The total estimated cost of the project is $178m. DOE will provide half the funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The project’s participants – utilities and industry team members including Netezza – will provide the remaining investments.
The Northwest study will involve more than 60,000 metered customers in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming. Using smart grid technologies, the study will test new combinations of devices, software and advanced analytical tools that enhance the power grid’s reliability and performance.
The Netezza TwinFin appliance will provide the infrastructure for data management, storage and analysis for advanced analytics. The TwinFin appliance was chosen for its ability to manage massive data volumes generated by the smart grid meters and sensors. The TwinFin appliance enables advanced analytical information including grid health, price fluctuation, energy consumption, risk identification and fraud detection, Netezza said.
The project team will install equipment and technology in 2010 and 2011. Then, for the next two to three years, project leaders will gather and analyze data on smart grid performance from 15 test sites that represent the region’s diverse terrain, weather and demographics.
The test sites range from Fox Island in Washington State’s Puget Sound to the Teton Mountains in western Wyoming, and include the campuses at the University of Washington and Washington State University. The project will involve approximately 112MW of power.
