Australia's smart grid exploration set to continue

Smart grid innovation is positioned to continue in Australia.

By Max Burkhalter
May 14, 2013

Government-sponsored smart grid projects are often essential to the ongoing support of innovation in the utility sector. In many countries around the world, utility providers and electric companies lack the fiscal resources to make smart grid-related upgrades on their own. However, the theoretical benefits of smart grid investments often include national economy and energy-efficiency gains, making government subsidies a viable option in the sector. As a result, many smart grid projects have been helped along by government funding in countries around the globe.

Australia is one such nation. The country's Smart Grid, Smart City project has established a foundation for smart grid innovation in the nation. Moving forward, there is a good chance that Australia's government will continue to support smart grid projects, The Age reported.

Australia and smart grid development
According to the news source, the Smart Grid, Smart City initiative is focused on introducing smart grid technologies into various market segments and identifying how they impact the area. For the most part, the data gathered will focus on building a business case for further smart grid innovation, using the core data gathered to guide projects based on what has and has not been successful in this pilot program. With the project nearing its conclusion, analysis is set for delivery some time in early 2014.

Moving forward, however, it looks like both of the political parties vying for position in the upcoming election will support continued emphasis on the smart grid, the report said. With a major federal budget on the horizon, one of the issues that seems to be clearly agreed upon by both groups is that there needs to be continued support for smart grid projects throughout the country, especially when those initiatives focus on using energy more efficiently.

Developing smart grids effectively
Smart grid projects are often incredibly expensive because of costs associated with deploying network infrastructure, specialized utility devices and other technological solutions. Adding to this complexity is the need to make all of these disparate systems work well with one another. Terminal servers can ease this aspect of smart grid deployment, allowing utility providers to maximize the investments made by government bodies and other groups. Deploying terminal servers streamlines many aspects of smart grid deployment, putting organizations in a position where they can begin reaping the benefits of smart grid technologies as quickly as possible.

Perle offers a range of cost effective serial-to-Ethernet converters to help meet NERC-CIP compliance for the protection of critical cyberassets in substations. The IOLAN SDS HV/LDC Terminal Server is designed to meet harsh environments associated with Power Substations with attributes such as support for substation AC and DC voltage ranges, extended operating temperatures and meeting emission, immunity and safety approvals associated with substation IT equipment.

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