Filed under: Gadgets and Tech, Local, GreenTech
Granted, it’s not particularly big geographically, and its population is smaller than most major cities, but the small island nation of Malta will be the first country to boast a nationwide smart grid. Courtesy of a $90 million deal between IBM and the nation’s utility providers, the entire island of Malta — population 400,000 — will get hooked up with the most sophisticated energy management system that Big Blue has to offer, hopefully conserving tons of energy for the Maltese.
Officials say the switch will require at least 250,000 new smart meters and the new grid should be up and running sometime in 2012. The smart grid — similar to what’s planned for Boulder, CO — will allow the nation’s utility provider Enemalta (an unfortunate pun in the English language, I did not make it up) to monitor energy use in real time, as well as give them the possibility to reprice energy based on peak hours. For the Maltese, the new meters will allow them to track their energy use online, kinda like the smart thermostats that are beginning to hit the market.
[via Earth2Tech]
Malta Will be the First Ever Smart Grid Nation originally appeared on Green Daily on Fri, 06 Feb 2009 11:30:00 EST 0. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
