Ever wonder exactly where your electricity goes and which appliances make up the bulk of that ever expanding electric bill? There is new technology on the horizon that can tell consumers and power providers just that. It is call Smart Grid. The vision is being pushed forward by power providers in association with companies like IBM and GE. Homes will be converted into “smart homes’ by installing a computer in the home’s power box which sends information to network routers located on the power grid. The routers then relay information to the power supplier for monitoring.
Smart Grid will allow consumers to monitor their electronic devices via the internet. The application gives them the breakdown of the power supply to each device in their home and the ability to turn it off and on remotely. This feature is very innovative and will enable a potential substantial cost savings for the customer. We can already set our DVR’s from class, why can’t we turn off the coffee pot if it was left on.
The technology is also beneficial to the power companies as they are able to accurately monitor power usage in a given area. The monitoring allows them to better predict power surges and respond quickly of there is an outage in the grid. It will also provide accurate climate information so the power that is being supplied can be adjusted.
While widespread use and implementation of this technology is five to ten years down the road, it is easy to see the enormous benefits it will provide the consumers, power providers, and the general environment.
Check out testing ground: Smart Grid City in Boulder, Co.
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