Thinking several moves ahead of the game, the HomeGrid Forum is on the verge of getting the new G.hn standard approved for use in Smart Grid applications by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
Now the question is if G.hn can make good on its promise by the time Smart Grid technology gets deployed to make the NIST approval mean anything.
G.hn is a home networking standard that aims to be applicable in all wired media – phone line, coax and powerline – and support transport rates of up to 1 Gbps . Backers of G.hn intend for HomePNA (phone line), MoCA (coax), and HomePlug and UPA (both powerline) to evolve to merge into G.hn.
The HomeGrid Forum also formed a working group to focus on Smart Grid applications.
By working with its member companies, HomeGrid Forum will help bring a range of G.hn-based devices to market that are compliant with the requirements for deployment in Smart Grid and home energy management applications, the organization said.
The member companies are dominated by semiconductor vendors whose responsibility it will be to integrate all the networking circuitry necessary to make all manner of consumer electronics work together. They include Intel, Infineon, CopperGate and Ikanos. Other prominent members include BT and Panasonic.
“G.hn is a next-generation wired networking standard, and as such it delivers higher performance, seamless connectivity and power efficiency,” said Matt Theall, president of the HomeGrid Forum. “The G.hn standard includes significant provisions for power management, including sleep modes that will enable devices based on G.hn technology to meet power efficiency standards such as the European Code of Conduct on ‘Energy Consumption of Broadband Communication Equipment,’ regulations such as the European Commission Regulation 1275/2008 and other requirements of the Smart Grid industry.”
Most devices that consume or monitor energy and that are connected to AC power can benefit from G.hn technology. Examples include smart electricity meters, heating and air conditioning systems, electrical appliances, lightning systems, TVs and other devices. G.hn can also be used to establish a secure communication channel between Plug-in Electrical Vehicles (PEV) and Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) found in distributed charging stations.
In addition to energy efficiency, the G.hn standard is aimed to deliver a single, unified technology for the wired home network that addresses key issues for service providers, electronics manufacturers and consumers alike. Through one worldwide standard, G.hn will unify the networking of content and devices over any wire, the HomeGrid Forum said.