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Critical Infrastructure Determines Long-Term Strategy, Part II

By Raj Vaswani, Chief Technology Officer, Silver Springs Networks, September, 01, 2009 - The first part of this two-part article discussed network infrastructure and implementing the right network.  more...
Article Viewed 969 Times  |  Be the first to comment on this article.

Critical Infrastructure Determines Long-Term Strategy, Part I

By Eric Dresselhuys, VP, Markets & Business Development, Silver Spring Networks, August, 04, 2009 - The first part of this two-part article will discuss network infrastructure and implementing the right network.  more...
Article Viewed 1145 Times  |  Be the first to comment on this article.

Strategies for Success in Enterprise Architecture

By Paul Kurchina, Director, KurMeta, July, 07, 2009 - As utilities plan a smart grid vision, a key strategy is how to manage the information flow between devices and enterprise systems. It's about advanced metering infrastructure (AMI). It's about real-time. It's about the spatial context of data.  more...
Article Viewed 1434 Times  |  1 Comments

The Critical Role of Enterprise GIS in Smart Grid Technology

By Bill Meehan, Director, Utility Solutions, ESRI, June, 02, 2009 - GIS is widely recognized for its strong role in managing traditional electric power transmission and distribution and telecommunications networks. GIS will likewise play a strong role in managing the smart grid. For utilities, GIS already provides the most comprehensive inventory of the electric distribution network components and their spatial locations. With the smart grid's sophisticated communication network superimposed on the electric network, data management with GIS becomes utterly critical.  more...
Article Viewed 1729 Times  |  Be the first to comment on this article.

Computer Security Experts: the Grid's Communications Infrastructure is Not Yet Invulnerable

By Kate Rowland, Editor-in-Chief, Intelligent Utility Topic Centers, Energy Central, May, 05, 2009 - On May 1, the communications, technology, and the Internet subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing on cyber security, looking specifically at communication networks, power grids, and governmental information systems. And, while this type of industry discussion is usually held within the aegis of "grid security", some of the concerns raised to government in this hearing call for debate and discussion in the communications infrastructure realm, as well.  more...
Article Viewed 1930 Times  |  2 Comments

Six Steps to Achieve Interoperable Networks, Systems, and Devices in the Smart Grid on any Standard

By Rik Drummond, CEO and Chief Scientist, Drummond Group Inc., April, 07, 2009 -

Each segment of the electric network uses different communications methods and application models. It is not feasible to specify a uniform communications protocol or semantic for all aspects of utility operations because different segments have different requirements. However, for seamless operation of a smart grid, these differences must not impede the flow of data and control. Therefore, the various protocols and semantics need to interoperate among themselves and with others, possibly via gateways that translate between protocols. This paper defines interoperability and explains how to achieve it within the smart grid.  more...
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Substation Automation: What does the Intelligent Grid have to do with it?

By William Pugh, Sr Product Manager, Silver Spring Networks, March, 03, 2009 - Automating Distribution Networks is not a new concept by any stretch of the imagination. For years, substations have had various levels of SCADA systems monitoring critical elements and reporting to a central operations center. Inside the substation, many communication protocols (Modbus,DNP3.0, IEC61850) and IP are prevalent; however, outside the substation, solutions are fraught with older, one-way pager systems and proprietary communications protocols. Automation has also existed to lesser degrees outside the substation on the circuits with the Cap Controllers, PLCs and RTUs being fitted with communications modules. Today and into the future, all of these legacy devices can be enabled to deliver the data/statistics back to SCADA systems with open standards based on an IP communication network. Imagine implementing Distribution Automation on all substation circuits using an open-standards, IP-based solution managed over a common infrastructure that is also used for AMI. Sounds far off, but it is available today.  more...
Article Viewed 1996 Times  |  1 Comments

Managing Smart Meter Infrastructures

By Jeremy Johnson, Product Manager, Silver Spring Networks, February, 03, 2009 - By now most public utilities have plans for, or are already implementing, some flavor of smart metering platform. Smart meter technologies, deployment approaches, and capabilities vary by vendor, but they all have two-way communications in common. The ability to manage and operate the new two-way infrastructure will dramatically impact the success of any utility's smart metering project.  more...
Article Viewed 2625 Times  |  6 Comments

The Role of SMEs in the Electric Utility Industry

By Rik Drummond, CEO and Chief Scientist, Drummond Group Inc., October, 16, 2008 - All eGovernment and eBusiness value chain efforts I know of have had their efforts stifled because of non-anticipation or underestimation of the significance of the impact of the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). This has happened in Asia, Europe and North America. It has happened across all industries, and we should expect in the power industry. In the Pacific Rim, Europe and the United States, SMEs make up 99 percent of all businesses, according to U.S. Census data. The definition of SMEs varies slightly depending on the region: sometimes it is defined as less than 250 employees, and sometimes, at less than 500 employees. (In the United States, the definition is normally 500.)  more...
Article Viewed 2465 Times  |  2 Comments

Intelligent Communications Platform Lays Foundation to Bring Clean Tech Solutions to the Smart Grid

By Paul Karr, Vice President of Marketing, Trilliant, August, 29, 2008 - Global climate challenges and system reliability will provide the drive, while technology and legislative and consumer interest will provide the extra prods to drive smart grid infrastructure investments in the coming decades.  more...
Article Viewed 2547 Times  |  3 Comments
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