Utilities: More evidence that smart grids are morphing into smart cities

 

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Quick Take: It was about three years ago that I first started warning utilities that smart cities would soon be part of the conversation. I wanted to share this recent announcement from Silver Spring Networks as a reminder that the trend is gathering momentum. And to emphasize several key points:

·      Smart cities are based on the same technical principles as the smart grid -- sensors at the edge sending back information about conditions, then analyzing that data to optimize the system

·      Multi-purpose communications networks are increasing in importance. Cities don't want, can't afford, and don't have the staff to maintain dozens of purpose-built networks

·      Open standards are essential

·      Cross-silo solutions are growing -- solutions that pull in data and expertise from several functional areas

There's no better example than the street lighting projects highlighted in the press release below. Swapping in new LED bulbs becomes an excuse to install communications modules at the same time, giving the city a canopy network it can use in dozens of ways.

The moral? The cities you serve will soon be asking you about smart streetlights. And, if they are wise, about multi-purpose networks that can carry many different applications. – By Jesse Berst

Silver Spring Showcases Networked Street Lights and Smart City Momentum

at 2014 IES Street and Area Lighting Conference

Networking Leader Welcomes Six New Companies Integrating with its Multi-Application

IPv6 Network; Highlights Projects with Florida Power & Light and Cities of Copenhagen, Glasgow, and Paris; Demonstrates Streetlight.Vision Control Software

Nashville, TN – September 16, 2014 – Today at the 2014 IES Street and Area Lighting Conference, the only conference dedicated to improving the outdoor lighting business of electric utilities and energy service providers, Silver Spring Networks, Inc. (NYSE: SSNI) showcased the momentum of its multi-application, IPv6-based smart street light and smart city solutions. Silver Spring’s award-winning smart street light solution enables utilities, energy service companies, and cities to help improve the reliability of their public lighting infrastructure, enhance citizen safety, lower operations and management costs, and improve overall energy efficiency. The proven, IPv6-based solution also allows utilities, energy service companies, and cities to improve ROI by leveraging a common network to deploy multiple applications over time and easily reinforce their existing or future smart grid network reliability and performance.

“The market has clearly understood the power and flexibility of multi-application, IPv6 networks to connect and control assets such as the power grid, street lights, traffic and parking control systems, sensors and other critical infrastructure,” said Brandon Davito, Vice President of Smart Cities and Lighting, Silver Spring Networks.  “Silver Spring’s proven, scalable and secure IPv6 network connects over 19 million devices on five continents – with more coming online every day.  And with one of the industry’s largest open ecosystems, Silver Spring continues to deliver customers the confidence they can integrate with a diversity of vendors and leverage a common network to deploy new applications and services for their consumers and citizens.”

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FPL Selects Silver Spring for North America’s Largest Networked Street Lights Deployment

Earlier this year, Silver Spring announced it was selected by Florida Power & Light (FPL) for the largest networked street lights deployment under contract in North America.  FPL is deploying Silver Spring’s IPv6 networking platform to connect and control 75,000 street lights in the Miami-Dade County region.  FPL expects the remote monitoring and control capabilities of the system to significantly improve street light restoration response times and enhance the quality of service to its street light customers.  This is part of FPL’s ongoing effort to modernize their power delivery system, including the nearly 500,000 street lights FPL maintains throughout the company’s 35-county service area.

In addition to Florida Power & Light, Silver Spring recently announced several smart street light projects including:

·      City of Copenhagen: in partnership with Citelum, networking 20,000 street lights in Copenhagen’s city center to deliver energy savings while potentially providing options and capabilities for a networking canopy for additional smart city applications in the future.

·      City of Glasgow:networking LED street lights, traffic cameras, and sensors for an adaptive lighting project that dynamically dims and increases illumination, helping improve urban sustainability and citizen safety in Glasgow’s city center and Clyde Walkway.

·      City of Paris:selected for an advanced street light and traffic control project connecting a complex array of street lights, street light control boxes, traffic signal control boxes, and other public lighting and traffic control infrastructure in the ‘City of Lights.’

Flourishing Ecosystem Around Silver Spring’s Leading IPv6 Networking Platform         

As Silver Spring’s smart street light solution continues to gain momentum, it is proud to welcome six industry leaders integrating with Silver Spring’s networking platform to give customers confidence and choice in a wide variety of luminaires, devices and controls.  These include CIMCON Lighting, Focus Lighting, Leotek, Louis Poulsen, SWARCO and Thorn Lighting. Silver Spring has one of the industry's largest partner ecosystems, including existing partners LED Roadway Lighting, Sunrise Technologies, and SELC. Additionally, Silver Spring’s recent acquisition of control software pioneer Streetlight.Vision adds more than 40 new reseller partners to its partner portfolio.

Silver Spring Expands Offerings With Software Controls Pioneer Streetlight.Vision

Silver Spring recently announced it has further enhanced its smart street light solution with the acquisition of Streetlight.Vision, a leading control and management software provider for smart street light networks.  As an early industry pioneer, Streetlight.Vision’s technology is proven worldwide and is being deployed in smart street light projects in major cities such as Barcelona, Dongguan, Dublin, Jakarta, Oslo and Paris.  For more information visit www.streetlight-vision.com.

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 Jesse Berst is the founder and Chief Analyst of SGN and Chairman of the Smart Cities Council, an industry coalition.