Drexel University (Philadelphia, Pa.) Uses Viridity Energy’s Smart Grid Technology
Drexel University is deploying Viridity Energy’s VPower System™ to provide a real time view of power usage. By better understanding real time usage and real time pricing they can buy power when costs are low / lower sand sell back when power is more expensive. This is smart grid technology.
Drexel hopes to show how they can “ … manage its energy costs and environmental impact … will allow the University to purchase power at times of the day when demand is low and sell excess power back to the larger power grid.”
Drexel will look at how organizations can balance solar, wind and energy storage to save money and even become less impacted by grid disturbances / outages.
PECO, the local electricity generator, is working with Drexel to see how this might be applied more broadly across the region.
Via: Drexel University LINK
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So what is a "smart grid" and how does it differ from the current grid.??? >>> The current grid has little "smarts" or feedback to either power generators, distributors or end consumers. The "smarts" in the form of meters or controls allow monitoring of many points in between the generation plant and the end user to allow for more efficient distribution and control. Ultimately this can lead to reduced demand for new generation as you can better balance supply and demand. "Silver Spring Networks builds networks that enable a utility to ... improve efficiency, reliability and customer service while reducing costs. Built for real-time networking, open standards ... allows for continued seamless integration of new networking technologies while continuing to provide proven redundancy, integrity and reliability ... Network interface cards (NICs) from Silver Spring Networks are here today and empower endpoints that meter gas, water and electricity, and automate load-control devices ..." "Silver Spring Networks ... Smart Grid, known as a Smart Energy Network ... . addresses the challenges of running multiple applications and devices on a common networking infrastructure using multiple transport technologies, dramatically improving efficiency, lowering costs and ensuring the reliable delivery of services. ... more efficient grid could cut the growth rate of worldwide energy consumption by more than half over the next 15 years and drastically reduce carbon emissions." 
A common management axiom is you cannot manage what you do not measure ... same hold true for a home's power usage. Google may have a way to give us some insight to our energy consumption ..
