Solar-power prices slide toward 'grid parity' -
http://is.gd/kJp0
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Tougher electricity rationing to be introduced in Dushanbe
Tougher electricity rationing to be introduced in Dushanbe
http://tajikistan.neweurasia.net/2009/02/10/tougher-electricity-rationing-to-be-introduced-in-dushanbe/
Dushanbe is going to face tougher electricity rationing. This was announced today by the electricity monopolist Barqi Tojik. Beginning from today and till undetermined period the population of Tajik capital will be supplied with eleven hours of electricity a day [rus].
“In accordance with the new schedule of electricity rationings, the micro-districts, [where most of the population lives], will be supplied with electricity from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.” – said the source [in Barki Tojik].
According to the source, rationing will not effect the “vital areas” (where hospitals and governmental buildings etc. are located).
This year, the electricity rationing in Dushanbe was introduced on 1st of January. You can read here and here about the reasons of introducing electricity rationing in the capital.
Last time I reported about the electricity crisis in Tajikistan in general. You can read my piece, edited by Schwartz here.
http://tajikistan.neweurasia.net/2009/02/10/tougher-electricity-rationing-to-be-introduced-in-dushanbe/
Dushanbe is going to face tougher electricity rationing. This was announced today by the electricity monopolist Barqi Tojik. Beginning from today and till undetermined period the population of Tajik capital will be supplied with eleven hours of electricity a day [rus].
“In accordance with the new schedule of electricity rationings, the micro-districts, [where most of the population lives], will be supplied with electricity from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.” – said the source [in Barki Tojik].
According to the source, rationing will not effect the “vital areas” (where hospitals and governmental buildings etc. are located).
This year, the electricity rationing in Dushanbe was introduced on 1st of January. You can read here and here about the reasons of introducing electricity rationing in the capital.
Last time I reported about the electricity crisis in Tajikistan in general. You can read my piece, edited by Schwartz here.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
One kW Wind Turbine
footage of a Zephyr AirDolphin 1kW wind turbine installed by siGEN Ltd for Scottish Power at Blacklaw Windfarm in Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK
Windspeed is 15-20MPH and the turbine is producing 500-800w allong with more than 60 large turbines producing 2000000w!
You will note that you cannot hear either the small or large turbines over the idle engine noise of the high access platform.
_____________________________________
www.sigen.co.uk
http://www.scottishpower.com/
Copyrights are siGEN Ltd 2007
turbine is owned by Scottish Power Plc.
Video posted by siGEN Ltd.
Children Playground generating Power
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/7301354.stm
A young inventor is hoping to tap the unbounded energy of children in a playground to power schools in Africa.
Design student Daniel Sheridan has created a simple see-saw which generates enough electricity to light a classroom.
The device works by transferring the power, created by a child moving up and down on it, to an electricity storage unit via an underground cable.
The Coventry University student has won £5,500 in funding to develop the idea.
Power play
The 23-year-old consumer product design student scooped the cash at two separate university student enterprise award schemes and now has enough money to create a working prototype.
Daniel Sheridan
Ultimately I would love to design a whole playground of different pieces of equipment that could generate electricity
Daniel Sheridan
Inspiration for the product began during a volunteering trip to a school on the island of Wasimi, south of Mombasa, in Kenya last summer.
Here, Daniel helped to build a school and even did some teaching.
"The number of children we saw there that loved to play, and their energy and their vibrancy, I thought it would be great if I could somehow make use of this," he said.
"They don't have Gameboys and all the rest. They are just so genuine and keen to help - they would grab the wheelbarrows we were working with given half the chance.
"Considering what little they have, they were so inspiring to be around. It really was quite humbling."
When he returned, Daniel did some research into power through play looking at how he could turn this positive and joyful activity into something useful for the wider community.
Light work
And after talking to experts in development, he hit upon the idea of generating electricity through playground equipment and designed the see-saw.
He said: "The current need for electricity in sub-Saharan Africa is staggering. Without power development is extremely difficult.
"The potential for this product is huge and the design could be of benefit to numerous communities in Africa and beyond."
He has calculated that five to 10 minutes use on the see-saw could generate enough electricity to light a classroom for an evening, for example.
Many schools in Africa open their doors in the evening to much older pupils but are only able to light their classrooms with candles or kerosene lamps.
Village dream
However, as the energy from the see-saw can be stored, the owners could decide exactly how they wanted to use it.
He will now travel to a village near to the Ugandan city of Jinja where he will test and finalise the prototype using locally sources parts.
"It would be fantastic if I could get this started as a business or even set it up as a charity.
"Ultimately I would love to design a whole playground of different pieces of equipment that could enough generate electricity to power a whole village."
A young inventor is hoping to tap the unbounded energy of children in a playground to power schools in Africa.
Design student Daniel Sheridan has created a simple see-saw which generates enough electricity to light a classroom.
The device works by transferring the power, created by a child moving up and down on it, to an electricity storage unit via an underground cable.
The Coventry University student has won £5,500 in funding to develop the idea.
Power play
The 23-year-old consumer product design student scooped the cash at two separate university student enterprise award schemes and now has enough money to create a working prototype.
Daniel Sheridan
Ultimately I would love to design a whole playground of different pieces of equipment that could generate electricity
Daniel Sheridan
Inspiration for the product began during a volunteering trip to a school on the island of Wasimi, south of Mombasa, in Kenya last summer.
Here, Daniel helped to build a school and even did some teaching.
"The number of children we saw there that loved to play, and their energy and their vibrancy, I thought it would be great if I could somehow make use of this," he said.
"They don't have Gameboys and all the rest. They are just so genuine and keen to help - they would grab the wheelbarrows we were working with given half the chance.
"Considering what little they have, they were so inspiring to be around. It really was quite humbling."
When he returned, Daniel did some research into power through play looking at how he could turn this positive and joyful activity into something useful for the wider community.
Light work
And after talking to experts in development, he hit upon the idea of generating electricity through playground equipment and designed the see-saw.
He said: "The current need for electricity in sub-Saharan Africa is staggering. Without power development is extremely difficult.
"The potential for this product is huge and the design could be of benefit to numerous communities in Africa and beyond."
He has calculated that five to 10 minutes use on the see-saw could generate enough electricity to light a classroom for an evening, for example.
Many schools in Africa open their doors in the evening to much older pupils but are only able to light their classrooms with candles or kerosene lamps.
Village dream
However, as the energy from the see-saw can be stored, the owners could decide exactly how they wanted to use it.
He will now travel to a village near to the Ugandan city of Jinja where he will test and finalise the prototype using locally sources parts.
"It would be fantastic if I could get this started as a business or even set it up as a charity.
"Ultimately I would love to design a whole playground of different pieces of equipment that could enough generate electricity to power a whole village."
Charoal Fridge from Tanzania
http://celac.wordpress.com/2007/06/18/54/
How to Make a Local Fridge using Charcoal(english version),Engeri yokukolamu fridge yamanda (luganda version)
Posted on June 18, 2007. Filed under: Local Content, Traditional Making Cheese |
Compiled by Karamagi Akiiki Ednah
Step 1 Identify a suitable location for your fridge. It does not matter whether it is under the sunshine or a shade. What is most important is that you choose a location where you do not have to shift the fridge from place to place – this is a permanent structure.
Step 2 Determine the size of you fridge that you want to construct.
Step 3 Erect a double wire mesh boundary with at least a sizeable width within.
Step 4 Pack large charcoal particles in between while filling the gaps with smaller charcoal particles. Avoid use of charcoal dust because it will pollute your food.
Step 5 For the base, use mud; and for the roof, use dry grass. Do not use wire mesh or charcoal for the base or roof construction.
Step 6 Do not forget to put a door to keep away animals and thieves.
Step 7 Also, you have to be mindful that you have to pour water on this charcoal to maintain the cool temperatures within. You can either do this manually or automatically using constructed structures similar to those used in Drip Irrigation. The pouring of water can be done continuously or at a time depending on weather condition outside. The higher the temperatures, the more the water required.
An interesting concept I came across was one used by farmers in western Uganda. Their fridges are much smaller both in width, length and height. These women farmers place a bucket full of water on top of the “fridge”; hanging from the bucket onto the charcoal edges are deep thick wicks (like those of a lantern). The logic is that the wicks suck water and drip it on the charcoal, thereby cooling it.
Charcoal is used as it is a good coolant. Wet charcoal does not allow easy passage of heat thus resulting into low temperature inside. Also, use of water on the charcoal is to minimize charcoal dust. Charcoal is made of wood which by nature do not transmit heat easily. Also, charcoal has pore spaces which absorb and store water inside, this reduces heat passing from outside.
On the other hand, because charcoal comes from trees, use of charcoal only contributes to environmental degradation; which is disastrous to our environment. It grossly affects the climatic condition of an area, as well as the soil. It is important therefore that you seek legal country permission and guidance before you undertake this project. Also, you can start an active tree planting campaign.
How to Make a Local Fridge using Charcoal(english version),Engeri yokukolamu fridge yamanda (luganda version)
Posted on June 18, 2007. Filed under: Local Content, Traditional Making Cheese |
Compiled by Karamagi Akiiki Ednah
Step 1 Identify a suitable location for your fridge. It does not matter whether it is under the sunshine or a shade. What is most important is that you choose a location where you do not have to shift the fridge from place to place – this is a permanent structure.
Step 2 Determine the size of you fridge that you want to construct.
Step 3 Erect a double wire mesh boundary with at least a sizeable width within.
Step 4 Pack large charcoal particles in between while filling the gaps with smaller charcoal particles. Avoid use of charcoal dust because it will pollute your food.
Step 5 For the base, use mud; and for the roof, use dry grass. Do not use wire mesh or charcoal for the base or roof construction.
Step 6 Do not forget to put a door to keep away animals and thieves.
Step 7 Also, you have to be mindful that you have to pour water on this charcoal to maintain the cool temperatures within. You can either do this manually or automatically using constructed structures similar to those used in Drip Irrigation. The pouring of water can be done continuously or at a time depending on weather condition outside. The higher the temperatures, the more the water required.
An interesting concept I came across was one used by farmers in western Uganda. Their fridges are much smaller both in width, length and height. These women farmers place a bucket full of water on top of the “fridge”; hanging from the bucket onto the charcoal edges are deep thick wicks (like those of a lantern). The logic is that the wicks suck water and drip it on the charcoal, thereby cooling it.
Charcoal is used as it is a good coolant. Wet charcoal does not allow easy passage of heat thus resulting into low temperature inside. Also, use of water on the charcoal is to minimize charcoal dust. Charcoal is made of wood which by nature do not transmit heat easily. Also, charcoal has pore spaces which absorb and store water inside, this reduces heat passing from outside.
On the other hand, because charcoal comes from trees, use of charcoal only contributes to environmental degradation; which is disastrous to our environment. It grossly affects the climatic condition of an area, as well as the soil. It is important therefore that you seek legal country permission and guidance before you undertake this project. Also, you can start an active tree planting campaign.
Evapocooler invention for cooling camels milk in Somalia
Or How to get your camel milk to market in 40 degree C climate.
My brother Dominic Wanjihia invented this gadget which he calls Fine Lined Evaporative Cooler, for rural application in Somalia - the cooling of camels milk for transportation . He was working on a project for VETAID, Somali Pastoral Dairy Development Program - SPDDP,in Burao, Somalia June 2008. All this content belongs to Dominic who has allowed me to post it here- please seek his permission to use this content elsewhere dwanjihia@yahoo.com
Cool-box design Fine Lined Evaporative cooler
Cool-box design Fine Lined Evaporative cooler
Evaporative cooling technology
The evaporative cooling concept has been used for centuries in countless applications. Cooling occurs when a fluid changes state from liquid to vapor. Put simply, evaporation. In order to evaporate, the liquid requires energy or heat. It acquires this heat energy from its immediate surrounding. As the surrounding gives up this heat, it lowers in temperature or cools.
The rate at which evaporation occurs depends largely on two main factors, the amount of heat available and the humidity in the air.
The cooler must also be shaded from direct sunlight otherwise the surfaces absorb UV heat and warms up, becoming ineffective as a cooler.
In short
Evaporative cooling devices work most efficiently in windy, dry and shaded conditions
Charcoal cooler
Everyone knows how to make charcoal fridges. After carrying out extensive tests on evaporative coolers in hot arid Burao, Somaliland, with day temperatures as high as 36OC in the shade, the charcoal would absorb ambient heat from the air and as opposed to cooling, would warm up the interior compartment.
Imagine wearing a wet thick winter jacket under the palms at a breezy beach. The jacket acts as a wetsuit and will insulate your body preventing heat from escaping.
Fine lined cooler
However, imagine wearing a wet skintight t-shirt in similar conditions. The water evaporates quite rapidly and cools your body.
I applied this concept to the cooler prototype pictured and achieved startling results. The cooler would drop as low as 15.5OC at night when temperatures averaged 25OC and maintain under 17OC during the day at average temps of + 32OC.
Evapocooler
Evapocooler
Construction
An elevated metal box is lined interior and exterior with a fabric. In this case I used locally available corrugated galvanized iron sheets for the container and sisal sacking fabric for lining. The upper ends of the fabric overhang in a water trough that rings the top of the cooler. Capillary action causes the water to slowly trickle over the inner and outer surfaces. A small vent keeps the interior air circulating and wind guides or tunnels direct air flow over the exterior surfaces. A low speed small solar powered fan can be incorporated in areas where there is not a constant breeze.
How it works
The circulating air in the interior causes evaporation on the wet surfaces. The necessary energy is acquired from the contents hence cooling them and is transfers to the iron sides.
Wind guides or tunnels direct an airflow over the external sides. The evaporation that occurs acquires energy from the sides causing further cooling of the interior.
Convection current system to increase water bath cooling
Convection current system to increase water bath cooling
Construction design
Cool-box with water-bath interior for rapid milk cooling application– Collection Point Cooler
Walk-in cold-room for vegetable storage
Vehicle mounted for long distance transporters
Features (Comparison to conventional charcoal coolers)
Very simple construction
Corrugated galvanized iron or GI sheets increase the surface area
Wind tunnels guide air flow efficiently over evaporation surfaces
Air flow coolers at tunnel entrances
Being galvanized, the sheets are long lasting
GI sheets are affordable and available in most rural areas
Secondhand sacking fabric is available in virtually every vegetable market
The simple capillary action dripping system replaces more complicated dripping apparatus
Convection current system to increase water-bath cooling efficiency
Cool box design with waterbath for rapid drop in temperature of milk
Cool box design with waterbath for rapid drop in temperature of milk
The design simplified
The design simplified
In hot arid regions, cooling the warm ambient air before it reaches the wet evaporation surfaces increase efficiency. Note. Setup for airflow from either direction
level coolers – achieved low’s of 16OC at ambient temp of 30OC +
level coolers – achieved low’s of 16OC at ambient temp of 30OC +
Rapid Temperature Drop Test 4 lts boiling water in aluminum milk churn placed in water-bath at 16OC
Rapid Temperature Drop Test 4 lts boiling water in aluminum milk churn placed in water-bath at 16OC
For further information and other rural development concepts and innovative designs, Dom can be reached on
mobile tel +254 722 700 530 dwanjihia@yahoo.com
Or How to get your camel milk to market in 40 degree C climate.
My brother Dominic Wanjihia invented this gadget which he calls Fine Lined Evaporative Cooler, for rural application in Somalia - the cooling of camels milk for transportation . He was working on a project for VETAID, Somali Pastoral Dairy Development Program - SPDDP,in Burao, Somalia June 2008. All this content belongs to Dominic who has allowed me to post it here- please seek his permission to use this content elsewhere dwanjihia@yahoo.com
Cool-box design Fine Lined Evaporative cooler
Cool-box design Fine Lined Evaporative cooler
Evaporative cooling technology
The evaporative cooling concept has been used for centuries in countless applications. Cooling occurs when a fluid changes state from liquid to vapor. Put simply, evaporation. In order to evaporate, the liquid requires energy or heat. It acquires this heat energy from its immediate surrounding. As the surrounding gives up this heat, it lowers in temperature or cools.
The rate at which evaporation occurs depends largely on two main factors, the amount of heat available and the humidity in the air.
The cooler must also be shaded from direct sunlight otherwise the surfaces absorb UV heat and warms up, becoming ineffective as a cooler.
In short
Evaporative cooling devices work most efficiently in windy, dry and shaded conditions
Charcoal cooler
Everyone knows how to make charcoal fridges. After carrying out extensive tests on evaporative coolers in hot arid Burao, Somaliland, with day temperatures as high as 36OC in the shade, the charcoal would absorb ambient heat from the air and as opposed to cooling, would warm up the interior compartment.
Imagine wearing a wet thick winter jacket under the palms at a breezy beach. The jacket acts as a wetsuit and will insulate your body preventing heat from escaping.
Fine lined cooler
However, imagine wearing a wet skintight t-shirt in similar conditions. The water evaporates quite rapidly and cools your body.
I applied this concept to the cooler prototype pictured and achieved startling results. The cooler would drop as low as 15.5OC at night when temperatures averaged 25OC and maintain under 17OC during the day at average temps of + 32OC.
Evapocooler
Evapocooler
Construction
An elevated metal box is lined interior and exterior with a fabric. In this case I used locally available corrugated galvanized iron sheets for the container and sisal sacking fabric for lining. The upper ends of the fabric overhang in a water trough that rings the top of the cooler. Capillary action causes the water to slowly trickle over the inner and outer surfaces. A small vent keeps the interior air circulating and wind guides or tunnels direct air flow over the exterior surfaces. A low speed small solar powered fan can be incorporated in areas where there is not a constant breeze.
How it works
The circulating air in the interior causes evaporation on the wet surfaces. The necessary energy is acquired from the contents hence cooling them and is transfers to the iron sides.
Wind guides or tunnels direct an airflow over the external sides. The evaporation that occurs acquires energy from the sides causing further cooling of the interior.
Convection current system to increase water bath cooling
Convection current system to increase water bath cooling
Construction design
Cool-box with water-bath interior for rapid milk cooling application– Collection Point Cooler
Walk-in cold-room for vegetable storage
Vehicle mounted for long distance transporters
Features (Comparison to conventional charcoal coolers)
Very simple construction
Corrugated galvanized iron or GI sheets increase the surface area
Wind tunnels guide air flow efficiently over evaporation surfaces
Air flow coolers at tunnel entrances
Being galvanized, the sheets are long lasting
GI sheets are affordable and available in most rural areas
Secondhand sacking fabric is available in virtually every vegetable market
The simple capillary action dripping system replaces more complicated dripping apparatus
Convection current system to increase water-bath cooling efficiency
Cool box design with waterbath for rapid drop in temperature of milk
Cool box design with waterbath for rapid drop in temperature of milk
The design simplified
The design simplified
In hot arid regions, cooling the warm ambient air before it reaches the wet evaporation surfaces increase efficiency. Note. Setup for airflow from either direction
level coolers – achieved low’s of 16OC at ambient temp of 30OC +
level coolers – achieved low’s of 16OC at ambient temp of 30OC +
Rapid Temperature Drop Test 4 lts boiling water in aluminum milk churn placed in water-bath at 16OC
Rapid Temperature Drop Test 4 lts boiling water in aluminum milk churn placed in water-bath at 16OC
For further information and other rural development concepts and innovative designs, Dom can be reached on
mobile tel +254 722 700 530 dwanjihia@yahoo.com
Aging system needs a charge of investment, technology to meet needs
http://www.thestar.com/comment/columnists/article/559894
Toronto Star Article
Transforming dumb network into smart grid
Aging system needs a charge of investment, technology to meet needs
Dec 31, 2008 04:30 AM
Comments on this story (8)
Tyler Hamilton
Energy Reporter
Before the Internet there were small private networks that connected PCs, and before these networks were stand-alone computers incapable of sharing information.
And before the computer? We had the trusty old typewriter.
Looking forward, the technological evolution that in three decades moved us from the mechanical typewriter to Internet-connected computer is destined to be repeated in the move to modernize the continent's antiquated electricity system, experts say.
The goal: turn a dumb network of lines and electromechanical devices that is heavily reliant on human intervention into an efficient, two-way, automated "smart grid" that collects, shares and acts on information to manage the flow of electrons.
It's a transition already underway, and for good reason. The transformer devices in a typical electrical substation – that is, a point on the grid where power is converted from a higher to lower voltage (or the reverse) – are designed to last 40 years. The average age of transformers in North America is currently 42.
"You've got this aging infrastructure that isn't going away, and you can't just say you're not going to replace it. There's no choice but to replace it," says Marzio Pozzuoli, founder and CEO of Woodbridge-based RuggedCom Inc.
And that might come sooner than expected. President-elect Barack Obama has promised a major economic stimulus package that includes substantial investment in the U.S. transmission infrastructure, including smart-grid technologies. Similar talk is occurring around the world, including Canada, and companies such as RuggedCom are primed to benefit. "It all looks good for us," Pozzuoli says.
The Canadian company is the world's top seller of "ruggedized" communications gear to electrical utilities. RuggedCom manufactures routers and switches that are similar to the networking equipment that pushes information around the Internet, but with one important twist: Its devices are designed to withstand extreme temperatures, rain and snow, and electromagnetic interference in substation environments – conditions that would fry garden-variety networking equipment.
A step or two behind RuggedCom is network-equipment giant Cisco Systems Inc., which sees the market as an extension of its traditional business. It's another sign the power grid is about to follow in the footsteps of the Internet. Cisco's leaders have named the "smart grid" as one of 24 company-wide initiatives to pursue in 2009, and have called it the most likely place to build a billion-dollar business in the next five years.
There are 275,000 substations in the world, 70,000 of them in North America. Most are filled with electromechanical control devices, the equivalent of analog in a digital age or the typewriter of the computer era. As utilities begin the expensive task of modernizing transmission and distribution networks, Pozzuoli says it's a natural next step to introduce microprocessor-based intelligence to the substation.
"The grid is just another system, but the electric grid is operating blind," says Scott MacDonald, a partner with Emerald Technology Ventures, a Montreal-based venture capital firm that specializes in energy technologies. At a previous firm MacDonald led an investment in RuggedCom and once sat on the company's board.
Compared to the phone or cable company, which can pinpoint and often fix network problems remotely, the local electric utility typically relies on phone complaints from customers to find out about outages on the distribution network. It then sends a crew to wander the streets in search of the failed equipment or line. "They're in the dark ages compared to the telecommunications network," says MacDonald.
The electricity system is a complex beast. Typically, electricity from a large power-generation facility is put on a 500-kilovolt transmission line, travels to a medium-voltage line, and finally to a low-voltage distribution line where it ends up coming out of a residential power outlet at 120 volts. Along the way it passes through different substations and the various transformers, switches, surge protectors and metering devices inside.
Now included at the edge of this system is the much-hyped smart meter. In Ontario, most homes and businesses are now equipped with such a digital device, which measures the amount of electricity being consumed during a given time of day. This permits time-of-use pricing, allowing utilities to offer discounts during periods of low electricity demand and charge a premium during peak periods.
Special devices can also be placed on energy-intensive appliances, such as air conditioners, allowing the utility to temporarily shut off or curtail operation of the appliance during peak times. These applications are part of what utilities call "demand response."
A number of companies offer such technologies and services, and some are publicly traded. Itron Inc. is considered a leader in smart-meter devices, while Comverge Inc. and EnerNOC Inc. offer demand-response services and technology. They're examples of smart-grid applications, but just scratching the surface, Pozzuoli says.
"We're focused on the infrastructure in the middle, which is the real grid," he says, pointing out the true vision of the smart grid is a self-healing, automated grid that can manage complex flows of electrons, from the hundreds – potentially thousands – of large and small sources of power to the millions of homes, businesses, industrial customers and, potentially, electric cars that require that energy.
Without reliable two-way communication in substations, it's not going to happen. There will continue to be disconnects on the grid, silos of information stranded in remote locations. Take the example of the 2003 northeast North America blackout, which was caused by a short circuit after a sagging transmission line touched a tree that hadn't been properly pruned.
"If we had a smart grid, it would have predicted that the branch was causing a fault condition. It would have analyzed what the corrective action was by running all these scenarios in real-time, in milliseconds. It would have then offered up a corrective course of action," says Pozzuoli, adding that system operators today rely on phone calls and email to solve problems.
Pozzuoli says the grid today has 99.97 per cent reliability, meaning you can expect about three hours of outage time a year. On the surface it sounds acceptable, but in the age of the Internet and Web commerce most data centres now require 99.9999 per cent reliability, amounting to about 30 seconds of downtime annually. No wonder Google has entered into a partnership with General Electric to collaborate on the development of smart-grid technologies.
Currently, about 10 per cent of electricity consumption requires "six 9s" of reliability, adds Pozzuoli, but that number is expected to increase to 60 per cent by 2020. By 2020, 10 per cent will require "nine 9s" of reliability, or average downtime of just 32 milliseconds a year.
Getting the massive amounts of information required to reach that level of reliability will require the kind of two-way communications that RuggedCom and Cisco offer, but what happens to all that information once it's collected?
The answer to that is partly explained by the membership of IBM, Microsoft, Accenture, and Hewlett-Packard in the GridWise Alliance, a group of utilities and technology companies that have come together to "realize the vision of a transformed national electricity grid." These tech giants know that as the smart grid evolves there will be a need for systems and software that can collect, store, retrieve and make sense of an overwhelming amount of information to support intelligent decision-making.
Big Blue has been particularly active in the space, knowing full well that utilities – a conservative bunch not likely to put their faith in start-up ventures – are looking for a reliable technology partner that can hold their hand during these transformational times.
"The concept of a smart grid, including how it can be built and the benefits it would offer, is at the heart of IBM's view on the future of energy," said Guido Bartels, general manager of IBM's energy and utilities division, at a September conference called GridWeek 2008.
Pozzuoli says as the physical grid is "enabled" with two-way communications, the demand for analytics, data warehousing, and other applications and services will naturally follow. "It's a big, big opportunity," he says. "Instead of just passing around that information, let's do something with it."
RuggedCom, having established itself as a leader in smart-grid networking, is well positioned to climb that value chain. Profitable when it had its initial public offering in July 2007, the company has had 17 consecutive record quarters and expects around $60 million in revenue this year. Profits are up 189 per cent year-over-year, orders are up 74 per cent, and revenues are growing at 61 per cent.
The company's shares have also been resilient over a volatile year, a sign that investors are taking it seriously. RuggedCom's stock is down just 12 per cent on the year, compared with a decline of 85 per cent for EnerNOC, 78 per cent for Comverge and 27 per cent for Itron.
MacDonald says venture capitalists still haven't figured out where the biggest opportunity for the smart grid lies, partly explained by a lack of awareness, and those that do see the potential in companies such as RuggedCom are scared away by the target market: utilities.
"Utility customers just look like terrible customers," he says. "And the guy making the buying decision won't get fired picking Cisco. He can get fired buying RuggedCom."
If a new start-up is able to penetrate the conservative armour of utilities, investors could find themselves sitting on the next Cisco. Says MacDonald: "Once one utility adopts your technology every other utility does and then you become standard."
The big phone companies were the same way 15 years ago. If it wasn't invented in the labs of Bell Canada, or provided by an elite of well-entrenched suppliers, such as Nortel Networks, it wasn't given a minute of consideration.
We know how that story ended.
Toronto Star Article
Transforming dumb network into smart grid
Aging system needs a charge of investment, technology to meet needs
Dec 31, 2008 04:30 AM
Comments on this story (8)
Tyler Hamilton
Energy Reporter
Before the Internet there were small private networks that connected PCs, and before these networks were stand-alone computers incapable of sharing information.
And before the computer? We had the trusty old typewriter.
Looking forward, the technological evolution that in three decades moved us from the mechanical typewriter to Internet-connected computer is destined to be repeated in the move to modernize the continent's antiquated electricity system, experts say.
The goal: turn a dumb network of lines and electromechanical devices that is heavily reliant on human intervention into an efficient, two-way, automated "smart grid" that collects, shares and acts on information to manage the flow of electrons.
It's a transition already underway, and for good reason. The transformer devices in a typical electrical substation – that is, a point on the grid where power is converted from a higher to lower voltage (or the reverse) – are designed to last 40 years. The average age of transformers in North America is currently 42.
"You've got this aging infrastructure that isn't going away, and you can't just say you're not going to replace it. There's no choice but to replace it," says Marzio Pozzuoli, founder and CEO of Woodbridge-based RuggedCom Inc.
And that might come sooner than expected. President-elect Barack Obama has promised a major economic stimulus package that includes substantial investment in the U.S. transmission infrastructure, including smart-grid technologies. Similar talk is occurring around the world, including Canada, and companies such as RuggedCom are primed to benefit. "It all looks good for us," Pozzuoli says.
The Canadian company is the world's top seller of "ruggedized" communications gear to electrical utilities. RuggedCom manufactures routers and switches that are similar to the networking equipment that pushes information around the Internet, but with one important twist: Its devices are designed to withstand extreme temperatures, rain and snow, and electromagnetic interference in substation environments – conditions that would fry garden-variety networking equipment.
A step or two behind RuggedCom is network-equipment giant Cisco Systems Inc., which sees the market as an extension of its traditional business. It's another sign the power grid is about to follow in the footsteps of the Internet. Cisco's leaders have named the "smart grid" as one of 24 company-wide initiatives to pursue in 2009, and have called it the most likely place to build a billion-dollar business in the next five years.
There are 275,000 substations in the world, 70,000 of them in North America. Most are filled with electromechanical control devices, the equivalent of analog in a digital age or the typewriter of the computer era. As utilities begin the expensive task of modernizing transmission and distribution networks, Pozzuoli says it's a natural next step to introduce microprocessor-based intelligence to the substation.
"The grid is just another system, but the electric grid is operating blind," says Scott MacDonald, a partner with Emerald Technology Ventures, a Montreal-based venture capital firm that specializes in energy technologies. At a previous firm MacDonald led an investment in RuggedCom and once sat on the company's board.
Compared to the phone or cable company, which can pinpoint and often fix network problems remotely, the local electric utility typically relies on phone complaints from customers to find out about outages on the distribution network. It then sends a crew to wander the streets in search of the failed equipment or line. "They're in the dark ages compared to the telecommunications network," says MacDonald.
The electricity system is a complex beast. Typically, electricity from a large power-generation facility is put on a 500-kilovolt transmission line, travels to a medium-voltage line, and finally to a low-voltage distribution line where it ends up coming out of a residential power outlet at 120 volts. Along the way it passes through different substations and the various transformers, switches, surge protectors and metering devices inside.
Now included at the edge of this system is the much-hyped smart meter. In Ontario, most homes and businesses are now equipped with such a digital device, which measures the amount of electricity being consumed during a given time of day. This permits time-of-use pricing, allowing utilities to offer discounts during periods of low electricity demand and charge a premium during peak periods.
Special devices can also be placed on energy-intensive appliances, such as air conditioners, allowing the utility to temporarily shut off or curtail operation of the appliance during peak times. These applications are part of what utilities call "demand response."
A number of companies offer such technologies and services, and some are publicly traded. Itron Inc. is considered a leader in smart-meter devices, while Comverge Inc. and EnerNOC Inc. offer demand-response services and technology. They're examples of smart-grid applications, but just scratching the surface, Pozzuoli says.
"We're focused on the infrastructure in the middle, which is the real grid," he says, pointing out the true vision of the smart grid is a self-healing, automated grid that can manage complex flows of electrons, from the hundreds – potentially thousands – of large and small sources of power to the millions of homes, businesses, industrial customers and, potentially, electric cars that require that energy.
Without reliable two-way communication in substations, it's not going to happen. There will continue to be disconnects on the grid, silos of information stranded in remote locations. Take the example of the 2003 northeast North America blackout, which was caused by a short circuit after a sagging transmission line touched a tree that hadn't been properly pruned.
"If we had a smart grid, it would have predicted that the branch was causing a fault condition. It would have analyzed what the corrective action was by running all these scenarios in real-time, in milliseconds. It would have then offered up a corrective course of action," says Pozzuoli, adding that system operators today rely on phone calls and email to solve problems.
Pozzuoli says the grid today has 99.97 per cent reliability, meaning you can expect about three hours of outage time a year. On the surface it sounds acceptable, but in the age of the Internet and Web commerce most data centres now require 99.9999 per cent reliability, amounting to about 30 seconds of downtime annually. No wonder Google has entered into a partnership with General Electric to collaborate on the development of smart-grid technologies.
Currently, about 10 per cent of electricity consumption requires "six 9s" of reliability, adds Pozzuoli, but that number is expected to increase to 60 per cent by 2020. By 2020, 10 per cent will require "nine 9s" of reliability, or average downtime of just 32 milliseconds a year.
Getting the massive amounts of information required to reach that level of reliability will require the kind of two-way communications that RuggedCom and Cisco offer, but what happens to all that information once it's collected?
The answer to that is partly explained by the membership of IBM, Microsoft, Accenture, and Hewlett-Packard in the GridWise Alliance, a group of utilities and technology companies that have come together to "realize the vision of a transformed national electricity grid." These tech giants know that as the smart grid evolves there will be a need for systems and software that can collect, store, retrieve and make sense of an overwhelming amount of information to support intelligent decision-making.
Big Blue has been particularly active in the space, knowing full well that utilities – a conservative bunch not likely to put their faith in start-up ventures – are looking for a reliable technology partner that can hold their hand during these transformational times.
"The concept of a smart grid, including how it can be built and the benefits it would offer, is at the heart of IBM's view on the future of energy," said Guido Bartels, general manager of IBM's energy and utilities division, at a September conference called GridWeek 2008.
Pozzuoli says as the physical grid is "enabled" with two-way communications, the demand for analytics, data warehousing, and other applications and services will naturally follow. "It's a big, big opportunity," he says. "Instead of just passing around that information, let's do something with it."
RuggedCom, having established itself as a leader in smart-grid networking, is well positioned to climb that value chain. Profitable when it had its initial public offering in July 2007, the company has had 17 consecutive record quarters and expects around $60 million in revenue this year. Profits are up 189 per cent year-over-year, orders are up 74 per cent, and revenues are growing at 61 per cent.
The company's shares have also been resilient over a volatile year, a sign that investors are taking it seriously. RuggedCom's stock is down just 12 per cent on the year, compared with a decline of 85 per cent for EnerNOC, 78 per cent for Comverge and 27 per cent for Itron.
MacDonald says venture capitalists still haven't figured out where the biggest opportunity for the smart grid lies, partly explained by a lack of awareness, and those that do see the potential in companies such as RuggedCom are scared away by the target market: utilities.
"Utility customers just look like terrible customers," he says. "And the guy making the buying decision won't get fired picking Cisco. He can get fired buying RuggedCom."
If a new start-up is able to penetrate the conservative armour of utilities, investors could find themselves sitting on the next Cisco. Says MacDonald: "Once one utility adopts your technology every other utility does and then you become standard."
The big phone companies were the same way 15 years ago. If it wasn't invented in the labs of Bell Canada, or provided by an elite of well-entrenched suppliers, such as Nortel Networks, it wasn't given a minute of consideration.
We know how that story ended.
Smart Grid
http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/009377.html
Our future grid will pull together a complex and far-flung set of technologies
The trouble with writing about the smart grid is that the news is moving so fast. Witness:
* Obama just announced plans to modernize 3,000 miles of transmission lines and install smart meters in 40 million homes.
* Cisco just launched EnergyWise, a software suite that brings internet-like capabilities to energy management services.
* A few weeks ago, the Department of Energy snuck out a detailed report on the dismal state of our current grid and the opportunities and obstacles involved in upgrading it.
But this is all getting ahead of things. Round 1 of this series looked at why we need a smart grid. Round 2 will try to briefly answer the question, what is a smart grid? This question is a bit trickier to answer than you might think, much as the question “What is the internet?” is a bit more slippery than it first appears. Let’s let Tyler Hamilton take a crack at it:
The true vision of the smart grid is a self-healing, automated grid that can manage complex flows of electrons, from the hundreds — potentially thousands — of large and small sources of power to the millions of homes, businesses, industrial customers and, potentially, electric cars that require that energy.
Sounds good. The Department of Energy breaks this down a lot further, laying out no fewer than 60 specific technologies that fall under the smart grid label (big pdf). These can be loosely grouped into six intersecting categories:
* One set of technologies — smart meters, programmable thermostats, home automation software, etc. — allows consumers to participate in the smart grid by adjusting their electricity use automatically based on fluctuations in electricity availability or rates.
* The most desperately needed part of the smart grid are the transmission lines and control software that tie together far-flung renewable energy sources (such as wind and solar) and energy storage devices (such as electric car batteries). Unlike the present crazy quilt system, a true smart grid will be able to move electricity from wherever its being generated to wherever its needed — potentially thousands of miles away — in real time, even parking it in storage for use later if necessary.
* The smart grid is a communications network, moving information about grid performance, electricity demand and availability, rate information, etc. from point to point.
* The smart grid is an application platform. Just as the internet allowed services like Amazon.com to spring into existence, the smart grid will allow a host of innovative energy management applications from third parties to be deployed on the network.
* The smart grid is a set of monitors and automated control mechanisms that respond quickly to service interruptions — whether from natural disasters or purposeful attack — in a self-healing manner.
Taken together, these features of a smart grid will facilitate both clean energy and energy efficiency, all while providing more reliable service.
At least, that’s the hope. A large number of companies, from start-ups to industry giants like IBM, are working feverishly to make it a reality.
Adam Stein is a co-founder of TerraPass. He writes on issues related to carbon, climate change, policy, and conservation.
Our future grid will pull together a complex and far-flung set of technologies
The trouble with writing about the smart grid is that the news is moving so fast. Witness:
* Obama just announced plans to modernize 3,000 miles of transmission lines and install smart meters in 40 million homes.
* Cisco just launched EnergyWise, a software suite that brings internet-like capabilities to energy management services.
* A few weeks ago, the Department of Energy snuck out a detailed report on the dismal state of our current grid and the opportunities and obstacles involved in upgrading it.
But this is all getting ahead of things. Round 1 of this series looked at why we need a smart grid. Round 2 will try to briefly answer the question, what is a smart grid? This question is a bit trickier to answer than you might think, much as the question “What is the internet?” is a bit more slippery than it first appears. Let’s let Tyler Hamilton take a crack at it:
The true vision of the smart grid is a self-healing, automated grid that can manage complex flows of electrons, from the hundreds — potentially thousands — of large and small sources of power to the millions of homes, businesses, industrial customers and, potentially, electric cars that require that energy.
Sounds good. The Department of Energy breaks this down a lot further, laying out no fewer than 60 specific technologies that fall under the smart grid label (big pdf). These can be loosely grouped into six intersecting categories:
* One set of technologies — smart meters, programmable thermostats, home automation software, etc. — allows consumers to participate in the smart grid by adjusting their electricity use automatically based on fluctuations in electricity availability or rates.
* The most desperately needed part of the smart grid are the transmission lines and control software that tie together far-flung renewable energy sources (such as wind and solar) and energy storage devices (such as electric car batteries). Unlike the present crazy quilt system, a true smart grid will be able to move electricity from wherever its being generated to wherever its needed — potentially thousands of miles away — in real time, even parking it in storage for use later if necessary.
* The smart grid is a communications network, moving information about grid performance, electricity demand and availability, rate information, etc. from point to point.
* The smart grid is an application platform. Just as the internet allowed services like Amazon.com to spring into existence, the smart grid will allow a host of innovative energy management applications from third parties to be deployed on the network.
* The smart grid is a set of monitors and automated control mechanisms that respond quickly to service interruptions — whether from natural disasters or purposeful attack — in a self-healing manner.
Taken together, these features of a smart grid will facilitate both clean energy and energy efficiency, all while providing more reliable service.
At least, that’s the hope. A large number of companies, from start-ups to industry giants like IBM, are working feverishly to make it a reality.
Adam Stein is a co-founder of TerraPass. He writes on issues related to carbon, climate change, policy, and conservation.
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