A method for the transmission of current, utility commodity, data, and information, said method comprising:
- transmitting current, utility commodity, data, and information through a grid,
- wherein said grid comprises one or more intelligent grid interface nodes, and
- wherein said one or more intelligent grid interface nodes are located at some points on said grid;
- said one or more intelligent grid interface nodes connecting or exchanging data, on a two-way communication basis, among one or more different subsystems with one or more different characteristics, hardware, software, interfaces, connections, applications, communications, and protocols;
- wherein said one or more intelligent grid interface nodes are compatible with respect to said one or more different characteristics, hardware, software, interfaces, connections, applications, communications, and protocols;
- wherein said grid further comprises one or more devices,
- wherein said one or more devices comprise:
- a switch, protection relay, meter, sensor, operating means, protecting means, regulating means, distributing means, measuring means, pricing means, tracking means, telecommunication means, computing means, and managing means,
- managing voltage and voltage ampere reactive on said grid by controlling of capacitor banks and regulators and switching of loads;
- managing said loads to meet electric energy supply and demand through real-time transfer and dropping of said loads by opening and closing breakers and switches;
- remotely reading said meter and remotely connecting and disconnecting of electric services;
- detecting an outage and restoring by switching of a distribution system;
- providing broadband data communication channels to clients, over power line carrier;
- providing connectivity to Internet or other public and private networks, with a database to support managing of data traffic from different ports and media;
- remotely monitoring and managing appliances for load management;
- interfacing with components of said one or more intelligent grid interface nodes, said components comprising:
- Energy Management system, Geographic Information System, Outage Management System, Distribution Automatic System, and Customer Information System;
- performing conversion, encapsulation, and emulation of said protocols;
- providing a set of tools to configure and manage said one or more intelligent grid interface nodes and to implement local logic;
- providing programming tools, for management of Front End Communications Processor, Remote Terminal Unit, Programmable Logic Control, Intelligent Electronic Device, Capacitor Bank Controller, and Metering;
- and
- said one or more intelligent grid interface nodes automating, speeding up, optimizing, remotely controlling, and streamlining one or more functions performed by said one or more devices.