The Evolution of the Smart Grid

The Evolution of the Smart Grid

The Smart Grid is going through an evolution unlike anything the electric grid has seen in nearly a century. As shown in the diagram above, this evolution can basically be segmented into distinct versions of the Smart Grid:

1. Smart Grid v0.0 – this wouldn’t even be classified as a “smart” network since each network used proprietary protocols to read meters on isolated networks. This phase is typically associated with automated meter reading (AMR).
2. Smart Grid v1.0 – this is the advent of “advanced metering”, a smarted version of AMR. Not only are meters automatically read, but standards-based solutions are used to provide applications like demand response and time-of-use (TOU) billing. In addition, utilities now have the ability to interact with energy usage through direct load control and controllable thermostats. At the time of this writing, this is basically the state-of-the-art.
3. Smart Grid v2.0 – the next phase of the Smart Grid is when the consumer becomes directly involved with energy utilization.
4. Smart Grid v3.0 – the future of the Smart Grid, where plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and micro-grids of distributed generation interact with the grid to balance energy supply and demand.