The Analytic Grid

 How will increased adoption of  renewable energy shape the future of our electric grid?  This topic, among others, is of major relevance to the modernization of the Public's electrical infrastructure.  In the near future I believe we will rely on mode of operation enabled by a open source protocol communications network that achieves a ultra high speed automatic transfer switching schema for managing critical loads.  Technologically enabled by the explosion of data stemming from increased usage of Intelligent Electronic Devices (IED)

The first mountain we must climb is that of standardization. There are three major institutions that decide on standards here in the US, they are as follows:

• National Institute of  Standards and Technology (NIST) – Organizing Smart Grid standards

• International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) – Most widely adopted set of standards

• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)– Smart Grid (mostly sensing, measurements)

Two widely accepted protocols currently in use are Open Automated Demand Response (OpenADR) and IEC 6198/61970.  OpenADR is a market based approach to innovation.  It's typical use is to send information and signals to cause electrical power-using devices to be turned off during periods of high demand.  IEC61968/61970 is a common information model that defines application program interfaces (APIs). 

The sketch above details the hypothetical process for which new technology will be able to spring forth once a set of standards has reached mass adoption.  

What truly intrigues me about the concept of an analytical grid is the business potential in peer sharing econometrics of energy storage.