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Deployingthe“InternetofThings”RobertA.DolinChiefTechnologyOfficer,EchelonCorporationbob@echelon.comAbstractThispaperexploresthevalueindistributingandnetworkingintelligentdevices.Valueisderivedfromdistributingintelligencetoeachdevicelocally.Furthervalueisderivedfromhavingtransparentaccesstothesedevicesremotely.Extractingthisvaluedependsuponovercomingtheissuesoftransparentconnectivity,dataconcentration,anddeviceinteroperability.Someexamplesofsuccessful,valuableapplicationsareofferedtoillustratehowonemighthelpdeploythe“Internetofthings.”1.IntroductionBynow,weareallfamiliarwithMetcalf’slaw:thatthevalueorpowerofanetworkincreasesinproportiontothesquareofthenumberofnodesonthenetwork.EchelonCorporationwasfoundedwiththegoalofvastlyincreasingthenumberofnetworkednodesbymakingitbotheconomicandvaluabletonetworkeverydaydevicesinhomes,buildings,factories,transportationsystems–inshort,justabouteverywhere.WhileweareanOEMcompany,onethatsellstechnologyandinfrastructureproductstootherswhomakefinishedproducts,wehavelearnedagreatdealaboutthevalueinourcustomer’sapplicationsfornetworkingdevices.Wehavealsofoundthataprimarymotivatorforsuchnetworkingtodayistoimproveenergyefficiency.Inthispaper,andwithadditionaldetailinmytalk,Iwillprovidesomeactualapplicationsalongwithsomeofthechallengesweallfaceindeployingthe“Internetofthings.”2.EnergySavingsasaMotivatingForceTherearethreecasestudiesIwouldliketodiscuss,eachhavingenergyrelatedcostsavingsasaprimarymotivator.Thefirstexampleisinbuildingautomation,thesecondisinelectricaldistribution,andthethirddemonstratestheeconomicnecessityofnetworkinglightbulbs(!)well,atleastsomeofthem.Ineachoftheseprojects,Echelonwasmoreinvolvedthanasusualinoursupplierrole,soIammorefamiliarwiththedetailsandeconomicrationalethanisnormallythecase.2.1.DemandReductionOnCommandIncommercialofficebuildingstoday,about80%oftheenergyconsumedisforHeating,Ventilation,AirConditioning(HVAC),andlighting.Echelon’scorporateheadquartersinSanJoseiscompletelyautomatedwiththeproductsofourcustomerssoHVAC,lighting,accesscontrol,elevatorsandothermainbuildingsystemsareallonasinglenetworkwithtransparentaccesstoallthedevices.Furthermore,allthebuildingautomationdevicesarecertifiedasinteroperabledevicesbyanindependenttradeassociationcalledLonMark®International.Thisassociation,madeupofcompanies,installers,andendusersofproductsusingEchelon’sLonWorks®technology,certifiesproductsasbeingopenandinteroperable.Atourheadquarters,weareparticipatinginanenergyconservationstudywithLawrenceLivermoreNationalLaboratory(LLL).Inthisstudy,LLLprovidesenergystatusovertheInternettothebuildingfacilitiesmanagementcompanyweuseinSanFrancisco,some50milesnorth.ThiscompanymonitorsenergypriceinformationpublishedbyLLLovertheInternet.Upondetectingthatthepriceofenergyhasrisenbeyondathreshold,theysendaSOAPmessagetoourbuildingcontrollers,whichinturn,seteachofficeintoenergysavingsmode.WithinminutesoftheLLLenergystatuschange,ourbuilding’senergyconsumptionisreducedbyonethird.Wecanmaintainthatstateatnosignificantdiscomforttothebuildingoccupantsforfourhours.Thissystemisfullyautomatic,andrequiresnohumaninterventionwhatsoever.Additionally,itshouldbenotedthatourbuildingisnotdistinctivefromaconstructionstandpointinthatitisthetypical,poorlyinsulated,singlepanewindowed,officebuildingthatyouwouldfindinSiliconValley.Proceedingsofthe2005SymposiumonApplicationsandtheInternet(SAINT’06)0-7695-2262-9/06$20.00©2006IEEE2.2.UtilityAutomationInJuneof2000ENEL,thelargestelectricutilityinItaly,andEchelonenteredintoanagreementinwhichEchelonwouldsupplycommunicationsinfrastructurecomponentstoENEL.ENELhaddecidedtoreplaceeveryresidentialandlightcommercialelectricitymeterintheirservicearea,all27,000,000ofthemwithintelligent,communicatingmetersoftheirspecification.Thesemetersweredesignedtoprovideenergymanagement,loadcontrol,andbetterservicetotheircustomerbaseofover90%ofItaly’spopulation.Thisprojectwasessentiallycompletedbytheendof2005.ENELhasgiventheprojectcostsasapproximately2BillionEuros,whichincludesthecoststoprocurethehardware,installthedatasystems,procurethemetersandinstallthem,andintegratethesenewdevicesintotheirbusinesssystems.Theyhavereportedpubliclythattheyarenowsavinginexcessof500millionEurosperyear.Thesystemisprojectedtohavealifeofatleast15years.Thissavingsdoesnotcomefromreadingthemetersremotely.InEurope,unlikeintheU.S.,anelectricitymeterislocatedinsidethehouseandisreadaboutonceevery3years,orwhensomeonemovesout.Thebillisestimatedmonthlyintheinterveningtimebetweenreads.Instead,thesavingscomesfrombeingabletoknowandbalancetheloadsinthedistributionnetwork,theftprevention,accuratebillingduetomoreprecisemetering,theintegrationofpre-paycapabilitieswithinthestandardmeter,timeofusepricing,beingabletoremotelydisconnectelectricalservice,dynamicallybeingabletoadjusthowmuchpoweracustomermayuseduringtimesofpowershortages,andahostofotherapplications.Additionally,thesystemprovidesENELwithaplatformforofferingfeebasedserviceswithinthehomeshouldtheychoosetodoso.Baseduponthisexperience,andthefavorableeconomicreturnthatEN