Table of ContentsFeaturesSan Antonio Hosts DISTRIBUTECHRunning Jan. 24-26, 2012, at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, DistribuTECH continues to lead the way in information exchange and utility education. Architecture, Analytics Key to Smart Grid PerformanceData are fundamental smart grid currencies, and data will be hitting utility systems in a deluge. Illinois Case Study: How to Increase Critical Customer Load ReliabilityRubicon Technology recently sent the city of Batavia, Ill., a few special requests. A Personal View of IEC 61850It's hard to convince intelligent folks to fix something that doesn't appear broken. Synchrophasors Electrify Power TransmissionThe status quo of transmission-monitoring technology at the moment is a bit slow. How Does the Industry Create True Interoperability?Interoperability has become a smart grid buzzword, and the industry loves thinking that engineers and technology can be made to get along. Expanding Metering Data's ValueSmart grid investments have inspired both regulatory concern and negative public reactions in recent months. Customer Data Security, Cybercrime and How a Utility Can PrepareEconomies changed over the past few decades, from bartering to cash to credit and now to electronic payments. What You Need to Know About Solar DesignThe Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) reports that solar energy is the fastest-growing energy technology in the U.S. Distribution Planning for a Smarter GridMost existing electric power infrastructure was designed to supply power from large utility-owned generation sources to end-use customers with predictable load shapes. Data Complexity Poses Next Big ChallengeData volumes are increasing at an exponential pace in practically all areas of science, business and technology. DepartmentsFrom the EditorWill PG&E Ever Catch a Break?Power outages are never good, but when a customer loses power while entertaining 70,000 guests and a national television audience of more than 16.6 million viewers, it can be a utility's nightmare. NotesUtilities Give Tech Advice at Grid-InteropThe importance of cybersecurity, the desire for plug-and-play technology and understanding how utilities must change with the smart grid future are just three of the lessons from the final utility implementation roundtable at Grid-Interop in Phoenix, Ariz., on December 8, 2011. ProductsMobile Combo UnitsReel-O-Matic has introduced new mobile combo units that will roll through a standard 36-inch entry door and make pulling wire from parallel reels easier. PerspectivesVolt/VAR Control: Old Problem, New SolutionWhile reading the other day, I discovered that voltage drop and real power losses contributed to the invention of the incandescent lightbulb. |
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