Sony to participate in Pecan Street Smart Grid Demonstration Project

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Sony Corp says it has joined the Pecan Street Smart Grid Demonstration Project. As a participating company in this smart grid demonstration experiment built around home applications and consumer electronics, Sony is evaluating and developing Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS) that enable continual use of energy for practical and experimental uses.

Smart grid approach involves connecting smart meters (next-generation electricity meters), such as those installed in households, to a network. This provides a real time picture of electricity demand, thus optimizing the supply and usage of electricity. The main objectives of this approach are to make the production and supply of electricity more efficient. In an aim to create end-user benefits, Sony decided to participate in the Pecan Street Smart Grid Demonstration Project, which places a strong emphasis on producing benefits to end-users.nOverview of the smart grid demonstration experiment

For the purposes of this experiment, Sony plans to deploy an Internet-connection set-top box in all participating homes. This will allow all households to easily view their energy management on the portal site from their living room TV at any given time, thereby enabling everyone to participate in the system. Sony is also considering the addition of other services, such as distribution of games and other free content so that end-users can enjoy accessing the site. The development of a structure that will enable HEMS to be operated with minimum financial burden to the customer in the future will also be considered by incorporating business models such as advertising material.