2008 Australia - Utilities - Environmental Focus for Smart Grids

Publication Date	June 2008
Publisher	BuddeComm
Product Type	Report
Pages	159
ISBN Number	not applicable
Product Code	BUD00288

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Summary

Smart Grids are a concept involving the modernisation of the electricity distribution grid through the use of advanced sensor, communication, control and information technologies.
The fundamental shift that has taken place in environmental policies since 2007 will have a huge effect on the utilities market. Energy policies that were developed prior to this now need to be considered in relation to the new climate change and environmental realities - and for the ICT and energy industries, this will involve checking government initiatives such as smart meters and national fibre telecoms networks against the new direction.

This means that 2008 will be a crunch year for smart grids. Fortunately the implementation of the government's smart meter project, planned for 2007, has been delayed till 2008, enabling the utilities involved to review their plans, while at the same time allowing for a national review of the regulatory regime. This needs to be changed so that utilities will be encouraged to invest in smart grids rather than smart meters. Another government plan, the introduction of the national broadband network, also requires a review to enable it to be used for telemetry IP applications, which can be linked into the smart grid infrastructure.

In order to facilitate all these changes and related business opportunities, Smart Grid Australia, a non-profit, non-partisan alliance dedicated to an enhanced, modernised electric system, was established in early 2008. This alliance holds meetings, organises committees, assists with government initiatives, and issues communications to accelerate progress. It can be an important source of ideas, inspiration, and influence for any organisation interested in this burgeoning sector.

However, industry activities leading up to these developments started already in the early 2000s. This started when the country faced a serious lack of telecommunications infrastructure competition. One sector that after some rough starts, successfully entered the telecommunications business, was the utility industry. Players like PowerTel (now AAPT - owned by Telecom New Zealand), Uecomm and TransACT are early examples of business borne out of power companies. However, by the mid-2000s the focus had changed to broadband-based Customer Access Networks. Key players here included Aurora, Country Energy, Silk Telecom, Nexium and others. State governments became active promoters of utilities-based broadband projects. It is also these companies that are taking the early Smart Grid initiatives.

Some of these companies experimented with broadband over powerlines. However, problems remain in relation to international standards and radio interference. The Australian Communications and Media Authority has created a regulatory environment that resulted in several BPL trials and pilots, although these trials didn't result in commercial telco deployment. BPL is however, set to play a major role in the deployment of intelligent network also known as Smart Grids.

Key highlights:

The change in government in late 2007 finally brought Australia in line with other developed countries in relation to better policies to address the problems of climate change and CO2 emissions. Energy production and energy use accounts for 40% of all CO2 emissions, the single largest source of pollution.
Early tests with smart grids have shown that end-users can save up to 25% of their energy by simply providing them with info on their electricity use and providing them with tools (smart meters) to manage their energy use.

Australian utilities have been involved in advanced telecommunications since the early 2000s and many recent telecoms initiatives have been initiated by the utilities
Several of these utilities became the early leaders in the developments of the concept of smart grids, including Energy Australia and Country Energy
The State Government of Victoria took an initiative to install smart meters in all households. The current debate is to try and incorporate this into the bigger picture of smart grids. Data in this report is the latest available at the time of preparation and may not be for the current year.

Content

1. International Overview
- 1.1 Introduction
- 1.2 What is a smart grid
- 1.3 Current grid outmoded and outdated
- 1.4 Old technologies, and nyoung engineers
- 1.5 Utilities need tbe modernised
- 1.6 In favour of smart grids
  - 1.6.1 Open standard required
  - 1.6.2 40-year-old proprietary solutions are not smart
  - 1.6.3 Countries should gfor smart solutions
  - 1.6.4 Swhat is the solution
  - 1.6.5 Let's make smart decisions
  - 1.6.6 The broader picture
- 1.7 Smart grid analyses 2008
  - 1.7.1 Catalysts for change
  - 1.7.2 Leadership is all that is needed
  - 1.7.3 Narrowband will foreclose maximising energy management
  - 1.7.4 Excess capacity can be used for other broadband services
- 1.8 Overview of smart grid activities around the world
  - 1.8.1 Cost of smart meters
  - 1.8.2 Case study: USA
- 1.9 IBM's Intelligent Utility Network Coalition
2. Climate Change and the Environment
- 2.1 Smart grids and climate change
  - 2.1.1 Vision for the future
- 2.2 The reality of global warming
  - 2.2.1 Smart meters
- 2.3 Trillions tbe spent on electricity grids
  - 2.3.1 ICT solutions for global warming and energy saving
- 2.4 Will we get it right in 2008
  - 2.4.1 Industries need twork together
- 2.5 Leadership is all that is needed
- 2.6 Key energy and environmental issues
  - 2.6.1 Global warming - a new important political consideration
  - 2.6.2 Carbon trading
- 2.7 Federal government showing leadership
  - 2.7.1 Excellent government initiatives
  - 2.7.2 The once-in-a-lifetime smart grid opportunity for Australia
  - 2.7.3 Key tsmart grids: the right vision from the government
  - 2.7.4 Telco/utility proposal included in study
  - 2.7.5 Open networks
- 2.8 How tfacilitate a smart grid
  - 2.8.1 Demand in energy bigger than ever before
  - 2.8.2 The industry is ready for action
- 2.9 Industry push for smart grids
  - 2.9.1 Cooperative model from telcand utilities industries
  - 2.9.2 Telcand utility industry calls for government leadership
- 2.10 From smart meters tsmarts grids
  - 2.10.1 It makes economic sense
  - 2.10.2 Demand Side Management (DSM)
  - 2.10.3 Energy security
- 2.11 Automated Meter Reading (AMR)
  - 2.11.1 Introduction
  - 2.11.2 Rollouts, trials and plans
  - 2.11.3 ENA takes smart metering policy initiative
3. Energy Utilities Markets
- 3.1 Industry overview
  - 3.1.1 The industry in 2008
  - 3.1.2 The Australian utilities market
  - 3.1.3 NUS Electricity Report and Cost Survey - 2008
  - 3.1.4 Growth in energy consumption eases
  - 3.1.5 Smart Grid Australia
  - 3.1.6 Utilities and telecoms
- 3.2 Major players and projects
  - 3.2.1 Energy Australia
  - 3.2.2 Country Energy
  - 3.2.3 IBM's Intelligent Utility Network Coalition
  - 3.2.4 Silk Telecom
  - 3.2.5 Powerlink and Ergon in Queensland
  - 3.2.6 PowerTel
  - 3.2.7 SP AusNet
  - 3.2.8 TransACT
  - 3.2.9 TransGrid
  - 3.2.10 Uecomm
  - 3.2.11 Integral Energy
  - 3.2.12 Historic overview
4. Smart Grids
- 4.1 The market in 2008
  - 4.1.1 Will we get it right in 2008
  - 4.1.2 Smart grid concept gathering momentum for the first time
  - 4.1.3 The national debate
  - 4.1.4 Industry issues
  - 4.1.5 Holistic view - broadband, smart grids and E-Health
- 4.2 Demand Side Management (DSM)
  - 4.2.1 Introduction
  - 4.2.2 Home automation services - analysis
  - 4.2.3 DSM
  - 4.2.4 Remote monitoring
  - 4.2.5 Home networking
  - 4.2.6 Wireless IP technology for the SCADA industry
- 4.3 Smart grids and BPL
  - 4.3.1 Introduction
  - 4.3.2 Full circle for utilities telecoms
  - 4.3.3 Smart Grids and BPL
  - 4.3.4 BPL regulatory issues
- 4.4 Smart Grid Australia
  - 4.4.1 Smart electricity grids assisting Australia in addressing climate change
  - 4.4.2 Smart Grid Australia Vision Statement
  - 4.4.3 What is Smart Grid Australia
  - 4.4.4 Smart Grid Australia members
  - 4.4.5 Backgrounder - UtiliTel
  - 4.4.6 Backgrounder - addressing energy & climate change
5. Utilities Broadband - BPL Access
- 5.1 New business opportunities for BPL
  - 5.1.1 FttH and the electricity infrastructure
  - 5.1.2 Looming shortage in local broadband capacity
- 5.2 Broadband over powerline
- 5.3 BPL as an access technology - analysis
  - 5.3.1 Reviewing BPL as a broadband access technology
  - 5.3.2 Selecting the right business model
  - 5.3.3 Second generation has arrived
  - 5.3.4 Third broadband network intthe home
  - 5.3.5 Regional opportunities
  - 5.3.6 Waiting for standards
  - 5.3.7 VoIP over BPL
  - 5.3.8 TelcBPL - superior tADSL
- 5.4 Forecasting BPL
- 5.5 Home networks
  - 5.5.1 Early trials
  - 5.5.2 BPL - better than wireless
6. Glossary of Abbreviations

Table 1 - Overall electricity price increase in select countries - 2003 - 2008
Exhibit 1 - Definition of smart grid
Exhibit 2 - Smart grid applications
Exhibit 3 - Regional summary of smart grid activity - 2008
Exhibit 4 - What is a smart grid
Exhibit 5 - Smart air-conditioning control
Exhibit 6 - Rural fibre towns
Exhibit 7 - Non-regulated business (telecoms) activities
Exhibit 8 - Traditional and non-traditional energy information/energy management services
Exhibit 9 - HomePlug from NetComm (Australia)
Exhibit 10 - Mobile IP technologies available in Australia
Exhibit 11 - Smart Grid Australia - a new organisation
Exhibit 12 - Key BPL applications
Exhibit 13 - BPL pilots - Australian utilities
Exhibit 2 - HomePlug from NetComm