Tests for Smart Grids using HD-PLC begin in Japan

• HD-PLC Alliance President Michimasa Aramaki speaks of field testing with electric companies in Japan

Field tests to enter the Smart grid era have also begun in Japan. At the HD-PLC Test House in Fukuoka City, solar power system is being tested with the collaboration of power companies. How the power generated from solar power and power supplied from the power plant are combined, and how real-time data of power generated from each home is collected through power line communication is being tested from a communication systems standpoint.

“Testing for collecting the power generation data from homes using networks with HD-PLC is drawing the most attention, since it can provide a wide range of services to customers” (Mr. Michimasa Aramaki, President of HD-PLC Alliance). Some power supply companies are using their own fiber optic networks to provide internet services. They are looking to creating smart grids using the existing infrastructure that is already in place. It may seem that Smart Grids are not an option in Japan since it has newer power grids compared to countries such as the U.S. and developing countries with older systems. In reality, plans for a ‘Japanese version Smart Grid’ are underway.