Echelon Expands its Control Operating System Software for the Smart Grid
Echelon announced today that its Echelon Edge Control Node (ECN) is Verizon 3G certified. The ECN runs Echelon’s Control Operating System (COS) software, which provides distributed intelligence and control throughout the smart grid and allows utilities to run smart grid applications at the edge of the grid, nearest the consumer. Certifying the ECN product through Verizon Wireless’ Open Development program ensures that utilities can use the nation’s premier wireless network as the backhaul for their smart grid systems.
“Verizon Wireless supports Echelon in its effort to provide smart grid infrastructures that allow utilities to leverage existing, reliable, wireless networks instead of burdening rate-payers with private backhaul networks,” said Aparna Khurjekar, executive director, business solutions at Verizon Wireless. “Making such a field-proven, reliable system like Echelon’s available to customers using our network is a great addition to the solutions we offer in the smart grid market.”
Echelon’s ECN, driven by COS software, is capable of hosting smart grid apps in a similar fashion to Android-based smartphones. Doing so puts intelligent distributed control in every neighborhood to help make the smart grid more reliable and efficient through applications such as intelligent outage restoration, residential solar inverter management, and real-time energy availability information processing to smart electric vehicle chargers.
Coupled with Echelon’s NES System, the leading smart grid solution in Europe and leading next-generation power-line-based smart grid solution in the U.S., the ECN 7000 series enables utilities to create smart grids that react in near-real time to remove stress from the grid, provide consumer-facing benefits, incorporate emerging smart grid and energy-aware homes and consumer devices, and incorporate almost any existing metering system to protect a utility’s existing investments.
Michael Anderson, Echelon’s senior vice president, utilities commented, “Service providers like Verizon Wireless build, maintain and secure wide-area communications networks better than anyone. That’s their job. Utilities build and maintain the grid. That’s their job. Marrying the two by using our COS-powered ECN equipped with a Verizon Wireless wide-area backhaul delivers fantastic performance and carrier-class reliability to the grid, and the highest value to consumers.”