Demand Response News | Broadband access could usher in the ...

Utility companies looking to the potential establishment of the energy smart grid should be taking full advantage of broadband technology, in the opinion of industry analysts.

One of the major selling points of the smart grid is its ability to communicate wirelessly with electricity meters, utilities and residential buildings, but, according to FierceSmartGrid, the increase in data can allow the signal to become slow. With broadband installations being rolled out across the country, public power utilities have the chance to access the real-time data at their disposal and provide accurate demand response programs

While broadband has become an accepted part of the entertainment industry, especially when it comes to accessing the cloud or streaming live events, it appears that the technology is not being fully utilized by the energy industry. Industry analysts estimate that only 5 percent of municipal utilities in the country have begun using broadband connections to access electrical data, with rural communities a compelling argument for being able to deal with ongoing energy situations through the technology.

Pushing into broadband

"We are seeing a number of utilities, both municipal and electric cooperatives, pushing into broadband," said Dave Russell, a solutions director at Calix. "And when they do that push into broadband, they are utilizing smart grid and grid modernization as a justification for at least part of their broadband build. I would not call it a big wave, but it's kind of a constant drum beat."

The other advantage of broadband is that it is already a significant part of federal plans to connect the entire country through technology. The National Broadband Plan was devised by the Federal Communications Commission as a "bold roadmap to America's future," setting a series of goals that include energy efficiency and allowing consumers to access electric usage data whenever they want.

Faster access

For utilities, the rolling out of broadband on a nationwide basis allows them to have faster access to consumer usage data and, ultimately, the ability to anticipate when power will be required at any given moment. With customers already used to fast internet speeds and instant communication, demand response programs and the energy smart grid can communicate with electrical consumers without having to rely on the sometimes sluggish, and occasionally intermittent, information that wireless technology provides.

"Even for certain segments that have been less technically savvy, it's becoming more and more expected that they get access to this type of information," said Mike Ruth, an executive at Tendril, a energy software company. "It's incredibly challenging ? almost impossible ? to push large amounts of data over a wireless network."

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Source: http://www.nappartners.com/news/broadband-access-could-usher-in-the-smart-grid/

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