Smart Grid: Overcoming the Challenges to Increase Efficiency
Recent research estimates that the Smart Grid will be a $120 Billion industry by 2020. As Industrial IoT (IIoT) drives digital transformation for utilities, there are a fair share of challenges and opportunities facing the Smart Grid industry today. To keep up with rapid growth and new technology that is shaping the utility markets in particular, Smart Grid decision makers must continue to improve efficiency. This allows the organization to leverage better data and make smart business decisions that align with an increasingly connected infrastructure. The Convergence Challenge In utilities markets, the IT/OT divide is rapidly shrinking, revealing significant challenges between the two groups. OT and IT each come to the convergence line with functional and operational differences, yet the changing technology landscape makes it impossible to avoid the inevitable meshing of the two formerly disparate organizations. As Smart Grid decision makers adjust to this shift, strong communication between teams will be essential – as well as careful selection of technology. For example, if utilities can work to integrate their legacy systems on the OT side with the more modern IT systems through a carefully selected communication solution, the Smart Grid will become more efficient, leading to better business decisions, as well as improved system operations and overall visibility. Going Digital IT/OT convergence, coupled with the new digital landscape has also driven Smart Grid organizations to reorganize under IT and address new technology challenges from a jobs perspective. Utilities are facing an ageing, traditional workforce on the OT side coming head-to-head with a new digital-centric workforce on the IT side. For Smart Grid organizations, it is essential to find the balance between hiring new technology savvy talent and nurturing existing staff. IoT will continue to drive automation, as Smart Grid decision makers either upgrade their legacy systems or figure out how to connect existing ones. We may see an increase in privately funded secondary education programs designed to create a more skilled workforce. If decision makers embrace the inevitable shift to digital, they will not only see the impact on efficiency, but they will stay competitive in an IoT driven market. Smart Sensor Boom IoT sparked a digital technology shift that resulted in the proliferation of Smart Sensors. Now utilities are able to monitor and transfer critical data from any asset – from the network Edge back to the central office. The demand for sensors hasn’t slowed – research is pointing towards continued and substantial growth in the Smart Sensor market between now and 2021. As sensors bring connectivity to more endpoints than ever before, utility decision makers are able to obtain detailed data for Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) and Distribution Automation (DA) networks. With rugged wireless solutions, the sensor data is readily available in real-time for IT decision makers. The unrestricted access to data from all network endpoints forces decision makers to shift their focus from Big Data to Smart Data – the data that matters most to the business. It also drives the need for real-time analytics in order to streamline operations. This not only simplifies the convergence issue, but it drives Smart Grid efficiency. There are many factors contributing to the efficiency of the Smart Grid. While some initially present themselves as challenges, increasing connectivity and digital transformation give decision makers better data, connect more field assets and enable more opportunities to benefit the business.
Energy and Excitement at DistribuTECH 2017
This week we attended DistribuTECH 2017 with several thousand of the leading minds in technology, education and innovation for utilities, Smart Grid and municipalities. We had many great conversations about the direction of Industrial IoT (IIoT) and the all-encompassing digital technology shift. At the FreeWave booth we led many demonstrations of our latest technology. We also shared how our fellow attendees can achieve smart data at the Edge. Here is a small snapshot of the excitement and action from the show: FreeWave at DistribuTECH We had a lot to share at DistribuTECH this year. In addition to providing product demos at our booth, we just launched several important company, product and partnership announcements. Here’s the run-down on what we launched this week: New IIoT Products & Two New Partnerships Introduced at DistribuTECH Zumlink Z9-C and Z9-T Radios: FreeWave introduced the Zumlink-Z9-PE last Fall, but now it brings the next generation, high performance platform to market. ZumLink is the underpinning of the company’s go-forward IIoT strategy for IIoT and embedded radio applications. The Z9-C and Z9-T deliver high speed Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) functionality in a radio module that is half the size of a credit card. FreeWave and Systech application partnership: Together with Systech, we announced an industrial Tank Level Control application that resides on and executes from FreeWave’s ZumLink IIoT Programmable Radio for edge networks. The new application features an easy-to-use “ITTT (If This Then That)” process control programming interface that will control analog, digital and RS485 sensors linked to the ZumLink programmable radio. The FreeWave ITTT App is designed for a user-friendly experience and requires no previous programming knowledge or practice. Technology partnership with E2E Technologies: E2E is a comprehensive solutions provider specializing in communication architecture design, implementation and network management. E2E’s Stingray Network Management System (NMS), supports the full array of FreeWave’s industry-leading wireless communication solutions and is optimizable for IT professionals looking to manage individual components of a limited IIoT or M2M communications system within a larger IT network management framework. The New FreeWave We officially unveiled a new look and website that reflects our move to the next generation of the industrial IoT: The Programmable Edge and Fog Computing. The new FreeWave visually projects our future-focused mission to help organizations around the world connect and gain valuable intelligence from devices – even in the most challenging of locations and conditions – anytime, anywhere in a secure, reliable fashion. This week has represented several major milestones for FreeWave, and launching it all at DistribuTECH was the perfect platform for sharing both our news and the future direction of FreeWave. What do you think about the new FreeWave website?
2017 IIoT Prediction Series, Part 5: Major Public Utility Company Closes Doors
As 2017 kicks into full gear and a particularly interesting 2016 fades into the rearview mirror, we took a look around the IIoT landscape to see what this year might potentially have in store. Today, we wrap up the 2017 series – let us know what you think! On Tuesday, we started our predictions by looking at the potential development of Fog Computing at the Edge and its impact on cybersecurity. Wednesday, we predicted that the rise of IIoT applications will outpace consumer IoT apps. Thursday, we wrote about the challenge facing IIoT businesses as the workforce ages and new skills are needed for the ongoing IT/OT Convergence factor. On Friday, we predicted that the growth of smart cities infrastructure would force a connectivity standard for the IIoT industry. A Public Utility Closure in 2017 The maturation of interoperability standards and evolution of remote data collection technologies are forcing critical infrastructure and utility organizations to adapt at a new pace, in light of aging infrastructure and high percentages of the workforce that are nearing retirement. Existing management continues to struggle to match the IT and operations resources needed to build a comprehensive, integrated portfolio of applications that must work together to support the organization’s goals. The prediction A public utility company will close its doors in 2017 due to challenges surrounding the adoption and implementation of modern IoT technologies. There are numerous forces that support the prediction. Here’s our take on the big ones: Are you Taking Advantage of Fog Computing at the Edge? According to analysts, utility organizations are becoming more comfortable hosting critical infrastructure data and applications in the Cloud. But, in an effort to further optimize processes and shorten response times, utilities need to explore ways to host applications at the device/sensor level (i.e., the Edge otherwise known as Fog Computing). A decentralized network architecture that brings computing power closer to where data is generated and acted upon enables utilities to analyze, control and automate closer to the “Things” in the Industrial Internet of Things. In electric power, for example, where even milliseconds are vital, certain processes can move away from the Cloud and closer to the Edge. In an industry where cloud computing presents its own sets of challenges, can utilities go one step farther to look at new ways to optimize the “things” at the edge? IT-OT Convergence Presents Plenty of Challenges With identifiable business benefits and rapidly developing technologies that are closing the IT/OT divide, there are functional and operational differences between IT and OT groups that exist and complicate integration or convergence. IT and OT groups typically have fundamentally different charters, focus and personnel within their respective organizations. The challenges to IT/OT convergence are not the sensors, hardware, software or technology, but how each group perceives each project or opportunity and in turn, the solutions, which are skewed by their respective domains. In order for IT/OT convergence to be successful, communication is essential and in turn, there needs to be a clear understanding of each group’s roles – something we see utility organizations struggle with mightily, especially as an aging workforce butts heads with the next generation of digital-centric employees. However, the careful selection of technology for IIoT or industrial applications can help drive the convergence of IT/OT systems. For example, in electric utilities, the rollout of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) and Distribution Automation (DA) networks is truly an OT application. The source of the data will fuel IT/OT convergence because it is the data analytics applications such as outage detection, fault management, prepay and others that bring value to the Smart Grid. If utilities can proactively take a systems level view of its infrastructure and integrate legacy systems with modern IT systems, the convergence of IT/OT groups may prove less strenuous. Cyber-threats to the Utility Utilities are at the forefront of the Industrial IoT with complex and comprehensive networks for advanced metering infrastructure, energy management, distribution management and substation automation. The estimated growth in IIoT applications for utilities and energy industries will increase to more than 1.5 billion devices by 2020. This explosive growth in networks, smart sensors and devices, and automated systems requires utilities to address, implement and monitor the security of their data networks because these are the networks providing command and control of critical infrastructure that is the Smart Gird. As technology has evolved, so has the intelligence and sophistication of cyber terrorists and their tactics. If utilities do not build a comprehensive security layer, especially across its internet-connected systems, there is little faith they’d be able to combat against such tactics as Denial of Service and Intrusion – the two top threats according to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). If utilities don’t invest in hardened/proven networking and communications equipment, network access control programs, data encryption strategies, advanced monitoring technology and explore various other tactics for limiting exposure to harmful cybersecurity threats, they may be forced out of business anyways. Today, it is not a matter of “if” a cyber-attack is going to take place, but when. We hope you are ready. All in All We hope this prediction is one that doesn’t come to light in 2017, especially with all the direct investments being made in our critical infrastructure projects across the nation. However, a competitive organization is both agile and proactive in meeting market demands – something utilities need to learn from as business continues. That does it for our list of 2017 IIoT predictions – hope you enjoyed and please be sure to send your questions and comments below!
Outdoor Wi-Fi Solution in Your Future?
Is an outdoor Wi-Fi solution in your future? Modern Sensor-to-Server (S2S) communication networks call for high-speed solutions that support massive amounts of data collection, control and transport. Today, industrial organizations are experiencing high demand for voice, video, data and sensor (VVDS) information in wireless outdoor networks. The challenge is finding Wi-Fi networks that can ensure connectivity in outdoor environments that are often volatile and unpredictable. The good news — robust, secure outdoor Wi-Fi hotspot platforms designed for shorthaul communications enable a variety of data collection options that can withstand the harshest outside elements. Reputable outdoor Wi-Fi networks can leverage multiple networking protocols and services. They are designed to meet the needs of enterprise-scale communications across a wide range of critical infrastructure industries like oil and gas, utilities, mining, municipalities, perimeter security, disaster recovery, and outdoor recreation. Keep in mind this is just snapshot of the industries that can benefit from Wi-Fi – there are numerous applications in just about any outdoor Internet of Things (IoT) network. Outdoor Wi-Fi | Real-life Scenario Recently, an electric power company based out of North Carolina needed to transition the Direct Load Control (DLC) switches for its residential load management program. The transition affected 275 air conditioning (AC) units across two rooftops at a residential senior living community. WavePro (WP201) shorthaul point-to-point and Wi-Fi platform units were used to enable the transition. In this instance, Wi-Fi was leveraged to increase the Load Management System’s (LMS) effectiveness by creating two-way communications to switch monitoring and control, instead of the previous one-way paging system that was in place. A local internet service provided communications from the LMS to a rooftop Internet Point of Presence (PoP). Additional solutions, including Wi-Fi enabled controllers and Wi-Fi access points (four WavePro Units) were selected for the installation. The WavePro units were configured to solve three communication requirements in the Wi-Fi network: wireless communications between the controllers and a WP201; wireless communications between the four WP201s on the two rooftops; and communication between one WP201 and the single Internet PoP. The completed Wi-Fi solution enabled real-time communication between the LMS and each of the HVAC controllers on the two residential towers. The energy company can now effectively manage and confirm power curtailment events in real time. Win a WavePro Network You have a chance to win your own WavePro high-speed outdoor Wi-Fi network. Simply provide your application needs and tell us why you should win. Move fast —the contest ends this Friday, September 30. WavePro Features: IP67 rating to withstand extreme environmental conditions Advanced dual-band 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz capabilities that can cut through noise and congestion with band steering Self-discovery and self-healing mesh networking guarantee reliability Up to 1.3 Gbps broadband speeds deliver real-time Voice, Video, Data and Sensor links (VVDS™) Enter now: http://bit.ly/2czghui
Friday Top 5 IIoT News Roundup
It’s time to nominate our Friday top five Industrial IoT news articles of the week. Much like the weather in Boulder this week, we couldn’t decide on just one vertical focus, so we cast a wide net of IoT topics. In this week’s roundup, you’ll find a splash of fog computing, manufacturing, smart grid, security and overall IoT updates. Dive in and see if you agree with our picks. Don’t miss the Friday bonus at the end of this short roundup. Making fog computing sensors clearly reliableBy @Patrick_Mannion | Published on @ednmagazinehttp://www.edn.com/design/sensors/4442602/Making-fog-computing-sensors-clearly-reliable“As fog computing rolls in, the onus is upon designers to figure out how much intelligence should be at each node of the system for optimal performance. This implies then that sensors will need to start being more intelligent, with some level of built-in processing, storage, and communications capability.” Army needs wide-area electro-optical sensors for manned and unmanned aircraftBy @jkeller1959 | Published on @IntelligentAerohttp://www.intelligent-aerospace.com/articles/2016/08/ia-wami-sensors.html“Army researchers are interested in moderate-resolution persistent-surveillance electro-optical sensors that operate during the day and at night over large areas to detect vehicles and people on foot. Researchers want to develop a sensor that consists of an imaging sensor, as well as a storage and processing unit.” Five essential IIoT DefinitionsBy @MMS_MattDanford | Published on @MMSOnlinehttp://www.mmsonline.com/blog/post/5-essential-iiot-definitions-“The idea is not just to exchange and collect data, but to act on that data to make things better. (One commonly cited example is a “smart” thermostat.) IIoT is the same concept applied to industry. Examples range from “smart” buildings and power grids to “smart” transportation networks. IIoT might initially take the form of a machine tool status monitoring system.” What makes a grid smart?By David Shadle | Published on @tdworldmaghttp://tdworld.com/grid-opt-smart-grid/what-makes-grid-smart“My point, however, is that the critical consideration is not the number of sensors, controls or data storage components we add to our system when we decide to move ahead with smart grid applications. The focus also needs to be on mastering the integration of these systems, many times across traditional IT and OT lines, to allow them to achieve their potential for intelligence.” Top ten security predictions through 2020By @Gartner_inc | Published on @Forbeshttp://www.forbes.com/sites/gartnergroup/2016/08/18/top-10-security-predictions-through-2020/#4d8ba8073cbe“Through 2018, more than 50% of Internet of Things (IoT) device manufacturers will not be able to address threats from weak authentication practices.” Friday Bonus! FreeWave Technologies announces partnership with Solis Energy By @SolisEnergy and @freewavetech | Published on @SolarNovus http://www.solarnovus.com/freewave-technologies-announces-partnership-with-solis-energy_N10256.html “Both companies are excited about the partnership and are already working through high profile opportunities to take advantage of the growing demand for smart systems and industrial connectivity.”
An Industrial IoT Anniversary
Wow, what a year! This post marks the one year anniversary of publishing Industrial IoT top news, trends and highlights, and we wanted to dedicate a recap post to our favorite articles throughout the past year. In particular, a lot of attention has been paid to the happenings in precision agriculture, oil and gas, unmanned systems, the smart grid, public utilities, manufacturing, machines and machine learning, fog computing, big data, sensor technology, wireless technology and cybersecurity, to name a few. Read on for the top 10 articles we’ve posted since last August and make sure to see the special bonus at the end! Precision Ag: Big data is precision agriculture’s best tool to feed the world By @LuxResearch | Published on @AgProfessionalhttp://www.agprofessional.com/news/big-data-precision-agriculture%E2%80%99s-best-tool-feed-world“Big data can be the most flexible tool for increasing the efficiency of food production through precision agriculture – a quantified approach to cultivation that uses sensing, input modulation, and data analytics to enhance the efficiency of agriculture.” Oil and Gas: In the digital oil field, “no wires” is a no-brainerBy Zach Wertenberger @WPXEnergy | Published on @WorldOilhttp://www.worldoil.com/magazine/2015/september-2015/features/in-the-digital-oil-field-no-wires-is-a-no-brainer“Wireless technology plays an integral part in the day-to-day operations of virtually every industry on the planet. However, if you spent your time visiting most of the world’s oil fields, you wouldn’t believe that.Despite being a rather obvious fit with the inherent nature of the oilfield services sector (OFS), wireless I/O has been adopted by producers at a slow pace, with most continuing to rely upon miles and miles of fault-prone wire to connect onsite control centers with wellsite instrumentation.” Smart Grid: Wireless Lifts Focus on Grid Resiliency By Brad Gilbert @freewavetech | Published on @POWERGRIDmaghttp://www.elp.com/articles/powergrid_international/print/volume-21/issue-6/features/wireless-lifts-focus-on-grid-resiliency.html“Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) networking technology and wireless Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications solutions are critical to the daily operations of an increasingly connected and industrial world. With a greater dependence on providing reliable and secure high-speed connectivity to personnel, smart devices, machinery and many other geographically dispersed assets, electric utility operators require powerful, yet flexible, communications solutions for their business demands.” Utilities: Wastewater Treatment: Out of Sight, Out of Mind (Thanks to IIoT)By Scott Allen @S_Allen_IIoT | Published on @Ulitzerhttp://scottallen.ulitzer.com/node/3527211“Water is a crucial piece of any city’s – or country’s – infrastructure. The United States is fortunate to have some of safest drinking water in the world, for a number of reasons, one of which is its many water and wastewater treatment facilities.” Manufacturing: Bringing Smart Technology to Old Factories Can Be Industrial-Size ChallengeBy @mcoc | Published on @wsjhttp://www.wsj.com/articles/bringing-smart-technology-to-old-factories-can-be-industrial-size-challenge-1465351322“It’s a tantalizing vision: Bright and shiny factories where robotic arms and conveyors never break down and production goals are never missed—all thanks to internet-connected sensors that monitor machine health and respond to the slightest supply or logistics hiccup.” Machine Learning: 10 Ways Machine Learning is Revolutionizing ManufacturingBy @LouisColumbus | Published on @Forbeshttp://www.forbes.com/sites/louiscolumbus/2016/06/26/10-ways-machine-learning-is-revolutionizing-manufacturing/#3f10cd992d7f“Machine learning’s core technologies align well with the complex problems manufacturers face daily. From striving to keep supply chains operating efficiently to producing customized, built- to-order products on time, machine learning algorithms have the potential to bring greater predictive accuracy to every phase of production.” Fog Computing: Why IoT Needs Fog ComputingBy @BanafaAhmed | Published on @bbvaOpenMindhttps://www.bbvaopenmind.com/en/why-iot-needs-fog-computing/“The Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the hottest mega-trends in technology – and for good reason , IoT deals with all the components of what we consider web 3.0 including Big Data Analytics, Cloud Computing and Mobile Computing.” Sensors: The Army Wants to Implant Body Sensors into Combat SoldiersBy @tjenningsbrown | Published on @vocativehttp://www.vocativ.com/342014/army-body-sensors/“In the near future, American soldiers might all be implanted with a sensor before going to battle.The United States Department of Defense is interested in monitoring the health of soldiers in real-time. But wearable health trackers have faults and limitations. That’s why the Army Research Office and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency have awarded $7.5 million to San Francisco-based Profusa to develop tissue-integrated health-monitoring sensors for service members.” Wireless Tech: Industrial Wireless RevolutionBy Soliman A. Al-Walaie @Saudi_Aramco | Published on @ISA_Interchangehttps://www.isa.org/intech/20151001/“Wireless technology is an essential business enabler for the automation world. It has gained rapid acceptance in many industrial sectors because of its cost effectiveness, reliability, fast deployment, and flexibility. Over the past four decades, ultrahigh frequency (UHF) radios have been widely used for long-range supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) connectivity in the oil and gas and power and utility sectors.” Cybersecurity: Navigating Industrial IoT risk and complexityBy @EStarkloff | Published on @AMDMaghttp://www.aerospacemanufacturinganddesign.com/article/amd1015-industrial-iot-complex-systems/“As massive networks of systems come online, they will need to communicate with each other and with the enterprise, often over vast distances. Both the systems and the communications need to be secure or millions of dollars in assets will be put at risk. One example of the need for security is on the smart utility grid, which is on the leading edge of the IIoT.” Bonus! Eliminate the cost of your next IIoT deployment Now is the time to brave the digital transformation in your industry while you continue to future-proof your systems. All you need to do is submit a use case for your radio network for a chance to win a next generation industrial wireless IoT solution. All entries must be received by August 19th. FreeWave will announce the winner on August 31st chosen based on submission (US and Canada only). The winning network must be deployed by October 31st. In return for the free radio network, the winning candidate will be able to gain additional promotion of their installation and network implementation! Submit here for your chance to win: http://bit.ly/2awdmkC. Learn more about ZumLink.
IoT Top News: Distribution Intelligence
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, distribution intelligence refers to the part of the smart grid that addresses utility distribution systems – meaning the wires, switches and transformers connecting the utility substation to both the utility company and the end customer. These systems are designed to drastically improve the demand response times and overall efficiency of transferring electric power, thus enabling a fully controllable and flexible distribution system and giving field technicians the actionable knowledge to troubleshoot problem areas faster. As utility providers continue to move towards a digital and connected enterprise, the prospect of a self-healing power distribution system becomes extremely valuable – especially as electric power consumption continues to rise globally. That’s way this week’s round up is dedicated to distributing intelligence across one of the most mission-critical infrastructures on the planet – the power grid. State of Distribution Intelligence, per a Recent Smart Grid Report A smart grid survey of 70 U.S electric cooperatives found that, regardless of the challenges most have found a way to start incorporating smart grid technology across the board. Zpryme and the Rural Smart Grid Summit (RSGS) report that, “Nearly all electric cooperatives have some sort of smart grid effort. Many are at thestage of deploying multiple applications (31%) up from 21% last year. Pilot projects are also growing from 8% last year to 16% this year.” We Now Have Hourly Data on the US Power Distribution System The U.S. Energy Information Administration (US EIA) can now collect data on electric supply, demand and flows on an hourly basis. CleanTechnica informs us that, “EIA’s U.S. Electric System Operating Data tool provides nearly real-time demand data, plus analysis and visualizations of hourly, daily, and weekly electricity supply and demand on a national and regional level for all of the 66 electric system balancing authoritiesthat make up the U.S. electric grid.” Distribution Intelligence Starts with Proper Training India’s National Smart Grid Mission (NSGM) with USAID announced they will begin a series of utility personnel training programs designed to help educate workers on smart grid functionality and design. The Business Standard revealed, “The government has taken several proactive steps towards grid modernization, including the establishment of a Smart Grid Mission to plan and monitor the implementation of policies and programs related to Smart Grid activities in India.” Cyber Attack Vulnerability in the Power Grid? We have all heard about a few of the big cyber attacks that have affected some big companies, but many don’t realize an attack on the electrical infrastructure could be crippling to our society. The Energy Collective unveiled a quiz to dispel some myths about the state of cybersecurity in the power grid. “Minimizing the risk is not just about training a network IT team. It’s about running a comprehensive and continuous scan of operational technology (OT)—the programmable logic controllers, the mobile devices, the supervisory control and data acquisition systems (SCADA), etc.—and then coordinating OT and IT teams with risk officers and crisis management experts to form a cohesive front capable of responding to an industrial cyber incident.” Perhaps the notion of distribution intelligence systems can help address and alleviate some of these concerns. Most utilities are only starting on the road to true distribution intelligence, but the market is expected to boom in the coming years. With the advent of industrial IoT technologies and new regulatory factors, we could realize distribution intelligence in our power grid sooner than later. I hope you have enjoyed our weekly round up on distribution intelligence, and please be sure to leave your comments and questions below. BONUS ARTICLE The round up above is all about the smart grid and how to make it more efficient and resilient. Ever hear of a smart city? Smart cities are connected cities, and they work in conjunction with everything from IoT sensors to open data collection and smart streetlights to provide better services and better communication. Teena Maddox from Tech Republic wrote a great round up piece on six essential technologies that make the smart city of the future a reality today. Give it a read!
Smart Grid: IoT’s Next Frontier
If smart grids across the world are headed towards an IoT frontier, what come’s next? According to a recent report, Ericsson estimated there will be 1.5 billion IoT devices adopted by the utility and energy industries as early as 2020. The rise of the smart grid seeks to tackle energy producers’ needs to direct power and resources as efficiently as possible. It’s not enough to know where all the utility lines are located, the modern digital age requires monitoring and sensors placed across all assets in the field, so that providers can relay actionable intelligence across the enterprise as quickly as possible. In the event of a power outage, for example, sensors can inform the field technicians where along the line the fault has happened, thus saving time on troubleshooting and enabling faster restoration of power to the customer base affected. An example would be Florida Power & Lighting (FPL), who is in the process of installing 20,000 smart grid devices across their state. Already these devices are saving an estimated 100,000 visits from technicians, since these smart grid devices can automatically fix small outages automatically. Computer Business Review reports that, “The world’s traditional electrical network – simple and linear, with centralized energy production and passive consumption – is undergoing a transformation to a much more complex, interconnected, and interactive model: the Smart Grid. However, for this network to become intelligent, users will require connectivity, simplicity, and security. They will also need access to a reliable and safe energy source that guarantees optimal operation of their installations, infrastructures, and equipment.” Perhaps more advanced smart grid solutions comes with a price, as many early IoT adopters are finding out. Storing, transferring and relying mission-critical commands across an IP address does expose potential cybersecurity risks as information and remote controls move from Sensor-2-Server. Experts are saying it’s not if a cyber attack will happen, but when the smart grid will be hit. Despite the need to adopt new technologies within the evolving digital landscape, utilities must establish a holistic security plan to not only address physical security measures, but also the data transmission paradigm from each individual end point on the network and back to the corporate IT office. Security through obscurity is not a solution. There are many common attack vectors for industrial devices that become even more relevant when considering that smart grid infrastructures are becoming fully networked, geographically dispersed projects.
Fog Computing: Answering the IoT Challenge
Fog Computing is being touted as the data communication solution our Internet of Things (IoT) devices are asking for by bringing the power of cloud computing closer to the end user. The fact is, the number of connected devices is going to continue to grow exponentionally. In fact, Gartner predicts that by 2020 IoT will include 26 billion connected things. Consider the impact that amount of data collected and processed will have. The Challenge Naturally, with billions of devices all connected to the cloud for manufacturing, oil and gas, utilities, municipalities and enterprise, to name a few, the data transmission and processing rate is bound to slow down – especially if the current cloud architecture is upheld. Some IoT devices use the cloud to store data long term, where other connected things send data to the cloud to be analyzed and sent back to the devicewith operational instructions. Ahmed Banafa with SemiWiki explains, “As dependence on our newly connected devices increases along with the benefits and uses of a maturing technology, the reliability of the gateways that make the IoT a functional reality must increase and make up-time a near guarantee.” What is Fog Computing? Fog Computing is a term coined by Cisco, that offers a way to analyze the data closer to the IoT device, thus saving valuable milliseconds. It may be hard to believe, but a millisecond has the power to prevent a M2M line shut-down, increase the speed at which power is restored to utilities and prevent an oil rig from leaking, just to name a few. An easy way to visually understand where Fog Computing fits in our IoT world, is by looking at the diagram above. It clearly shows that Fog Computing hangs between the cloud and the device, much like the fog on an early San Francisco morning. Fog Computing operates at the network edge, extending the cloud capabilities closer to the source (IoT device). Each IoT connection works with what’s called Fog Nodes to digest the intelligent data and then coordinate operational next steps, whether that be acting directly and or transmitting results to the cloud. The diagram below covers the types of response times IoT devices face from both Fog Nodes and main cloud locations. Fog Computing Brings Efficiency to Enterprise A recent report by Machina Research highlights the companies that pioneered Fog Computing and those poised to capitalize on the benefits in their near future. These companies are able to collect, protect, transport and control the data via IoT devices at the edge of the network, saving time and creating a more stream-line approach to sending and receiving data efficiently and more securely. Overall, as our need to connect explodes, we will not only need to think about IoT, but also the way in which intelligent data is processed from the critical infrastructure and back to the cloud. Fog Computing will continue to open more efficient channels across our IoT, as long as we allow it.
ENTELEC 2016 Conference News Roundup
This past week many of you migrated to Houston, Texas for the annual Energy Telecommunications and Electrical Association Conference (ENTELEC). This user association had around 200 vendors, that mainly focus on control technologies that are used by petroleum, natural gas, pipeline and electric utility companies. In honor of this being the 88th year of ENTELEC, Richard Nation, a fellow board member with Copano Energy gives us a brief history on how this association formed and evolved over the years. Now take a moment and watch this video, its only a few minutes long, so get to watching! A brief history on ENTELEC https://youtu.be/OaSMd2__naQ In case you missed it, we have a full recap here to fill you in on all the happenings at this year’s conference! ENTELEC 2016 started off with a bang, with the keynote address from Carey Lohrenz, the first female F-14 Tomcat Fighter Pilot with the Navy. Carey shared her winning experiences working aboard an aircraft carrier. These tools she explains, can be translated to everyday life in order to reduce error under pressure. Once the conference got under way, the ENTELEC team wanted to remind everyone, “they think you are kind of a big deal.” Inviting everyone to stop by their main booth throughout the conference. The Pipeline & Gas Journal snapped a picture of networking in action, as the communications and control technology experts got a chance to mingle during the opening day of ENTELEC. It was an action-packed conference, filled with speaking, networking, demonstrations and overall knowledge sharing. Hope you have enjoyed this week’s round up; as always tell us what we missed!
