How the Smart Grid will energize the world

By David Mayne, Digi International

The “Smart  Grid”  is a term that most of us had never heard five years ago. Today, this phrase generates  2,514,000 hits on Google. The Smart Grid is referenced as a possible solution  to terrorist attacks, a method  for minimizing climate change, and a means of stimulating sustainable economic growth for the global economy.

Technology is rapidly changing the way we approach almost everything we do in life. A variety of influencing factors are causing utilities to get on-board with the latest Smart Grid technologies and placing consumers in the driver seat when it comes to energy conservation. There are a myriad of approaches being explored to provide everyone with accurate data and allowing something as complex as the energy grid to be able to operate efficiently and intelligently. By staying flexible and using a variety of communication resources, the Smart Grid will mean many things to many people.

One would think that a technology  delivering wide ranging impact on national security, the environment and the economy would be clearly defined and well understood. Further  investigation will highlight that this is not a single technology,  network or solution,  but rather  an ecosystem that is evolving and will continue  to evolve over several years. The goal of the Smart Grid is to provide communication, information and control  to as many points on an energy distribution network as possible, maximizing the efficiency, reliability and security of the system. The specific requirements will vary, largely driven by the needs of the devices and applications associated  with each sub-system...

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