Cisco Seeks To Add Visibility and Control to Electrical Systems Via a Smart Grid Communication Infrastructure

The system that provides electricity transmission, commonly called the electrical grid is under intense scrutiny to make it smarter. Today’s electrical grid was designed decades ago without optimization and information flow of electricity consumption beyond local utilities leaving businesses, homeowners and utilities blind to how electricity is being consumed. The Smart Grid adds intelligence from energy source to consumption end points so that businesses and homeowners can view their consumption and control their usage while utilities can better manage electricity demand and delivery. The building of the smart grid is an estimated market of $20 B/yr over the next five years with governments passing legislation, mandates and partial funding to build it. For perspective, Smart Grid networks have the potential to be much larger then the internet! The building of highly scalable and secure IP networks is Cisco’s core competency, making them uniquely qualified to supply it. I talk with Inbar Lasser-Raab Senior Director, Network Systems and Smart Grid Solutions at Cisco about Cisco’s Smart Grid architecture and initiative. It’s the best down to earth discussion of Smart Grid on the plant. Enjoy