This page was created for ARRL by ARC Technical Resources, a consulting company with expertise in EMC testing, EMC Standards and grid automation.

A tutorial on the operation of the electrical distribution system (Electricity 101) is available from the US Department of Energy (DOE.)

Breaking News

Super Sessions on the Smart Grid and Trends in DC Power Distribution to be Featured at the Darnell Group's CTO Power Summit.  The Darnell Group’s first-annual CTO Power Summit to be hosted in San Diego, California on February 15-15, 2010, will feature two extended-length Super Sessions. Featured speakers during the first Super Session, “Impact of the Emerging Smart Grid” will include: Erfan Ibrahim, PhD, Technical Executive, Smart Grid Communications & Cyber Security Lead, Electric Power Research Institute; Jerry Ramie, ARC Technical Resources; and Dr. Farouk Zanaty, TUV Rheinland. Ramie, KI6LGS, is a member of the ARRL EMC Committee, which provides input to the ARRL Board of Directors. 

Introduction

The modernization of the electric power grid, often called "smart grid" by its proponents, is an important goal.  Efforts such as the Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), Automated Meter Reading (AMR) and the other phases of intelligent grid management are all part of the smart grid. Having better control of the power grid will improve its reliability and efficiency and, as applications are developed for end users, point-of-use monitoring and control of power usage will benefit utilities by reducing peak loads and benefit consumers by providing a way to save on their energy costs. 

In grid-automation applications, the control system is the core of the design with the communications media being a secondary consideration that can be implemented in a number of ways. Each technology has advantages and disadvantages and each is "best" for some circumstances. Because of the layout of the power grid and the various equipment connected to it, a hybrid data-communications media mix will avoid a "one-size-fits-all" approach.  It is a generally accepted engineering principle, however, that control of a system should be designed to be as independent of that system as possible, to ensure that system failures (ie, power outages) do not also result in loss of control of the system at a time when control may be needed the most. 

Many of the techniques used to send information to and from the power grid have been shown to avoid widespread inteference problems.  If an electric utility is implmenting grid automation, this does not necessarily mean that there will be interference. If a utility uses a technology that does not cause interference, or if operating a BPL system runs it at the correct power levels with notching in the Amateur bands, grid automation can operate without widespread interference problems. BPL can and does play a role in grid automation, especially for the in-premise part of these systems. 

History of Grid Automation

In the spring of 2000, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory began work on the future direction of the power grid and transmission system to try to understand and shape the direction of the newly emerging technologies of distributed energy resources, load management, automated power diagnostics and solid-state controls. Information technology (IT) was seen as the key enabler for transforming the electric power system and PNNL funded the initial work with the DOE that became GridWise.

The Power Grid Problem

In April of 2003, 65 representatives from the electric utilities, equipment makers, IT providers, regulators, interest groups, universities and laboratories met to build a “roadmap” for the future of the US electric power grid. The common vision discussed at these meetings is presented in Grid 2030 from the DOE. Their major findings:

 

 Their conclusions:

The “technology readiness” of our critical electric systems needs to be improved.

 The US Dept. of Energy “Smart Grid” is one of the names given to these efforts. The DOE has identified these characteristics of a modern “smart grid:”

Standardized architectures and interfaces will stimulate developments towards the “smart grid” of the future. Some of DOE’s standardization efforts can be seen at www.oe.energy.gov/smartgrid_02.htm and the Smart Grid Newsletter keeps readers informed of progress in realizing these important goals. 

The “Roadmaps”

The “GridWise Alliance” is a public/private consortium to help integrate electricity infrastructures, processes, devices, information and markets so that electrical energy can be generated, distributed and consumed more efficiently and cost effectively. The Alliance has developed a comprehensive Action Plan that identifies the challenges facing the electricity industry in realizing the goals of the GridWise program:

 

In 2004, the GridWise Architecture Council was formed to shape the architecture of an interactive electric system. Its role is to help identify areas for standardization that allow significant interoperation between electricity system components.

 

The basic technologies that would enable an intelligent power grid are available today. Their integration into compatible systems is the challenge. In 2004, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) published their “IntelliGrid” architecture, the first comprehensive technical framework for linking communications and the power grid in the “smart grid” envisioned earlier.

 

The architecture features common security, network and data communications infrastructure that is used as newer types of intelligent grid equipment come on-line. To help smooth these transitions, EPRI has proposed an “architected approach to integration” by deploying equipment in this order:

The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), a DOE national laboratory, issued their Modern Grid Strategy (MGS) to accelerate the modernization of the electricity grid. These four milestones (below) break down the implementation into manageable “chunks”. By sequencing these milestones, a more cost effective modernization program is achievable.

 

1) AMI – Advanced Metering Infrastructure; Initially, Automated Meter Reading (AMR) technologies were deployed to reduce costs and improve accuracy. The value of two-way communications between power providers and customer loads lead to the evolution of AMR into AMI. It includes smart meters for advanced measurement, an integrated two-way communications infrastructure including control of loads, (demand response) an active consumer interface, (may be part of the thermostat or elsewhere) and a meter data management system to process the data. This communications infrastructure is critical for the other three milestones.

 

2) ADO – Advanced Distribution Operations: The ADO milestone uses AMI communications to collect distribution information and improve operations, providing the increased information and control needed for a self-healing grid. ADO includes sensors, distributed intelligence, outage management capability, and distribution automation technologies. The ADO milestone supports the Advanced Transmission Operations milestone.

 

3) ATO – Advanced Transmission Operations: The ATO milestone aims at improving transmission reliability and efficiency, while managing congestion on the transmission system. ATO includes substation automation, advanced protection and control, modeling, simulation and visualization tools, advanced grid control devices (such as “flexible AC transmission systems” or FACTS) and materials, (such as superconductors) and their integration with distributed generation markets. (wind, solar, hybrids, storage, etc.)

 

4) AAM – Advanced Asset Management: The AAM milestone is for improving the utilization of transmission and distribution (T&D) assets and more effectively managing these assets’ life cycle. AAM requires “smart sensors” to provide operational and asset condition information to significantly improve asset management.

Under the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has "primary responsibility to coordinate development of a framework that includes protocols and model standards for information management to achieve interoperability of smart grid devices and systems…"  In January of 2009, NIST announced a Three-Phase Plan for Smart Grid Standards. Effective interoperability is built upon a unifying framework of interfaces, protocols, and  consensus standards, released in May, 2009. (Smart Grid Interoperability Standards Framework, Release 1.0) On June 17, 2009, they released their Report to NIST on the Smart Grid Interoperability Standards Roadmap.

The Technologies

 An AMI system is comprised of a number of devices and applications that are integrated to perform coherently. Programmable “smart meters” will replace the electromechanical Watt hour meter familiar to most of us. These “smart meters” will allow:

 

 Greater efficiency is realized as information feedback alone has been shown to cause consumers to reduce their energy usage.

 

Home Area Networks are consumer portals that link “smart meters” to controllable electrical loads. (“Smart appliances”) Its functions can include:

 

On the utility side of the meter, a Meter Data Management System analyzes information to be fed to other utility systems called Operational Gateways. It validates the incoming AMI data to ensure that its output to the Gateways is complete and accurate, despite communication disruptions or customer premises problems. Operational Gateways are utility system computer networks that receive validated metering information to support the tasks of each of the “milestones” above; ADO, ATO and AAM.

 

The AMI Integrated Communications Infrastructure (including Access BPL and its alternatives) supports interaction between the utility, the consumer portal and any controllable electrical loads on the Home Area Network. It must employ “open” (non-proprietary) bi-directional, encrypted communications and is the foundation of all modern grid functions. Supporting media must accurately and securely transmit information at the required speed with the required throughput. Future application bandwidth requirements should be considered when choosing media.

 

Various architectures can be used, the most common being local “concentrators” that collect data from groups of meters and transmit that data to a central server via a “backhaul” channel. Various media can provide all or parts of this typical architecture.

Media Impacts on Amateur Radio

Utilities have been using Power Line Carrier (PLC) <500kHz as a control technique for many decades without interference complaints, but the limited bandwidth of this media would seem to constrain its use to SCADA substation control.

 

BPL is a double-edged sword as far as interference with the Amateur service is concerned. Modern Access BPL systems that operate at or under the US limits and employ 35dB notching of locally-used spectrum have been shown to be mostly interference-free. Those same systems operated at the same levels with only the mandatory 20dB notching can have more problems. Single-ended coupling results in higher emissions than differential coupling, but is still used most often. Access BPL (for backhaul) will succeed only if it is commercially viable and doesn’t cause interference complaints. The interference issue can be addressed through careful deployment (and the adoption of an EMC Standard for BPL) but the larger questions remain concerning the required make-ready and keep-ready work on the lines, interoperability among vendors (lack of Standards), slow speeds and limited distance. The signal must overcome the line’s gap noise or the data packets will crash. (See ARRL AC Power Interference Handbook for mitigation of gap noise)

 

Copper unshielded twisted pair (UTP telephone lines) or optical fiber doesn’t have a history of causing interference with the Amateur service. Neither do the Multiple Access System Radios nor Paging Networks currently deployed. Spread Spectrum Radio uses the 902-928 MHz UHF band, which is also used by Amateurs, mostly on FM. Reports of interference have been rare, however.

 

WiFi uses the 2.4GHz unlicensed band and hasn’t caused notable interference, other than local digital noise problems similar to those from personal computers. (See ARRL RFI Book2 or on-line materials for mitigation)

 

WiMAX is a promising backhaul media that can be used in point-to-point or point-to-multipoint configurations based on the IEEE 802.16 standard. It covers 10-30 miles and typically uses licensed spectrum (although it is possible to use unlicensed spectrum) to deliver a point-to-point IP connection from the utility to the wireless termination point in the neighborhood using 802.16d. When paired with local WiFi, Spread Spectrum, ZigBee or In-Premises BPL consumer devices, it could be a backhaul solution for modernizing the power grid at high speeds over long distances. Mobile access (similar to a cell phone) uses 802.16e.

 

ZigBee uses either the unlicensed 800 MHz or 2.4 GHz bands at low power and appears to have minimal interference potential for Amateurs. ZigBee meters can mesh network themselves with smart appliances and other nearby ZigBee gas or electric meters to exchange data with a system “node” (Pole-mounted IP/cell modem/WiMax bridges) or use the customer’s internet connection. (WiFi bridge) A partial list of certified ZigBee Smart Energy products shows most of the items necessary for grid modernization. This configuration was chosen by Southern California Edison for their SmartConnect AMI project.

 

Internet Protocol (IP) will have a place in the media mix. (Using the customer’s existing connection at the home or business) It could be a convenient portal for consumers to interact with the electric utility and program their controllable loads. The same could be said of Internet2 at higher speeds. IP-capable (standardized and encrypted) backhaul is desirable to utilities for handling metering and control data.

 

Combinations of the above media in an integrated communications system are the most likely future scenario. WiMAX microwave signals may not traverse well in tall, urban centers so fiber or Access BPL to the building may perform better. Remote locations will surely employ a different mix of local and backhaul media. In any case, an integrated utility communications system employing open Standards and the appropriate media will be required for modernizing the power grid.

Southern California Edison’s SmartConnect AMI project uses WiMax and ZigBee media and the EPRI Intelligrid architecture. The Utility Planning Network recognized the SmartConnect program as the 2005/2006 Best AMR initiative.

 

TXU – Their BPL operator recently stopped offering internet services to customers and now the utility uses their Current Communications system exclusively for AMI backhaul applications. In a related event, it’s been reported that TXU has embraced a ZigBee thermostat for Home Area Network control.

 

Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) announced in February, 2006 that it would conduct a two-year test to assess the potential for large-scale application of Broadband over Power Lines (BPL) and wireless technology to LIPA’s electricity system. It was to provide real-time, automated meter reading, consumer internet, VoIP, IM and other broadband services to 105 of LIPA’s residential and commercial customers in the Hauppauge/Commack area. The April, 2007 edition of the Hudson Division Beacon reported that the system was at least ninety days away. The idea now appears to have been abandoned due to cost.

 

When the Salt River Project began modernizing the Browning Substation in early 2006, they updated the processes used to identify project requirements to those advanced by the EPRI IntelliGrid consortium. EPRI’s Don von Dollen reports: “In SRP's experience, developing use cases added some extra time and cost, but the requirements are captured in more thorough detail using the IntelliGrid process.”

 

Since late 2007, Alliant Energy has been exchanging – or retrofitting – more than 1.4 million electric and natural gas meters with new Advanced Metering Infrastructure, or AMI. “These electric and natural gas meters are read remotely through communications towers.” The Sensus Metering System FlexNet “operates under an FCC license and uses a portion of the 900 MHz radio frequency band separate from that used commonly by consumer products such as cordless telephones and garage door openers. Because of this, the AMI system will not cause interference problems with other wireless devices.”

 

In October, 2007, the FortZED initiative applied for a DOE grant. It was funded in April, 2008 for $4.8 million for its Fort Collins Zero Energy District. TIME.com reported that on April 20, 2009, the City of Miami announced their "Energy Smart Miami" program, partnered with GE, Cisco Systems, Florida Power & Light, and Silver Spring Networks. They plan to roll out smart grid functions at virtually every home and business in Miami-Dade County by 2011.  An IEEE Spectrum special report states that the Miami project covers smart meters, smarter thermostats and appliances, and networking technology for up to a million homes. The project that’s "the furthest along and has the highest ambitions—in terms of influence on regulators and equipment suppliers—is Xcel Energy’s SmartGridCity, in Boulder, Colorado."

Utilities reported to be rolling out smart metering include Pacific Gas & Electric Co, Texas utility Oncor,  The Southern Co. subsidiaries Georgia Power and Alabama Power, Alliant Energy, Arizona Public Service, and Florida Power & Light. Other utilities installing smart meters include Southern California Edison, CenterPoint Energy, Duke Energy, DTE Energy, American Electric Power, Pepco Holdings Inc.,  Austin Energy and Arizona-based Salt River Project.

 

Greentech Media also announced on July 20, 2009 that The Illinois Institute of Technology is getting $5.4 million from the DOE for the "perfect power prototype" at its Chicago campus, The University of Hawaii at Manoa-Hawaii Natural Energy Institute is getting $5.5 million to integrate wind power and other renewable energy at the distribution grid level. Consolidated Edison Co. of New York will get $5.6 million for their metering project. The University of Nevada-Las Vegas will receive $5.7 million to develop a "community of green homes" in the southwestern U.S.

Conclusions

 The NETL summarizes in their Integrated Communications white paper that “Achievement of the modern grid vision is fully dependent on integrated communications technologies. Without a modern communications infrastructure… the modern grid cannot become a reality. Integrated communications will open the way for the other key technology areas to be accepted and implemented, leading to the full modernization of our power grid.”

Grid Automation in the News

BPL Not Ready for Prime Time Smart Grid
October 1, 2009, PowerGrid International - This article, written by the CEO of a major BPL/Smart Grid company, accurately describes some of the financial and interference aspects of BPL technology. Electric utility companies are looking for sound information relating to the nascent Smart Grid technology.  This issue of PowerGrid focuses on a number of aspects of the developing Smart Grid.  Scroll down to page 43 for the article on BPL. "BPL does not perform well in the overhead U.S. electrical distribution topology, and thus today a BPL signal cannot communicate over long distances or through a transformer without couplers and repeaters to boost the signal. This additional equipment increases overall deployment costs and eliminates cost savings associated with using the existing wires. . .  There are further problems in transmitting BPL signals over power lines, including interference issues caused and experienced by a BPL system. Overhead electrical distribution wires are unshielded from radio frequency (RF) interference, therefore, BPL signals traveling on medium-voltage overhead lines have the potential to interfere with shortwave radio operators. Local RF using unlicensed spectrum also can interfere with the BPL network signal, and because the spectrum is unlicensed, mitigation can be timely and costly."  

Smart Grid Projects Pick Up Speed
The Institute, August 6, 2009 -- Making the electricity grid “smart” has become a priority in many countries, but a lack of standards will make this a difficult goal to achieve. That’s why IEEE recently launched the P2030 Standards initiative to develop smart grid standards and write guidelines for the power engineering, communications, and information technology areas on how such grids should operate.

SPECIAL REPORT: THE SMART GRID
IEEE Spectrum; July 22, 2009 -- Taking the latest in computing and communications technology to make the electrical system more interactive, efficient, and robust is not a new idea. What’s new is that suddenly more than 10 billion federal dollars are being poured into it. But all that money will be well spent only if regulators are as inventive and intelligent as transmission and distribution engineers have been.

ZigBee Announces an IP Specification to Meet the Smart Energy Market Needs
ZigBee Newsletter; July 13, 2009 -- The recent announcement about the development of an Internet Protocol (IP) based stack specification called ZigBee IP has created added interest in the Smart Energy market, and supports ZigBee’s ever-widening acceptance as the standard in the Home Area Network (HAN). ZigBee IP is being developed to meet requirements in the Smart Energy market.

New ZigBee+HomePlug Smart Energy marketing requirements
ZigBee Newsletter; June 24, 2009 -- The ZigBee® Alliance and HomePlug® Powerline Alliance today announced public availability of the next generation market requirements for Smart Energy, and supporting use cases. The ZigBee+HomePlug Smart Energy marketing requirements document details the next generation of functionality envisioned for the Smart Grid with accompanying consumer control.

How Smart Can You and Your Local Electricity Grid Get?
IEEE Spectrum; June 24, 2009 -- Xcel Energy, a Minneapolis-based distributor and producer of electricity, is in the midst of organizing an experimental project in Boulder, Colo., that it and its partner companies have dubbed SmartGridCity. Current Communications has deployed HomePlug in-premises BPL and one kilometer of Current's Access BPL for backhaul. Current Access BPL systems do not use the ham bands and the ARRL has had no interference reports involving Current Access BPL equipment to date.

Is a technology Holy War brewing in the smart-grid space?
June 3, 2009 -- Myriad technology approaches exist, each with compelling pros and cons. It's no secret that the smart-grid market is heating up, and several companies are positioning themselves to benefit from the billions in federal stimulus dollars that are expected to flow into the utility sector.

Pacific Gas and Electric plans to deploy up to 3.3 million GE meters equipped with SmartMeter™ technology by 2011
October, 2008 : – Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) of California plans to deploy as many as 3.3 million GE meters equipped with SmartMeter™ technology to utility customers in northern and central California. These meters will help customers manage their energy consumption and costs, while helping the utility improve customer service. Overall, PG&E plans to deploy 10.3 million SmartMeter gas and electric meters by the end of 2011 to virtually all of its customers.

UTC Announces Smart Network Council
June, 2008 -- UTC announced the creation of the Smart Networks Council. It is a special forum created for utility executives responsible for implementing Automatic Meter Reading, Advanced Metering Initiatives or Demand Response and Distribution Automation Applications. UTC provides public policy advocacy, technology training, spectrum engineering services, and networking for individuals at the member entities. 

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Assessment of Demand Response Advanced Metering 2007
September, 2007 -- This FERC report outlines the present state of Demand Response and Advanced Metering in the US. The level of and interest in electric demand response and advanced metering has increased significantly since August 2006.

Dept. of Energy GridWise Alliance -- GridWise at PNNL
The DOE GridWise Program and the GridWise Alliance share a vision of the future of the electric grid in the U.S. and are working together to realize the benefits for consumers and industry.

Electric Power Research Institute -- IntelliGrid
The vision of an intelligent grid (or IntelliGrid) is the vision for the electric delivery system of the future. Taken as a whole, reaching this vision will yield unprecedented benefits for the industry -- utility, consumers and society will all see rewards through increased reliability, reduced O&M costs, avoidance of new capacity, and increased customer satisfaction.

Many Utilities Starting to Develop AMI and Utility-of-the-Future Strategies
May 29, 2007 Will McNamara, Principal Consultant, KEMA, Inc.
Part 1 of this two-part article examines the advanced metering infrastructure and smart grid strategies of 14 U.S. utilities. According to some projections, the North American AMI market will grow about 20% annually through 2010. Recently, KEMA gathered proprietary intelligence, which included informal surveys and in-depth research, on about 14 U.S. utilities developing or implementing AMI/Smart Grid pilots or projects.

ConEdison filing to the NY State Public Service Commission - Automated Meter Reading plan
March 28, 2007, NYSPSC -- This filing by ConEdison outlines the reasons that ConEd has chosen wireless technology instead of BPL for its new automated meter-reading (AMR) program.   ConEdison has been involved with a BPL trial for several years in Briarcliff Major, NY, but states that this program is in the "early stages" of evaluation.  ConEdison says that BPL does "offer(s) some key advantages" and that it will "continue to evaluate"  It notes, however, that the costs of the technology and meters "make this technology significantly more costly than the other AMR methods considered." ConEdison cited that BPL "may be" compatible with radial-distribution power networks, but also said that "this communications technique has a high level of uncertainty both in technical and total functionality in Con Edison’s network distribution grid."

Thursday power outages eased by new system 
May 17, 2007, Jeremy Desel
Thursday's power outage because of the fire at the substation near the Southwest Freeway no doubt was a more the electrical disruption for thousands who work and live in the area. For them power control is the last thing on their minds. "The objective is to control the damages to the most minimal amounts,” said CenterPoint Vice President Kenny Mercado.

Demand Response Changing AMI Requirements
April 11, 2007, Patti Harper-Slaboszewicz, Director, AMI/MDM and Demand Response, UtiliPoint International, Inc.
The passage of EPAct 2005 coincided with increasing commodity costs for gasoline, heating oil, natural gas, oil and electricity. Demand response offers an opportunity to mitigate price increases by reducing demand when wholesale prices are high.

Smart Grid Newsletter - The insider's guide to the modernization and automation of electric power. Designing the Future is a case study dated November, 2006. Southern California Edison (SCE) has a mandate to implement advanced metering technology for its millions of customers. But its first crack at a business case showed existing technology would cost far more than it could save. So SCE went back to the drawing board. Working with EPRI’s IntelliGrid program, IBM, EnerNex, and others, they employed a Systems Engineering model and developed a $1.3 billion plan to use technology that didn’t yet exist. Through a systematic development of requirements coupled with a careful technical assessment, SCE has crafted a plan whose benefits will break even with its cost. SCE literally designed its own future.

Smart Grid Today
This news website allows access to the PDF editions of the daily Smart Grid Today newsletter. A 14-day free trial  membership is required.

AMI / AMR Smart Grid Companies 

Aclara
This system integrator offers a complete, proprietary AMI solution for water, gas and electric utilities. Their three core areas of expertise are PLC meter conversions, (TWACS® operating under 500kHz) RF data collection (STAR® using licensed 450-470MHz) and enterprise software for meter data and revenue management.

CURRENT
This vertically-integrated supplier of smart meters, AMI services, demand response and distribution/substation management products uses an IP-based infrastructure and BPL backhaul exclusively. They also offer high-speed internet service over BPL to consumers in-premises using HomePlug modems. Various sensors and controls are available for transformers, cap banks, and substations that tie into several of their utility software offerings.

Echelon
Their two main product lines — the NES System for Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) and their LonWorks® products (now IEC 14908-1) for control networking — offer end-to-end connectivity. The AMI architecture uses CENELEC A-band PLC (only) on the low-voltage side of the transformer to allow smart meters to communicate with a "concentrator" that connects via several wide-area protocols back to the utility. (fiber, WiMAX, cellular, PSTN, BPL, etc.)  The building automation products interoperate through the LonMark® and consumer devices through their Digital Home® products. 

Eka Systems
EkaNet® products include unlicensed 902-928MHz meshed networking cards for smart meters, wireless gateways with both the 915MHz and 2.4GHz bands that interface with any backhaul media, (Ethernet, cellular, municipal Wi-Fi, etc.) system management software and installation/maintenance tools.

Elster Electricity
The EnergyAxis® system uses unlicensed 902-928MHz mesh networking in an entirely meter-based system. Their smart meters are meshed to their meter/collectors that also contain an analog telephone modem for backhaul of the data to their meter data management software. 

Grid Net
Founded in 2006 by Ray Bell, they provide PolicyNet® software. He designed the WiMAX wireless interface for the GE WiMax SmartMeter and the network software, which he is licensing to GE Energy. Fortune Magazine states "Nobody would be happier to see Bell's venture succeed than Craig McCaw and his team at Clearwire Corp. Clearwire's deal with Sprint to build a nationwide WiMax network stalled last year. An electric meter with WiMax built in could be just the thing to bring Clearwire's wireless Internet into American homes." Grid Net belongs to the Home Plug Alliance for home area networking (HAN).

INSTEON®
This currently-available home automation technology uses both the existing wires (power line carrier at 131.65kHz) and radio-frequency communication. (the 900MHz unlicensed band) Products include remote control and automation for lighting, appliance and home control applications of all types. (including X-10 compatibility) Interoperability is addressed by the INSTEON Alliance.

Itron
The OpenWay® system consists of components connecting devices at the customer premise (such as ZigBee meters and thermostats) back to the utility enterprise. (using fixed networks of GPRS cellular, analog modem or any IP-based backhaul, such as WiMAX) SGN states that they "create the network infrastructure for a wide variety of Smart Grid applications. OpenWay® was recently selected by Southern California Edison for primary deployment of up to 5M electricity meters, which will result in the largest ANSI C12.22 based AMI network in the country."

Landis+Gyr
Landis+Gyr is a manufacturer and worldwide marketer of electricity metering products used in advanced or “smart metering systems” and "distribution automation." They partner on projects with other companies such as Eka Systems, Trilliant, TWACS (Aclara), Current Group (BPL), and Sensus to supply meters in PLC or RF mesh configurations.

Sensus Metering Systems
Since late 2007, Alliant Energy has been exchanging – or retrofitting – more than 1.4 million electric and natural gas meters with new Advanced Metering Infrastructure, or AMI. “These electric and natural gas meters are read remotely through communications towers.” The FlexNet® system “operates under an FCC license and uses a portion of the 900 MHz radio frequency band separate from that used commonly by consumer products such as cordless telephones and garage door openers. Because of this, the AMI system will not cause interference problems with other wireless devices.”

Silver Spring Networks
This system integrator makes the electricity meter boards, (ZigBee optional) gas meter modules, distribution automation (SCADA) bridges, relay/concentrators, and access points to backhaul using unlicensed 902-928MHz FHSS and their UtilOS.® The backhaul media choices are IP, (wired, WiMAX or fiber) CDMA or GSM cellular. They partner with metering, demand automation, networking, Home Area Network and software companies that support unlicensed 900MHz radio and IPv6.

Trilliant
Originally formed in 1985 as Nertec for the collection of metering data, this AMI firm now offers under-glass ZigBee (IEEE 802.15.4) SecureMesh® nodes for several meter brands, data gateways (collectors) with IP, cellular and RF backhaul capabilities, as well as meter data management software.

Yitran
This fabless chip design house delivers chipsets and evaluation kits for narrowband PLC applications in home automation and control (HomePlugCC). They also offer PLC backbone ZigBee "extenders" (bridges from wireless to wired and back) to fill in voids in ZigBee coverage areas.

Z-Wave®
This protocol, designed for home automation and control using the Zensys chip, is maintained by the Z-Wave Alliance. The Alliance has over 70 members with interoperable products. Its short-range meshed radio devices use 908.42MHz in the ISM band with +/-20kHz BFSK modulation, and are not expected to be a source of interference. Homeowners can use key fobs or purchase a gateway and subscribe to a service allowing control and surveillance from any internet connection, including cell phones.

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Page last modified: 03:08 PM, 02 Feb 2009 ET
Page author: tis@arrl.org
Copyright © 2009, American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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