 audits, effectués sur 10 ans.

Alors que la “durée de vie” (c’est-à-dire le temps avant qu’il ne soit infecté ou compromis) d’un ordinateur non protégé est estimée à 4 minutes, pour Jonathan Pollet, “les systèmes SCADA sont bien moins sécurisés que les systèmes informatiques“.

Au cours de ses audits, il a ainsi trouvé, sur des ordinateurs reliés à des systèmes SCADA, toute sorte de programmes qui n’avaient rien à y faire, mais qui pouvaient a contrario servir de vecteur ou de relais d’attaques : logiciels P2P ou de messagerie instantanée, scripts de téléchargement de vidéos pornographiques, et même des chevaux de Troie et autres “malwares“.

“Ce n’est qu’une question de temps : d’ici peu, nous assisterons à bien plus d’attaques ou d’incidents sur des réseaux SCADA du fait de l’absence de mesures de sécurité, ou de systèmes de défense mal configurés. Il faut nommer des responsables sécurité de ces systèmes. C’est une bombe à retardement.”

Découvert en juillet dernier, le vers Stuxnet serait le premier virus expressément créé pour infecter les systèmes SCADA. 60% des systèmes infectés auraient été situés en Iran. Pour Raphaël Marichez, de la société de sécurité HSC, Stuxnet constituerait “un tournant“, ouvrant la voie à “des virus exploitant des vulnérabilités “grand public”, avec la complicité de grandes firmes étrangères, pour cibler un système industriel précis“.

A défaut de connaître son auteur, et donc savoir s’il s’agit bel et bien d’une tentative d’espionnage industriel, voire d’espionnage tout court, on notera que, toujours cet été, un rapport du ministère de l’énergie américain constatait que les infrastructures énergétiques américaines étaient vulnérables à des attaques informatiques, faute d’effectuer correctement les mesures basiques de sécurité censées les protéger, ou encore parce qu’elles sont reliées à l’internet, utilisent des systèmes d’exploitation grands publics, et des ordinateurs improprement sécurisés.

Stuxnet exploitait ainsi une faille Windows, et se propageait via des clefs USB préalablement contaminées (via l’internet, ou sciemment), dès lors qu’elles étaient connectées au PC, même si celui était pourtant à jour en terme de correctifs de sécurité. En 2009, la Marine nationale française avait ainsi dû couper son réseau après avoir été contaminée par un virus, introduit via une clef USB dans son système Windows, pourtant déconnecté du Net.

Ross Anderson et Shailendra Fuloria ne s’intéressent pas tant aux systèmes SCADA, mais à ces compteurs “intelligents“ (les guillemets sont de rigueur, lorsque l’on commence à doter d’”intelligence” des boîtiers électroniques), censés permettre d’effectuer des économies d’énergie et dont le développement est activement soutenu, outre-Atlantique, dans le cadre du plan de relance américain (qui y investit 3,4 milliards de dollars), et en Europe par une directive européenne de 2009, qui prévoit d’en équiper 80% des foyers à l’horizon 2020. On dénombrerait ainsi, à ce jour, quelque 250 projets de compteurs “intelligents“, 49 millions d’ores et déjà installés, et 800 millions en préparation.

Orlando Selects Siemens

 
Orlando Selects Siemens

The Orlando Utilities Commission – The Reliable One (OUC) has selected Siemens to implement their meter data management system based on eMeter’s EnergyIP software to support current and future applications and business processes enabled by an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI).  OUC selected Siemens’ project management and delivery services combined with EnergyIP’s advanced capabilities as the best choice for their planned Smart Grid initiatives.    The Orlando Utility Commission is independent owned by the citizens of Orlando. The second largest municipal utility in Florida, OUC provides electric and water services to more than 313,000 metered accounts in Orlando, St. Cloud and parts of unincorporated Orange and Osceola counties.  For more information visit: www.ouc.com

 

Compteurs intelligents : Le MEEDDM veut rassurer

 
La généralisation à la France entière de la pose de compteurs électriques "intelligents", actuellement en test, n'interviendra qu'en cas de résultats concluants, même si un calendrier de déploiement est déjà fixé, a annoncé mercredi le meddmm. Dans un communiqué publié mercredi 15 septembre, le ministère de l'environnement annonce que l'expérimentation des compteurs dits intelligents sera prolongée ''au moins jusqu’au 31 mars 2011 par une évaluation du système en période de froid''.

 Télécharger le communiqué de presse (PDF - 128 Ko)

Cette annonce intervient après la publication, le 2 septembre dernier, d'un décret fixant le calendrier de déploiement de ces compteurs dans toute la France, alors même que leur expérimentation était en cours et était censée s'achever fin 2010.  Conformément aux recommandations de la Commission de régulation de l'énergie (CRE), l'expérimentation sera prolongée au moins jusqu'au 31 mars 2011. Associations de consommateurs et professionnels du secteur avaient dénoncé la semaine dernière le décret ministériel dans lequel ils ont vu une généralisation à marche forcée d'un système qui n'est encore qu'en phase expérimentale. L'UFC-Que choisir considèrait de plus que la pose des compteurs avait pris du retard et qu'un certain nombre de dysfonctionnements techniques avait été constaté

Sous couvert de ''mise au point'' sur ces compteurs, le Meeddm rectifie donc le tir et en profite pour ''réfuter'' les critiques émises sur le fonctionnement des compteurs intelligents, qu'il juge ''infondées''. Selon lui, ''ce décret « organisationnel » ne décide pas à ce stade de la généralisation du remplacement des compteurs existants, mais se contente de définir les différentes étapes de ce projet, en précisant le rôle des différentes parties prenantes''. Le décret "prévoit (...) en cas de résultat concluant (et uniquement dans ce cas), une décision du gouvernement quant à la généralisation", explique encore le ministère.

Le meddmm assure ''qu'un tel programme ne représente qu’une faible part des investissements réalisés sur le réseau'' et ''qu'en aucun cas l’installation du compteur ne sera facturée au ménage concerné au moment de la pose''.

ERDF, mène depuis le mois de mars une expérimentation en Indre et Loire et dans l'agglomération lyonnaise pour installer 300.000 compteurs dits intelligents. Ces compteurs encouragés par les instances européennes, transmettront des données détaillées de consommation aux distributeurs d'électricité et sont censés aider les consommateurs à maîtriser leur consommation d'énergie. L'expérimentation a connu un démarrage poussif en mars 2010, et les économies d'énergie qu'ils sont censés générer ont plusieurs fois été mises en cause.

Les compteurs électriques "intelligents" doivent devenir obligatoires en France dans les logements neufs à partir de 2012.

Le ministère précise que cette obligation interviendra après "une évaluation par la CRE et en cas de résultat concluant (et uniquement dans ce cas) et une décision du gouvernement quant à la généralisation".

Le coût du changement des 35 millions de compteurs est évalué par ERDF à un total de 4 à 5 milliards d'euros. Les services de Jean-Louis Borloo soulignent qu'"en aucun cas l'installation du compteur ne sera facturée au ménage concerné au moment de la pose".

"Ce programme fait partie des investissements de maintenance et de modernisation du réseau public de distributiion d'électricité, financés par le tarfis d'utilisation des réseaux (Turpe), qui est payé par les producteurs d'énergie", rappelle le communiqué.

Les opérateurs énergétiques (EDF, GDF-Suez, Poweo, etc) auront toutefois la possibilité d'augmenter la facture du consommateur de 1 à 2 euros par mois pour amortir le coût du changement des installations, indique le ministère.

Smart Grid : The Show Magic Box of State Grid Pavilion in Shangai 2010 EXPO

 The “Magic Box” inside State Grid Corporation of China’s pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo has already attracted more than 2.6 million visitors with a spectacular Disney-meets-Star-Wars explosion of color and lights. But it’s razzle dazzle with a purpose. The 4,000-meter Magic Box provides an opportunity for expo visitors to experience smart grid technologies. One level showcases a smart substation that employs cutting-edge technologies, from ice storage to captive solar power generation. Elsewhere visitors can see control center technology, smart grid transmission, EV charging and more. And they can get hands-on with a smart interactive portal for a look at how smart communities and smart homes of the future will impact their lives.

Grid Net Collaborates with Sprint on Smart Grid Solution

 
Grid Net Collaborates with Sprint on Smart Grid Solution Grid Net is collaborating with Sprint to deliver a solution that leverages Grid Net’s software platforms to connect smart meters and smart grid routers via the Sprint 4G network, meaning utilities can now offer secure, scalable, reliable, and standards-based Smart Grid technology. Grid Net says its software platforms are designed to “integrate substation automation, distribution automation, smart meters, demand response, and load management with electric vehicles, buildings, and homes to increase grid reliability, energy efficiency, renewable energy use, and customer satisfaction while reducing capital and operating costs.” Sprint, the national wireless carrier to launch and market a 4G network in the United States will explore embedded WiMAX connectivity into Smart Meters and Smart Grid Routers with Grid Net. WiMAX is an open IEEE standard that provides a low-cost solution to wirelessly connect smart meters to the Smart Grid. In addition, Grid Net says WiMAX standards allow utilities to “assign different class of services and set priorities in critical infrastructure applications assuring the quality of service for critical infrastructure.”

Mise au point d'une application Smart Metering par FMB Energie et Swisscom

 
Visualisation des données énergétiques grâce au Smart Metering ...
La première collaboration entre BKW FMB Energie SA (FMB) et Swisscom, concrétisée par la création de l'association inergie, donne ses premiers résultats: un projet-pilote permet aux clients de la commune d'Ittigen (BE) de consulter les données relatives à leur consommation d'électricité sur un téléphone fixe IP avec services multimédia intégrés. L'association inergie - composée des partenaires BKW FMB Energie SA,  La Poste Suisse, IBM Suisse SA, la commune d'Ittigen et, depuis juillet 2010, Swisscom SA - a pour objectif de développer et de mettre en oeuvre des solutions d'avenir dans le domaine de la production et de l'utilisation intégrées et durables de l'énergie. Dans la commune-pilote d'Ittigen, les partenaires inergie réalisent des projets visant à optimiser la consommation d'énergie (électricité, mobilité, chaleur, etc.) et se concentrent actuellement sur un système de réseaux intelligents (Smart Grid) ainsi que sur l'électromobilité. Grâce à des compteurs intelligents (Smart Meters) et à la visualisation de leurs données énergétiques, les clients pourront optimiser leur consommation d'électricité. Le projet iSMART permettra ainsi de récolter des résultats concrets dans le domaine des compteurs intelligents.

Dans le cadre de ce  projet, les compteurs électriques peuvent être consultés via le réseau mobile Swisscom. En outre, Swisscom met à disposition un téléphone fixe IP avec services multimédia intégrés. En tant que partenaire de l'association inergie, Swisscom teste l'application FMB sur cet appareil dans le cadre de l'étude-pilote iSMART.

Carte des projets Smart Grids dans le monde

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