Technology TransactionsNew Software Designed To Help Avoid Blackouts
The same software company that helps prevent kids from visiting "blue" Web sites has developed software that it says could help prevent
blackouts.
California home owners and businesses with always-on, broadband Net
connections can have their electric use automatically reduced in
response to power emergencies or alerts issued by the state"s electric
system operator and all it takes is easy-to-install, readily available
personal computer hardware and software.
"With the energy supply at critical levels in California, if enough
homeowners and businesses voluntarily used GridGuard it could reduce
the energy consumption adding available electricity to the grid and help
eliminate the need for rolling blackouts," said Marc Kanter, vice
president of Solid Oak Software,
the Santa Barbara, CA-based software publisher that also wrote
CYBERsitter, an Internet filtering application.
That may not be as much of a stretch as it sounds.
The California Independent System
Operator (CAISO) has reported averted blackouts after consumers and
businesses voluntarily and manually curtailed power use after low-level
alerts forewarned of escalating power emergencies that could have led to
blackouts.
GridGuard is designed to directly monitor alerts from CAISO,
California"s electric power grid traffic cop, and automatically reduce
electrical consumption following energy alerts that warrant the cut
backs. The software is designed to be used with broadband connections
like T1, DSL and cable connections because it updates the power grid"s
status every minute. Dial-up modems are not practical for such use.
Announcement of the software comes on the heels of CAISO"s
announcement that it would follow a state-mandated plan to provide
48-, 24-, and one-hour notifications when there is a high possibility of
rotating blackouts. Blackout bulletins and other emergency announcements
are available via Web sites, e-mail, pager and by packet radio, a form
of digital radio.
GridGuard takes the emergency alert system one step further by giving
consumers direct access to official power bulletins. Theoretically that
could speed up consumers" access to the information by removing the
steps -- and time -- CAISO and other services typically take to deliver
bulletins to Web sites, via e-mail and other electronic avenues.
In addition to the software, computer owners will need inexpensive and
widely available X10-type power control
modules and computer interface modules available from X10, Radio Shack, SmartHome.com and other
home automation technology merchants.
(Buyer Beware: X10 recently gained notoriety as a purveyor of
a new breed of spam, so-called "pop
under" ads displayed unexpectedly as a extra Web browser page
lurking behind others you are viewing. X10 offers a cookie recipe to disable the
ads.)
With GridGuard and the required hardware, you can designate and hook up
non-essential appliances, lights and other electrical devices to
automatically turn off in response to current energy conditions. You can
also configure the software to alert you by e-mail, pager or cell phone
when conditions change.
"Obviously everyone here in California is concerned about energy
consumption. Unfortunately no one seems to have any ideas about what can
be done right now, today. We do," said Brian Milburn, Solid Oak"s
president.
Solid Oak says the price for the complete system of hardware and
software costs less than $100 and takes less than five minutes to
install.
"It is just a little harder than changing a light bulb. We think that
this is the kind of technology that should encourage energy suppliers to
offer rebate programs to cover the purchase cost in much the same way as
they currently do with other energy saving products," adds Milburn.
For more articles by Broderick Perkins, please press here.