In what could become a game-changer when it comes to putting smart grid technologies in action on a massive scale, GE and its partners today unveiled the new Energy Smart Miami initiative, which will deploy more than 1 million advanced wireless “smart meters” to every home and most businesses in Miami-Dade County. The groundbreaking project has the potential to be the most comprehensive and holistic smart grid city implementation ever launched in the United States.
Energy Smart Miami will empower Florida Power & Light customers to use in-home devices to pay lower prices for electrical power — such as using off-peak energy on high consumption washers and dryers and plug-in vehicles. While so-called “time-of-use” pricing reduces consumer energy use by 5 percent, studies show that when combined with technologies such as smart appliances, smart thermostats and home energy displays, savings can jump to an average of 25 percent. And in a yearlong study by the U.S. Department of Energy, smart grid customers reduced peak consumption by up to 15 percent — and overall consumption by up to 10 percent.
Power play: The new system will improve reliability, efficiency and productivity from power generation through consumption. It also enables the use of more renewable energy, such as wind and solar, and plug-in electric vehicles.
The initiative, which proposes using federal economic stimulus funds to help spur a $200 million investment in smart grid technology and renewable energy over the next two years, is the cornerstone of a broader $700 million statewide investment. GE is supplying key components, from smart meters to advanced applications and smarter control systems. Silver Spring Networks is providing enabling technology for the smart meters and Cisco is designing a communication platform to optimize the delivery of the electrical power.
Florida wins in the short term with demand for an estimated 800 to 1,000 “green collar jobs” needed both directly and indirectly during the two-year rollout.
As part of the program, 1,000 Miami-Dade households will be studied to evaluate the most effective in-home systems — and to see which provide the most consumer satisfaction. It’s hoped that the large scale of the Miami project, and the insights gained from the studies and the rollout, will provide a historic model for how other major metropolitan cities can — and should — take action to tackle energy issues.
Down to the wire: Studies show that smart grid technologies can potentially reduce power disturbances by over 75 percent by 2020 and slash U.S. carbon emissions from electricity generation by up to 25 percent.
