Many companies are putting thought into how to make their businesses compatible with the smart grid. Emerson, the power and building equipment giant, recently announced a new partnership with Habersham EMC. Together they plan on turning energy hungry devices such as air conditioners into real-time utility assets, but this will require delivering broadband to rural areas. To accomplish this they are utilizing a $1.5 million federal grant. The availability of broadband connections in rural areas will change the metering infrastructure, eliminating the need for smart meters and relying instead on an exchange of monitoring information between the homeowner’s computers and an energy management platform.
Read the full article here: How Broadband May Help Roll Out the Rural Smart Grid