Green Button Promotes Innovation in Energy Efficiency
As the ever increasing pressure of fewer and fewer resources presses in to industries, they seek to get smarter about the use and distribution of those resources. Such was the reason for the birth of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity Delivery & Energy Reliability Smart Grid Research & Development Multi-Year Program Plan 2010-2014, which was “tasked with accelerating the deployment and integration of advanced communication, control, and information technologies that are needed to modernize the nation’s electric delivery network.”
The vision of the Smart Grid Research and Development Program is that: By 2030, the power grid has evolved into an intelligent energy delivery system that supports plug-and-play integration of dispatchable and intermittent low-carbon energy sources, and provides a platform for consumer engagement in load management, national energy independence, innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic security. This smart grid supports the best and most secure electric services available in the world and connects everyone to abundant, affordable, high quality, environmentally conscious, efficient, and reliable electric power.
- Customer Participation
- Integration of All Generation and Storage Options
- New Markets and Operations
- Power Quality for the 21st Century
- Asset Optimization and Operational Efficiency
- Self-Healing from Disturbances
- Resiliency Against Attacks and Disasters
These seven features, it is believed, will lead to the achievement of the Smart Grid R & D 2020 Program goals of developing commercially viable microgrids, deploying a self-healing electric distribution grid, and enabling high penetration of distributed energy resources, demand response, and plug-in electric vehicles.
One of the first tools implemented to accomplish #1 -customer participation – is the Green Button program, launched in 2012. Modeled on the government’s successful medical records patient access program called the “Blue Button Initiative,” Green Button is based on a common technical standard developed through industry and government cooperation which allows consumers, whether individuals or businesses, to access their energy usage information.
Currently the “Adopters” are broken down into two categories of utilities and companies that have committed and those that have successfully completed testing and certification and have implemented Green Button. The program has not been in action for very long, but there are a growing number of entrepreneurs with devices, applications or both developing with Green button data as a core feature of their products.
Viewed as a key part of the government’s comprehensive grid-modernization strategy, Green Button has amongst its stated goals “to support the creation of innovative applications that can help consumers make the most of their energy usage information.” This is just what water metering, Smart Grid, load balancing and other related devices developers have long been waiting for. This program opens the door to the innovative products they have been bringing to table for years, but which could not fully realize their potential without access to this information. As Green Button heats up, it is going to be an innovationpalooza!
Advantage Announces Release of New ZigBee to Bluetooth Smart Core Product™
Next in a series of Core Products Advantage has developed to assist its clients with rapid development and deployment of technologies, we announce the release of our Advantage ZigBee to Bluetooth Smart Core This Advantage Core is designed to assist in the rapid implementation of Green Button and other functions into our client’s product offerings.
The ZigBee wireless communication protocol was selected by utilities for use in the Smart Grid due to its robust security features and self-healing capabilities. (Satisfying points 6 and 7 of the Dept. of Energy’s definition of the Smart Grid). This protocol will soon be coming to smart phones which will utilize a dual WiFi or Bluetooth & ZigBee radios. Samsung will reportedly bundle the ZigBee wireless technology into its next Galaxy model. Our Advantage ZigBee to Bluetooth Core module can make your products smartphone-ready so you are first to hit the market when these ZigBee enabled smartphones become available.
Green/Clean Technology Innovation in Energy Efficiency
Buildings are by far the greatest energy users. The lion’s share of the world’s energy is consumed operating buildings and keeping their inhabitants comfortable. The highest heat (or air-conditioning) loss of a building is through its windows, averaging about 30% of the losses making windows a dominate factor in the energy consumption landscape.
Almost everyone enjoys windows. A vast expanse of clear can alleviate the sense of being confined indoors. But … windows are not the best solution when it comes to keeping energy consumption as low as possible. That is … until now! Advantage has developed the perfect solution and turned this liability into a benefit. We have developed windows that prevent heat from escaping and actively provide radiant heat to interior spaces during cold seasons and block the sun’s rays in warm seasons.
These heated windows can replace or augment forced air or radiant heating solutions, increase the human comfort factor and dramatically lower energy consumption. The window status including temperature can be controlled from a smartphone or building management system. We are currently in the process of implementing Green Button so a user can see effects of various decisions instantaneously.
Studies performed at major universities demonstrated that because of the innovative way the windows are constructed and the means by which the power is supplied they stop the majority of heat loss and radiate heat into the interior space while simultaneously preventing heat loss to the outside.
The windows were installed in the Golisano Library, Rochester Institute of Technology’s new two-story, 43,000-sq. ft. library which received a Platinum Certification Leadership In Energy and Environmental Design (LEEDs) rating from the US Green Building Council.
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