smart grid

Universal Electronics launches the UEI Comfort family of connected thermostats designed to simplify installation, daily use and ongoing support of climate control in residential, commercial and hospitality applications.  The first product in the UEI Comfort family will be available to OEMs in the second half of this year with a version designed for the hospitality industry to follow later in the year. These thermostats offer advanced capabilities in a compact design with a vibrant large color display that hosts an extremely intuitive graphical interface combined with supportive physical controls for quick access to common features.

At the recent International Builders’ Show Schneider Electric showcased its Wiser Energy Monitor, Square D Energy Center and new connected wiring device range for home builders seeking innovative ways to drive efficiency and sustainability. These new smart solutions allow homebuilders to differentiate their homes through increased electrical system connectivity, transparency and enhanced energy control.

In a move to widen the use of electric to power public transport, Chilean public transport operator, Redbus Urbano has selected ABB’s Heavy Vehicle Chargers (HVC) to power 25 of its electric buses in one of its bus terminals. ABB supplied eight Heavy Vehicle Chargers (HVC), each with three depot charging boxes, for the terminals in the cities of Nueva Bilbao and El Salto.

At CES this year Landis+Gyr partnership with MicroEJ introduced Gridstream Connect Apps as a part of the Gridstream Connect IoT solution portfolio.  The Gridstream Connect Apps is already in the market where is helps utilities to offer meter-based flexible billing, demand management used for billing and load management, along with apps that convert a smart meter into a distribution system sensor.

PulteGroup and Georgia Power are collaborating with a number of technology partners to create Atlanta's first "Smart Neighborhood".  Located in Atlanta's Upper West Side at the intersection of Marietta Boulevard and Bolton Drive the housing development will feature the latest connected home technologies.

Frances state owned energy supplier has setup a new team to take advantage of the growing need for connected home services among its customers.  EDF's CEO Jean-Berard Lévy made the announcement at the Parisian Cultural Center, Gaite Lyrique, dedicated to digital art.  EDF has joined a list of other energy supplier in Europe and around the globe that has gone down this route by offering their customer added services that will help then to better manage their energy use.

In 2005 Jamaica Public Service Company Limited (JPS) announced that it was conducting smart grid solutions testing with the intention to roll out the solution across the island. At the time JPS reported some of their loses were down to electricity theft, which resulted in a losses of US$18.4 million. To reduces it losses because theft and increase revenue JPS also planning on spending up to US$40 million over the next 5 years. This week JPS said they were going live with Silver Spring’s smart grid open standards-based platform and SilverLink Software-as-a-Service.