Communications Key for Smart Grid, Survey Suggests

There's a key reason wireless service providers believe process automation (machines communicating wtih machines) will power the next great wave of wireless growth. It will.

According to a Pacific Crest Mosaic survey, electrical utilities consider two-way communications the most important technology in creating a fully operational "smart grid." About 60 percent of executives say that is the case. Smart meters, by way of contrast, are seen as "most important" by only 15 percent of respondents.

That should come as no surprise. Meters are a basic part of the utility business. So meters, at least for upstream reporting,  as such are widely in use. It is the ability to control the flow of electrons on the grid which is lacking. Local switches for such purposes already are available, allowing utilities to remotely turn on and off home air conditioning units at times of peak load, for example.

Two-way communications designed for power grid use also have been available for some time, allowing utilities to conduct such on-and-off operations. What is needed are more-granular ways of assessing, in real time, the state of the grid and power consumption, so the network of switches can be controlled.

That can be done using either wired or tethered communications. But wireless will appeal because the network already is available.