GE Energy to Undertake Maiden Installation of WiMax 4G Smart Grid Solution for Australia's SP AusNet

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--GE Energy Services (Atlanta, Georgia), a subsidiary of General Electric Company (NYSE:GE) (Fairfield, Connecticut), will carry out the maiden installation of its latest 4G smart grid solution, GE WiMax, for Australian energy and gas utility SP AusNet (ASX:SPN) (Melbourne). The WiMax solution will employ the latest real-time, open-standards communications technologies to deliver the advantages of automatic energy-metering.

As part of the smart-grid installation exercise, GE Energy will supply smart meters to track and report energy consumption details in real time. Data transmission across the system will be effected through the WiMax infrastructure, provided by Motorola Incorporated (NYSE:MOT) (Schaumburg, Illinois), while meters, switches, routers and other smart-grid gear will be managed through GridNet's (San Francisco, California) Policy Net network management software. Landis+Gyr AG (L+G) (Zug, Switzerland) will also provide smart meters for the WiMax grid.

Benefits of the smart grid include enhanced reliability and energy efficiency from the availability of data on a real-time basis. The scalable solution can further be used to integrate and distribute energy from renewable energy sources, in addition to managing the power requirements of energy-driven vehicles. Smart-grid solutions also enable energy utilities to optimally balance power supply against demand, reducing the need for new power ventures that take a toll on the environment.

SP AusNet is expected to pass the benefits of the WiMax smart grid to consumers by implementing a variable pricing policy under which consumption during peak periods will cost more than energy utilized during lean hours. This pricing regime will enable consumers to budget energy usage by shifting power-hungry activities to less expensive times of the day, which will also free up energy resources. Smart grid systems also allow consumers to monitor energy consumption online. Lower response times on fault detection and repair enable efficient outage management.

Consumers can also opt for smart appliances such as dryers and refrigerators that are programmed to work in tandem with smart meters and the utility's pricing chart, deferring high-power activities such as defrosting or high-heat drying to appropriate off-peak periods. GE Energy's first smart appliance, a new hybrid electric heat pump water heater, is expected to hit the markets this year. Requiring half the power of a conventional heater for normal operation, the appliance is reported to reduce energy costs by up to $250 per year.

With climate change and environmental impact being the key focus areas, the Australian government is looking to augment the share of renewable energy output to 20% and reduce carbon-dioxide emissions 10% during the next decade. The government of Victoria has decided to implement smart metering in all areas by 2013. GE Energy's WiMax smart-grid solution is expected to make a significant contribution toward attaining these targets.

Cellular networks form the communication backbone of smart-grid installations. Communication technology has evolved to transmit voice, text and data signals. The various standards of the 3G mobile communication technology such as EDGE, HSPA, GSM and CDMA are not consistent across all carriers. The fourth generation of communication protocols is based on a flat, all-Internet Protocol (IP) architecture capable of machine-to-machine communications at much higher speeds.

The WiMax smart-grid design comprises a network of 2.3-gigahertz WiMax WAP 650 base stations, microwave systems and an access service network gateway interacting with smart meters installed at individual homes. The smart meters are fitted with WiMax chipsets that collect and transmit data from and to the grid. High-bandwidth communications will replace lower bandwidth wireless technologies to provide real-time distribution, metering and outage management functions.

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