April 26, 2010
Smart Grid Technology Makes the Leap
Consortium of Finnish Companies Arrives in U.S. to Demonstrate Intelligent Energy Grid Technologies at Nordic Green Conference
Santa Clara, California - April 21, 2010 – While legislators and venture capitalists debate how ‘smart grid’ technology will play out in the United States, a group of companies from Finland have already worked out the kinks and are deploying their intelligent energy grid technologies today. Cleantech Finland and the Cluster for Energy and Environment consortium (CLEEN) will be demonstrating their smart grid technology ecosystem at the Nordic Green conference held April 27-28 in Palo Alto.
Smart Grid is the name given to the branch of technology devoted to modernizing today’s electric utility grid with remote sensors, active monitoring and management systems and other data feedback to re-make the utility grid as an intelligent system that is more responsive to spikes in energy demand and that better incorporates local production of clean energy. The ‘grid’ refers to the energy production plants and distribution lines, and ‘smart’ refers to IP-based technologies for demand-shaping and cost management software and other analytics.
What makes Finland such an expert on Smart Grid and new energy technology? The country’s harsh winters make it one of the highest energy users (per capita) in the world, and the area’s very low population density exacerbates problems with efficient energy transfer. So Finland committed itself decades ago to becoming a leader in clean energy production and intelligent energy demand management – exactly the requirements of today’s ‘smart grid’ initiatives. Finland’s leading telecommunications companies like Nokia and Elisa also apply their network management know-how, honed from decades of experience with mobile telephone networks, to make energy grids user-friendly.
“The telephone utility has been transformed from crude copper wires and limited customer choices into a global network of wireless towers and a dizzying array of customer options,” said Kimmo Pentikäinen, director of environmental information at Elisa Corporation, the largest communications network operator in the Nordic region. “That same radical transformation is now facing the energy utility networks – so Finland’s telecom companies are offering their experiences and technologies to lead the effort.”
Elisa, Nokia Siemens Networks, and other Smart Grid technology companies will be represented at Nordic Green II. In addition, leading cleantech companies Kemira and Pöyry will be discussing innovations in water technologies as well as future buildings.
About the Nordic Green II Conference
Nordic Green II
April 27-28, 2010
SRI International
333 Ravenswood Avenue
Menlo Park, CA 94025-3493
Website: http://www.sri.com/
Price: $250
To register, view speakers and topics and find accommodations, visit http://www.greentechmedia.com/events/live/nordic-green-ii/.
