Are You Smarter Than A Smart Grid? 


Ever watch that TV show “Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?” It features Jeff Foxworthy (who actually is a pretty funny guy and a perfect host for the show) and has everyday folks and celebrities battling it out with 5th grade students to see who is smarter. Some of the questions are tough – some are easy…

So how would you feel if yopu were on that show and someone asked you to describe the Smart Grid? Maybe the answer is not so easy eh? – which is why I like this picture above. It covers the Smart Grid end-end via 4 simple layers:

  • Power layer
  • Communication Layer
  • Smart Grid Applications layer
  • Enterprise/Consumer layer

[Note: I need to remember where I found this in THE SMART GRID IN 2010: MARKET SEGMENTS, APPLICATIONS AND INDUSTRY PLAYERS DAVID J. LEEDS | GTM RESEARCH report. Download this excellent report by clicking on the link...]

I’ll be adding to this post over the next few days…and will drill on on the various layers as described with comments and perspectives…If you click on the picture – you can see a larger version which might be a little easier to read.

The communication layer I am particularly a fan of – as we explore FAN/AMI – Field Area Network/Advanced Metering Infrastructure which includes mesh networking. Staring to see my intersection with Smart Grid now?

Did a little deeper on AMI and Wikipedia says:

Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) refers to systems that measure, collect and analyse energy usage, and interact with advanced devices such as electricity meters, gas meters, heat meters, and water meters, through various communication media either on request (on-demand) or on pre-defined schedules. This infrastructure includes hardware, software, communications, consumer energy displays and controllers, customer associated systems, Meter Data Management (MDM) software, supplier and network distribution business systems, etc.

Measure, Collect and Analyze. It seems to be what I’ve been living my life on the past few years! Reminds me of the old Build, Deploy, Manage – which pertained to the software application world, and has really evolved to Provision, Deploy, Consume – thanks to Cloud Computing and SaaS!

A Smart Grid need smart data. Data collection and aggregation is key – otherwise you have the garbage in/garbage out syndrome and an unimpressed utility or worse yet -> consumer. IP seems like a happy way to suggest integrating all of these devices – sounds like the data center situation doesn’t it? A smart data center to me is just an extension (or vice versa) of the Smart Grid. It deals with main power distribution, peak/load demand issues, various networking topologies (LAN/WAN/Wireless), mixed meter infrastructure and of course, an array of various applications for consumption, cost, efficiency metrics, and over all state and  health.

Smart Grid is hot right now so you need to have a quick answer (in case you are challenged by a 5th grader!) so back to Wikipedia for a quick Smart Grid definition:

A smart grid delivers electricity from suppliers to consumers using digital technology with two-way communications to control appliances at consumers’ homes to save energy, reduce cost and increase reliability and transparency. It overlays the electricity distribution grid with an information and net metering system.

Got it? Simple?

Of course the “control” aspect might have a few folks up in arms… consumer behavior might need to be updated as we progress further with Smart Grid deployments. We just need to be smart about it and not ruffle too many feathers in the process…