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SmartGrid and Web 2.0 (Finally!) Defined

If you're reading this blog, you most likely are either an internet person or a power person, and have thus heard of either SmartGrid or Web 2.0. But can you define either? These all-encompassing terms have become part of the regular lexicon of the modern society (more to come on THAT topic later), where using a broad enough term makes it sounds like you know what you're talking about, but more importantly, draws investors to whatever you want money for.  But what does having a SmartGrid or Web 2.0 project entail? Let's explore.

Here are some of the technologies that make up SmartGrid:

• - Automated Metering: This is of course the first thing that people think about when talking about SmartGrid. "Ohh, we'll be able to read meters from a central location!" "We can remotely switch power on and off!"
• - Renewables: In our "carbon-constrained" society, people are freaking out about fossil fuels and are willing to do whatever is necessary to use more wind and solar energy, as well as Google now pouring $10 million dollars into Geothermal power.
• - Centralized Control Schemes: Believe it or not, controlling devices in the service territory of an electric utility is NOT an easy task. The pioneers have been doing it for 15 or so years now, and the early majority is just now getting on the wagon. You're welcome.

Similarly, Web 2.0 has its own examples:

• - Social Networking - How many of you don't have a Facebook account? WHY NOT?
• - Blogs - Well, you're reading this right now, aren't you? Yep, Web 2.0.
• - Wiki-freakin-pedia: Who would have thought 10 years ago that the primary source of knowledge would be not in the form of a 32-volume book called an "Encyclopia". I doubt if kids under 15 can even spell "Encyclopedia".
• - del.icio.us: Bookmarking for the 21st century, have them all on one website accessible from anywhere and share them with all your friends! Just make sure to mark your Neopets bookmark as "private" or else everyone will see just how much time you spend on there.

Anytime someone asks me in casual conversation to explain to them either Web 2.0 or SmartGrid without knowledge of the other, I die a little on the inside because I know that they're not going to come out with any clearer of an understanding. The easiest way to explain Web 2.0 is to say that it's the internet's version of the SmartGrid and whereas SmartGrid is Web 2.0 for the power industry. This is because no one is really able to define either of these technologies, we can only give examples.

The best definition I can give for SmartGrid is: "The Electric Grid of the Future" and for Web 2.0: "The Internet of the Future", but that's not very helpful now, is it? Sorry, but not really.