Offices should be smart grids

INTEL REPORTED at its Intel Developers Forum on its progress towards creating smarter power grids, on both a macro and micro level.

On a national level the US and other nations are currently researching how to upgrade the electricity network to be more efficient and to allow more power generation from a variety of sources. But while governments are sorting that out companies should be taking the lead in their own offices delegates were told.

“You can think of an office building as a smart grid,” said Andrew Chien, vice president of research at Intel.

“The philosophy is that in this notion of a smart grid at the edge of the larger power grid there's a lot you can do with good local intelligence and management. It doesn't require global universal agreements in order to move forward, that's what makes edge products exciting.”

He demonstrated a series of tools to do this, including a device that can be fitted over power outlets that monitors and reports on usage. The covers send data on power consumption wirelessly or using wires to a central power management server so that devices can be measured and controlled remotely.

More remote offices could use the technology, when backed up by local power generation sources, to effectively decouple from the grid and become more energy independent, Chien said.

“Energy independent used to be talked about by nation states,” he continued.

“But if you're in a remote area it means having the power you need without a massive infrastructure. It won't supplant big grids, but will make life easier.” µ