1GB BPL data and the signal is delivered by the light bulb.
My new favourite person is Dr. Mohsen Kavehrad
from Penn State Univ. He’s W.L. Weiss professor of electrical engineering and
director of the Center for Information and Communications Technology
Research.
His research had already shown that unshielded power lines have
a theoretical data transmit limit of about 1GB per sec, which should be enough.
You can see an interview with him here;
http://cictr.ee.psu.edu/CICTRnews/paio20050309.wmv ... he looks like a
proper prof.
But better still, he’s now shown how we can use “white
light” LEDs to transmit data at over a GB per sec. So in future we might have
LED lighting systems that use almost no energy and not only do they light your
room but they also contain a GB+ data signal within the light beam.
Here's the news story
http://live.psu.edu/story/15411
Here's the
academic
paper
http://cictr.ee.psu.edu/research/wc/IEC-White-LED-Triple-Play.pdf
that’s
very, very smart stuff.
I really like this fella.....
A European Strategy for Sustainable, Competitive and Secure
Energy
Following on from a speech by Tony Blair last
year, Jose Manual Barroso, the EC president, has today called for a coherent
energy strategy for Europe. Included in the Green Paper are proposals for
tighter links with Russia, the formation of a European energy regulator and a
strategic energy technology plan.
The last item is what interests me most
from a BPL perspective "a strategic energy technology plan".
I'm also
encouraged by the first paragraph in the Green Paper which says,
“There is
an urgent need for investment. In Europe alone, to meet expected energy demand
and to replace ageing infrastructure, investments of around one trillion euros
will be needed over the next 20 years.”I like to think they can
find funding for BPL somewhere in that “one trillion euros”
A micro-site
with all of the information can be found here:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/energy/green-paper-energy/index_en.htm
OPERA - European standard for Broadband over Power Line
(BPL)
A European Union 20m Euro funded project called
The Open PLC European research alliance - Opera, has recently delivered its
specification for BPL standards. This is the first
open BPL
specification and clears the way for technology providers to be interoperable
products. I have to be honest and admit that whilst I thought the project would
be interesting, I didn't think we would be getting proper commercial quality
outputs, how wrong I was.
The Key Features:
+200 Mbps OFDM
Modulation
Configurable frequency bands
frequency band notching
dynamically and remotely
Special robust mode for reliability in difficult
channels
Technology independent coexistence layer
3DES
encryption
Impulsive noise mitigation techniques
Time and frequency
division repeaters, unlimited number of repeaters to guarantee full
coverage
Quality of Service (QoS) with 8 priority levels
Bandwidth
control
Spatial Reuse Algorithm
PHY spectral efficiency up to 8
bits/sec/Hz
If all that means something to you, you'll realise how good
this stuff is. If it doesn't mean anything to you, please take my word for it,
it's good stuff.
The standards have been field tested in four European
countries, using equipment built in accordance with the standards. The customer
satisfaction surveys are fantastic for internet access, less so for VoIP
telephony.
All of the project outputs are available on the Opera website
at
http://www.ist-opera.org/project_outputs_available.html.htm
, you'll have to provide your details to gain access to some of the
documents.
Interestingly, Ascom, an Opera partner company that built much
of the equipment used in the field trials announced last week that they had sold
their BPL/PLC communications business to Current Communications. Current
Communications is one of the most interesting companies in the BPL arena having
recently attracted huge investment from Goldman, Sachs & Co., Google, The
Hearst Corporation and TXU. They have also announced a $150 million 10 year deal
with TXU to roll out BPL, starting this year, to approximately 2 million
premises in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
The changing regulatory framework for BPL
This is a groundwork posting.
My groundwork
postings will tend to be a bit boring and dry but they’re here for people who
want to try to look under the hood of the emerging Broadband over Power line
industry.
Understanding the political and legislative environment will
help explain a very important strand to the convergence of opportunity for BPL.
If you’re interested in knowing more, try following the links or I'd be happy to
try and answer any questions.
The following is taken from the soon to
be enacted European energy Services directive.
“Energy services” is
an expression used to denote those services or physical amenities that energy
provides to the end user in an integral package, including the technology needed
to produce these services. Examples are indoor thermal comfort, lighting
comfort, domestic hot water etc, all of which can have quality standards
attached to them. Energy end-use services thus require a combination of energy
(either commercial energy or energy obtained from the environment via passive
means) and energy-using equipment or technology. With energy services, payment
for the service is integrated to include a single charge or payment for the
energy used and for the technology involved. This payment is usually made
directly by the consumer who benefits from the energy service. Such a single
charge facilitates comparison of the actual costs of the energy service
involved. For example, illumination in a building may consist of a package of
services that includes lighting equipment, maintenance and electricity, a
package that provides a predetermined level and quality of lux that is billed on
the basis of €/m 2 per year. With similar illumination services being offered by
different enterprises, end-use efficiency improvements included in and paid for
in this way will thus compete with each other to minimise the total cost of the
package without reducing the quality or amount of the service provided. Thermal
comfort paid in €/m 3 per year is another example of this kind of integration
which can lead to greater energy efficiency as well as economic
efficiency.”
“The objective of the proposal is to promote energy
efficiency and energy services and to develop the markets for these as a means
of contributing to environmental protection as well as to the security of energy
supply.
This proposal is designed to help remove informational, financial,
institutional and other barriers that prevent the realisation of the significant
energy savings potential that exists in all the Member States. It does this by
laying down requirements in the following areas: improved information; better
qualification and accreditation of providers of energy services and energy
efficiency; the promotion of financial instruments for energy savings; improved
tariff structures; better funding mechanisms; improved energy audits; and
improved metering and billing. To ensure the fullest possible implementation of
the Directive it also sets out an annual uniform energy savings target, as well
as obligations for the public sector to save energy. Moreover, obligations are
placed on energy retailers and distributors to provide their customers with
energy services and energy efficiency improvements. To measure and report all of
these improvements in energy efficiency the Directive also provides for a
uniform measurement methodology and for reporting requirements for the Member
States. “
The rules are being changed so that we purchase “energy
services” rather than separate energy appliances and energy. The directive
contains all of the articles needed to stimulate and promote the market in
energy services. The funding and targets articles within the energy services
directive will mean that it is cheaper to purchase combined energy services than
it is to purchase the appliances/technology separately from the energy they
use.
This change is being viewed in the political world as the best way
to address the dichotomy between the need to save energy and the fact that
energy suppliers make their money by selling more energy, not less. It has been
reported that by 2030 the European Union will be relying on imports from some of
the most unstable parts of the globe for at least 70% of its energy needs, some
reports are as high as 90%, the do nothing option has passed.
The
directive will be published in the official journal in April or May, from which
time member states have two years to apply the directive into national
legislation. The UK has led the world in establishing legal and regulatory
frameworks to implement the earlier gas and electricity directives by opening up
our markets to competition; I expect the same to happen with the energy services
directive.
The full European legislative process can be followed
here;
http://europa.eu.int/prelex/detail_dossier_real.cfm?CL=en&DosId=187530The
second important development is the UK regulator OFGEM’s consultation on
“Domestic Metering Innovation”. The regulatory world is a shadowy place and I
don’t really understand why they are rushing this consultation through before
publication of the European directive, but they are. What I do know is that the
DTI and DEFRA have already decided that smart metering is an important part of
their energy efficiency strategy.
http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/temp/ofgem/cache/cmsattach/13745_2006.pdfThese
initiatives call for high quality, high-bandwidth two-way communications between
appliances, meters, consumers and the utilities industry participants. In my
view, the best way to achieve the communications aspect of smart metering is via
BPL.
As I mentioned, sorry if this posting is heavy going, I’ll try to
look at some of the more interesting commercial opportunities in some of my
future posts.
Welcome
This blog has been created in an attempt to chart
the progress towards the introduction of Broadband over Power Line (BPL)
technology into the UK.
I work in a business that provides consultancy
and support services for energy companies. So naturally, I hope to play a role
in introducing this exciting new technology to our clients and their
customers.
I have been interested in BPL and the related Power Line
Communications (PLC) since I started working in the energy industry in the 90s
and am convinced there is a convergence of technical, commercial, political and
regulatory circumstances that will finally unlock the potential of this most
exciting technology.
Over the coming weeks I shall be posting articles
and links that will help explain why I think the time is right and perhaps
describing what we are doing to play our part.
I'll be absolutely
delighted to read any views and feedback.
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