The Other Half of the Smart Grid Story

If… For every generated electron that travels through our transmission and distribution grid, there is an electron consumed in our homes, offices and factories …

Then… The "grid" is only half the smart grid story.

For the past several years, the electric utility industry has been focused on smart grid; and for decades, the automation and controls industry has focused on the efficiency of greener buildings. These two industries have largely operated in silos, despite the literal connections between the electric grid and the electric devices that consume energy.

Despite a tremendous focus on smart grid, there is little attention paid to consumption. If the smart grid industry is so concerned about efficiencyon the grid, they should be equally concerned about the way electricity is consumedbeyond the grid.

Compared to other industrialized countries, the U.S.does a relatively poor jobof automating and controlling how energy is used within buildings. In fact, data show that residential, commercial and industrial buildings consume所有电力的72％in the U.S., and approximately50 percent of that energy is wasted.

This is not only an unsustainable use of our resources, but it paints a dismal picture for the bottom lines of building owners, facility managers, and homeowners across the nation. And as electricity prices continue to rise, the problem will compound.

Fortunately, many buildings today already have in place some type of automation and control system, which is often used to ensure various systems (like HVAC and lighting) work at optimal efficiency. With some tweaking, these buildings could easily be adapted to connect with smart grid technologies for even greater performance and savings.

As utility companies explore smarter services and alternative pricing structures as part of their smart grid deployments, automation and control systems in homes, commercial facilities, and manufacturing plants will be essential for managing electrical usage and costs.

Who stands to win from expanding the smart grid focus to consumption areasbeyond the grid?

• Utilities: While utilities have many commercial customers enrolled in some sort of demand response program, "demand-side resources" only account for大约4％的北美高峰资源投资组合today, according to the North American Electric Reliability Corporation. With a greater focus on users -- and connectivity with their energy management systems -- utilities could have more leverage to control a greater percentage of their load and avoid unnecessary infrastructure costs in the long run.
• 最终用户：虽然当今美国人的能源成本相对较低，但与世界其他地区相比，他们将上升，以及他们的消费者控制权的高度。网格现代化的创新，信息和通信技术，自动化和能源管理系统已经发展起来，因此消费者首次可以更好地管理他们的能源使用和成本。通过打开更多定制的服务和定价模型，可以通过打开门显着增加这些机会。
• Information and communications technology companies: With tremendous opportunities for new technologies that will help energy consumers leverage smart grid information for their benefit, ICT companies are looking at a multibillion dollar opportunity. In fact, with an estimated 900 percent increase in the amount of data utilities will need to "communicate, manage, and analyze," the smart grid market is expected to grow from $12.8 billion today to$34.2 billion globally by 2020, according to Lux Research. The evolution of smart grid across multiple verticals and industries, enabled by sophisticated use and management of data, will be truly transformative for ICT-focused innovators and entrepreneurs.

智能电网在日常生活中迅速变得更加普遍，从可编程恒温器到智能手机触摸所有内容。但是，连接这些点 - 从网格到消耗设备 - 意味着连接正确的技术，以及合适的人。这一创新 - 以及在仪表的相对面之间打破筒仓的行为 - 需要合作和新的理解水平。

TheConnectivityWeekconference in Silicon Valley next month will focus on cross-industry collaboration to ensure the complete smart grid picture is being considered -- from generation to the numerous end-use segments that comprise electricity consumption. The conference will explore the business models, value propositions and technologies for delivering smart grid benefits, beyond the grid.

图片CC由Flickr用户获得许可OiMax.