Smarter meters, smarter energy

"The problem of coverage is one of the major restraints of the market for cellular communication modules," Ginni Hima Bindu, GlobalData's Analyst covering Smart Grid, told the news source. "For an indoor electric meter, GPRS technology provides just 80-85 percent coverage, if the electric meter, or other grid device, is not moved accordingly. Furthermore, the high operating costs that must be paid by the utilities to mobile carriers is also off-putting."

Integrating data transmission within the wired network with high-quality serial Ethernet solutions will minimize these costs and help firms continue moving into the future of energy efficiency. No energy provider wants to be held back by prohibitive costs, as this will cause it to lose customers and face in light of other technological improvements. Smart grid deployment depends on timeliness, and having the right solutions in place as quickly as possible will optimize cost, efficiency and returns.

Perle offers a range of cost effective serial-to-Ethernet converters to help meet NERC-CIP compliance for the protection of critical cyberassets in substations. The IOLAN SDS HV/LDC Terminal Server is designed to meet harsh environments associated with Power Substations with attributes such as support for substation AC and DC voltage ranges, extended operating temperatures and meeting emission, immunity and safety approvals associated with substation IT equipment.