How Do You See the 'Internet of Things?'

The problems of using this for the 'smart grid' are significant: using the internet to monitor use during peak hours (and bill accordingly) is probably a good idea, but if this includes the ability to regulate the power (like turning it off or on remotely), it poses a serious security issue. Terrorists would love to have that ability, and hackers will no doubt provide the software.

I would be very irate if I was rushing to cook something in my microwave oven so I could eat before a meeting, and the power company used the Smart Grid to shut it down in the middle of the process. Once consumers understand the implications of this sort of remote control and monitoring of in-home equipment, expect a major amount of resistance.

I see no legitimate need for government or industry to monitor or control items owned by individuals. If the power company lacks the resources to meet customer demand and must push customers to limit power purchases, then let the company provide its customers with master controller modules that permit them to set shut-down or cycle priorities when brown-out prevention measures are needed.

The power company can send signals to the home master units, which then alert the customer to power reduction conditions, display present current draw from each appliance and list options. If the customer chooses to over-ride a shutdown and exceeds his current limit, he pays a big penalty on his bill. On the other hand, a customer could receive a discount for keeping his demand significantly below an incentive point during a capacity shortage. The master controller would let the customer change shutdown priorities at will, rather than have his toast ruined by the power company in the hectic 15 minutes available to make and eat breakfast before work.

This would be the free-market means to achieve the overt end - let the customer decide, and let him keep his decisions to himself if he so desires. Individual appliance info stays in the home; the power company only needs to know how much the customer is willing to pay for. If the customer isn't home to make choices, the residential master controller would use the default priorities programmed into it, as selected by the customer.

BTW, the Smart Grid circuits are a new parasitic load. Haven't we been told that 5% or more of a home's electric power requirement is already used for standby parasitic loads? Oh, yes, we will have to pay for the electricity to run these things!

Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should do it.