Smart Grids and Water Heaters for Environmental Sustainability

Last night Robin Eckermann talked at the ACS Green ICT in Canberra. First he gave a short Al Gore style presentation on climate change, then an overview of broadband and some examples of how it could help the environment. He ended by announcing that the Eckermann-TJA Broadband Environmental Sustainability Challenge had been extended (details to be placed on the web site).

Robin Eckermann is best known for his work as Chief Architect for TransACT Communications,which installed a broadband network in Canberra. He suggested such systems could be used for providing help to the elderly, to allow them to stay at home longer, saving health costs and providing a better quality of life. One of his examples of energy savings as for "smart grids", where computer communications are used to more efficiently use the electricity grid. The other example was a smart solar hot water system.