EnerNex’s New Smart Grid Labs Facility Commences

March 22, 2012
EnerNex celebrated the grand opening of the state-of-the-art Smart Grid Labs testing facility on Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012, at the firm’s headquarters in Knoxville, Tennessee.

EnerNex celebrated the grand opening of the state-of-the-art Smart Grid Labs testing facility on Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012, at the firm’s headquarters in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Close to 200 guests attended the unveiling of EnerNex’s Smart Grid Labs, the premiere end-to-end smart grid device interoperability evaluation facility. EnerNex hosted an afternoon of activities and an evening of celebration for clients, customers and local leaders, including an workshop on the White House’s Green Button Initiative, a ribbon cutting ceremony featuring keynotes by smart grid thought leaders, and an open demonstration of the labs end-to-end application interoperability evaluation capability.

Prior to the ribbon cutting ceremony, EnerNex co-founders, Jeff Lamoree, Erich Gunther, and Bob Zavadil spoke to the importance, mission, and vision of the Smart Grid Lab. Guest speakers, Mayor Rogero (City of Knoxville Mayor), Paul De Martini (Managing Director of Newport Consulting), and Rhonda Rice (Executive Vice President of the Knoxville Chamber) spoke to the importance of Smart Grid Labs in the local and Smart Grid communities.

After the opening ceremony, guests were invited to tour and interact with the Lab infrastructure and demonstrations showcasing expertise in: Smart Grid communications interoperability, consumer domain interoperability, advanced metering standards, grid design, grid command and control, technology adoption risk management, and security assessment.

EnerNex displayed an interoperability evaluation platform based on client and vendor contributed systems in use or development for today’s Smart Grid. The Lab was constructed complete with utility poles, feeder and substation equipment, ruggedized utility communications gear, advanced metering systems from head end to Field Area Networks (FAN) to meter to Home Area Networks (HAN), building automation networks, and consumer targeted Smart Grid devices (TV displays, smart thermostats, tabletop HMI displays, smart kitchen appliances, and smart washer/dryer).

The facility has the support of several key platform sponsors contributing to the design and functionality of the Lab space. Companies including, but not limited to: Arbiter Systems, AutoGrid, Bosch, Control4, Cisco, ecobee, Emerson, eMS, Electro Industries, Energate, GE Appliances, GE Digital Energy, Hindle Power, Itron, Landis+Gyr, Lenoir City Utilities Board, LG Electronics, NovaTech, openPDC, OSIsoft, Power ANalytics, Ruggedcom, SilverSpring Networks, SEL, Sisco, Subnet Solutions, Sub-Zero, TE Connectivity, Tektronix and Trilliant.

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