smart grid

Venture Capital (VC) funding activity in the smart grid sector in 2015 quarter one more than doubled that of the last quarter of 2014 at US $185 million. Energy efficiency companies raised US $140 million and Battery/Storage raised US $69 million according to Mercom Capital Group.  Smart grid merger and acquisitions came in high at US $196 million for disclosed transaction.

Eletrobras, a major Brazilian utility has selected Cisco’s FAN (Field Area Network) technology for a BRL $1.2 million project funded by the World Bank. The Energia+ project will cover the states of Acre, Rondonia, Piaui, Amazonas, Alagoas and Roraima.  The aim is to help Eletrobras to improve operational efficiency and control of non-technical losses, which is as high as 22 per cent in some areas.

About 50km west of Tokyo on an old Panasonic factory site PanaHome the housing division of Panasonic Group is building its vision of a smart and sustainable town.  The 600 homes and 400 apartments have all the latest appliances and services of a smart home. All the homes are fitted with solar panels for feeding surplus energy into the smart gird, and the world’s first domestic ENE-FARM household fuel-cell generator.

It seems the Energy Service Network Association (ESNA); the body that developed the Open Smart Grid Protocol (OSGP) will have to go back to the drawing board with the Open Smart Grid Protocol.  Researchers, Phillip Jovanovic from the University of Passau in Germany and Samuel Neves from the University of Coimbra in Portugal have identified weaknesses in the authenticated encryption of the protocol.

In 2013, approximately 15 per cent of Mexico's electricity production was lost due to theft or defaults, and in some areas of Mexico City, that increases to more than 35 per cent, that’s according to Mexico's Comisión Federal de Electricidad’s (CFE), the largest utility in the Americas. To reduce theft and stem its losses the CFE under the Megacable and Hola Innovacion consortium is working in partnership with Silver Spring Networks and Mexico's Tecnologías EOS to implement a number of smart grid solutions in Mexico City’s Central District.

Intel Security a division of Intel has launched new security solution for the smart grid sector, called Intel Security Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP). Intel said CIP is the result of extensive industry surveys among smart grids executives and a joint development in collaboration with the Department of Energy, Texas, Wind River and Texas Tech University. The solution works to protect today's smart grids from cyber and other IT related attacks and offers the added benefit of being able to work with legacy and new smart grid infrastructure.

Silver Spring Networks has been selected for an advanced metering program by Horizon Power in Western Australia most sparsely populated region covering approximately 2.3 million square kilometers (approximately 888,000 square miles).  Horizon power, a government owned entity would like to provide the area's 47,000 customers with a pre-payment energy solution.

British Gas is determined to make the connected lifestyle a norm for its 4 million plus customers, along with the rest of the UK. The company is investing millions into developing and offering its customers added value services via its ‘Connected Home’ initiative.

Landis+Gyr has further solified its position in the South American smart grid market by partnering with Brazilian electricity utility Light in a five year contract worth approximately R$750 million ($313 million USD).  The agreement is the largest smart grid project in South American history; under the agreement Landis+Gyr will supply, implement its Gridstream smart grid solution with operation and maintenance of the system.