Several innovations expected for smart grid development

Continued innovation in the smart grid industry is critical for maintaining the versatility and efficiency of these systems and continuing to migrate uses away from legacy, more costly power solutions. Many cities are advancing their deployment of terminal servers and related smart grid hardware in order to support these deployments, and turn to renewable sources of energy. From outage management to peak demand control, these solutions reduce the unnecessary drain of power and ensure that customers gain the benefits of cheaper, more reliable power as well.

From smart meters to the hardware infrastructure that makes the transmission of power and data possible, utilities need to be sure they are investing in solutions that are innovative and scalable. This will keep costs down over time while ensuring the stability of these systems. Considering how critical the nation's power grid is, this importance cannot be overstated.

Of course, with continued innovation within the smart grid industry to be expected, it may not seem worth the initial investment into these solutions in a cost-to-performance balance. For utilities that don't start deploying smart grid solutions like serial to Ethernet converters and smart meters, many consumers will begin to look for alterative power providers, because of the high demand for support.

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.