National Energy Department announces further smart grid planning

In an effort to improve the U.S.'s electric grid in terms of resilience and reliability, the Department of Energy has funneled an additional $9 million in funding toward smart grid resources.

The improvements, according to Smart Grid News, will go toward blackout detection, overall grid reliability and the integration of renewable energy sources with current infrastructure. The announcement is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's Smart Grid Investment Grant.

"Our priority is to develop a clearer understanding of the health of the grid and to drive partnerships and collaboration with application developers and the utility industry," said Assistant Secretary for Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability Patricia Hoffman, according to the source. "Integrating data from sensors on the transmission system into utilities' analysis tools will help utilities gain better visibility into conditions affecting the reliability of the grid."

It isn't just up to the DoE to provide these improvements, however. Network growth and enhancement requires investments into media converters and other technologies to boost the quality of service, especially in rural areas. Everything from fiber converters to console management solutions can boost the efficiency of the nation's electric grid.

Smart grid solutions will require the right technology being in place on every network across the nation. Investing in high-quality serial converters and other tools will allow local providers to automate operations, improve their own integration of renewable sources and more. The sustainability, efficiency, flexibility and support a smart grid brings will enable higher-quality service and improved management of demand support.

A serial console service and other relevant converters will play a critical role in optimizing a smart grid with legacy technology and ensuring compatibility with a provider's operations. Once these tools are in place, organizations will be able to streamline their migration to new and improved service offerings, with minimal hassle or challenge. Making the smart move with the supporting technology will ensure that network optimization falls into place more easily.

As technology improves it will also be important for energy providers to consider the security of their systems. Utilizing the proper terminal servers and converters will provide the necessary hardware safety, while firms focus on the software end, integrating service protection alongside smart grid optimization.

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.