Smart Grid News Managing Editor
It’s been more than a year since we checked in on the Pecan Street Project, Austin’s community-scale testing ground for smart grid technologies. At the time we got an inside look at plans and next steps.
Fast forward to fall 2011 and those plans are clearly taking shape. Pecan Street Inc. recently announced some big-name companies it will be working with on a consumer-focused smart grid built around home applications and consumer electronics – Sony, Intel, Whirlpool, Chevrolet, Landis+Gyr and Best Buy among them.
“To be relevant, smart grid innovations must solve consumers’ problems and provide services that excite them,” said Pecan Street Inc. executive director Brewster McCracken. “We are thrilled to have these forward-thinking companies working with our researchers and with the hundreds of residents who are volunteering their homes and their time.”
We’ve said before that what the smart grid needs is a dose of Disney-style magic to engage consumers. It appears from the list of consumer giants signing on to this Pecan Street initiative that we may finally see some razzle-dazzle. Here are a couple examples of what’s on tap for Pecan Street’s volunteers:
Inside the home: Best Buy with Check-It, as well as Intel, Sony and Whirlpool, will deploy home services systems that serve as the operating platform for consumer smart grid products and services. These systems can provide consumers with a range of home security, energy management, health care monitoring, home improvement, entertainment and labor-saving services. In many of the participating homes, the systems will be capable of measuring and reporting near real-time usage of electricity or natural gas and water. In addition, Best Buy and Whirlpool will test smart appliances and provide guidance and research collaboration on integrating smart appliances into home services systems.
Inside the garage: Chevrolet and Pecan Street Inc. will team up to provide 100 Chevrolet Volts for lease or purchase to participating residents, marking one of the nation’s highest residential concentrations of electric vehicles. To date, more than 130 residents within a one-square mile area have signed up to buy or lease a Volt. Below members of the Mueller community participating in the Pecan Street project joined Pecan Street staff, researchers and partners to welcome Chevy Volts to the neighborhood.
Image courtesy Pecan Street Inc.
On the roof: SunEdison will work with Pecan Street’s University of Texas research team to develop home solar panel charging for the Chevy Volts. A number of the SunEdison-led home solar vehicle charging systems will also have in-home batteries, and all systems will integrate into Best Buy/Check-It, Intel, Sony and Whirlpool home services systems. More than 150 participating residents will have rooftop solar PV, including nearly all of the residents who acquire Volts.
At the meter: Landis+Gyr will install several hundred smart meters with smart consumer product connectivity. These meters and the associated communication networking platform will make it possible for the home services systems to integrate pricing and demand management information from utility distribution systems.