Smart grid deployments gaining speed under the radar

SUBNET Solutions Inc | Thursday, July 26, 2012

The recent power outage that struck Washington D.C. after storms battered the area was a reminder that the current administration has been working hard to build a better, more reliable infrastructure, even if the fruits of its work have yet to be noticed.

According to Time Magazine, when Obama came into office and proposed a revolutionary change to America's power network, his plan actualized into $11 billion worth of smart grid investments. Although some saw that as a loss - considering his original plan called for $100 billion - the money has led to a number of new smart grid developments.

Through the funds, utilities now receive updates on transmission lines 30 times every second compared to two updates per second. Transmission infrastructure itself is expanding, however electricity use is still not back to pre-recession levels, the media outlet stated.

Most importantly, the bulk of the funds have gone to deploying sensors, substation automation, synchrophasors and other intelligent electronic devices that can be used to diagnose and identify problems before they are ever felt by customers.

As these technologies are increasingly deployed, SUBNET products can help utilities manage their wide enterprise of IEDs, and maximize substation automation capabilities. 

Tags: Substation Automation & Remote Access