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Making plans for the IoT
How IEC is paving the way for IoT systems to interoperateWhat is in the future for IoT standardization? François Coallier, who leads the work by IEC and ISO in this wide-reaching area, answers some of our questions.
Cyber security strategies for the energy sector: how to achieve resilience
A new IEC Technology Report identifies five critical concepts on cyber security and resilience for the smart energy sectorThe IEC Systems Committee on Smart Energy has published a new Technology Report on best practices for protecting the electric grid against cyber attacks. Cyber security and resilience guidelines for the smart energy operational environment is the work of a group of top international experts brought together by the IEC Systems Committee on Smart Energy. Frances Cleveland, who leads the group, presented the report at the recent IEC General Meeting in Shanghai.
Looking to the future
An overview of the Market Strategy Board’s hot topics for 2019It is a generally accepted notion that we are living in times of rapid change. If, to paraphrase Heraclitus, change is the only constant, then organizations must anticipate areas of possible change and prepare themselves accordingly.
Making cities smarter
Michael Mulquin, Chair of SyC Smart cities details how the IEC can help cities become smarterQuayside, a waterfront district in Toronto, is advertised as the first city to be "built from the Internet up". A joint partnership between Google Alphabet’s Sidewalk Labs and Waterfront Toronto, Quayside seeks to leverage new technology to address urban challenges and improve quality of life.
Building on synergies is the way forward
IEC develops effective business model for systems committeesIncreasingly, industry projects need to apply a combination of standards, in order for products and systems to run smoothly. The technology must be interoperable at different levels and between diverse domains, while remaining secure and safe.
Harvesting energy from roads
New technologies capture ambient energy and convert it to electric powerImagine using the millions of kilometres of paved roads around the world to harvest energy. Apart from the initial investment costs required for equipment and installation, this energy source is free to produce and has no adverse effect on the environment. Instead, it uses sunlight or the mechanical vibrations produced by vehicles to generate electrical energy.
Smart buildings for smart living
Open Sesame! Or the door to your home, using voice commandOur world is getting smarter by the minute. Voice recognition allows us to tell devices to do things, such as find a specific TV channel or remind us of all our appointments for the day. Smart agriculture uses sensors, connected machinery and smartphone apps to tell farmers when to water their fields, while intelligent road infrastructure is improving road safety and congestion and all in real time.
Living in a smart world
Standardization helps achieve an effective, safe, reliable IoT, while enabling the creation of a global marketWhether we realize it or not, the internet of things (IoT) is part of many aspects of daily life. Thanks to billions of connected, “sensorized” devices and systems, it can facilitate everyday activities and tasks and improve the efficiency of work processes, which saves time and money. In the case of healthcare, it can save lives and improve quality of life.
The future's at our door
The IEC is gearing up to tackle technological advancesTraditionally, the last issue of the year provides feedback on the IEC General Meeting (GM), held in 2017 in Vladivostok, Russia.
Dealing with natural and industrial disasters
IEC Standards are key to help prevent and/or mitigate the impact of many disastersNatural and industrial or accidental disasters can take many forms and have devastating human and material consequences. Some may be prevented or their impact mitigated through forecast, others not. Rescuing victims and repairing damage are essential for a return to normal life. Standardization work by a number of IEC technical committees (TCs) and subcommittees (SCs) may help warn of impending disasters as well as aid in assessing, repairing and mitigating their consequences.
Brave new car world
Our means of transport are changing in drastic waysWhat is the future for cars, buses and trucks? Manufacturers are competing to stay relevant in the years ahead. The IEC is also paving the way with a number of forward-looking Standards.
Smart and sustainable utilities enabled by standardization
IEC Chair for Systems Committee on Smart Energy gives keynote addressRichard Schomberg, Chair of the IEC Systems Committee (SyC) for Smart Energy and IEC Ambassador, spoke at the Metering India - Towards smart and sustainable utilities event in New Delhi, organized by the Indian Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers’ Association (IEEMA) and endorsed by IEC.
Smart cities to boost energy efficiency
A wide range of technologies will help cities optimize energy useIn hundreds of smart city projects around the world, governments, municipalities and private stakeholders are investing in smart grids, open data platforms and networked transport systems to meet the challenges of environmental sustainability, population growth and urbanization.
Adopting smart technologies
Networking and communication essential to the oil and gas sectorWith the steady increase in energy demand from developing, emerging and developed countries, the recent drop in oil prices as well as national or regional regulations to drastically reduce carbon dioxide emissions, the oil and gas sector needs to explore new avenues to expand productivity and at the same time cut down costs. One way to achieve this is to embrace smart technologies.
What makes energy smart?
Energy-efficient technological advances will benefit everyoneEnergy in itself is not smart. What makes it smart then? The numerous technological advances that allow companies and household to use energy more efficiently.
The revolutionizing Internet of Things
MSB workshop discusses updates of IoT-related workFrom home heating systems, smart medical devices and fridges that automatically replenish food items, to connected cars that guide drivers to free parking spots, increasingly IoT is a part of our daily lives. However, this technology is not new. Industrial applications, power generation, digitization, connectivity and automation have been around for many years and IEC has been working in these areas for some time.
Smart Energy moves ahead
Systems Committee on Smart Energy Technical Committee ForumSmart Energy can be described as connecting many points of generation with many points of consumption, from end-to-end, not limited to just the electric grid. Smart Energy is also about all energy needs for Smart Cities. The IEC Systems Committee (SyC) on Smart Energy aims to create one international platform for a comprehensive portfolio of standards – efficient and easy-to-use standards that can be used by any project working on Smart Energy. The work of SyC Smart Energy includes wide consultation within the IEC community and a broader group of external stakeholders, in the areas of Smart Energy and Smart Grid, also including Heat and Gas.
Share your work in 2017
We need your storiesTake the 169 countries in the IEC family, the 20 000 technical experts who work in standards development, the many Certification Bodies (CBs) and Test Laboratories (TLs) in the IEC Conformity Assessment (CA) Systems, and add to the mix the rapid pace at which technologies are evolving today and you have hundreds, if not thousands of stories that can be told within the IEC community.
April 2016 nominations
The latest Chair nominations to IEC TCs approved by the SMBSeveral IEC Technical Committees (TCs) have new Chairs, approved by the Standardization Management Board (SMB), who took up their nominations in March and April this year.
Why cities must become smarter, now
Launch of global platform, initiated by the IECEverybody wants to build Smart Cities but what is needed to make them come true? Which city pain points are hindering Smart City development and how can they be best overcome? A new online community initiated by the IEC in partnership with ISO and ITU aims to help stakeholders worldwide make their cities smarter. It is part of the lead-up to the first World Smart City Forum which will take place in Singapore on 13 July 2016.
Energy Efficiency: from theory to reality
Council Open Session – 16 October 2015Increasing the efficiency on how energy is generated and then used, should not remain idle talk. And while measuring is important to know where to improve, factual changes on the ground will make all the difference.
Keeping smart homes safe and secure
Security is one of the key drivers for connected homes, after smart energyConnected safety and security systems and devices with remote monitoring capabilities are expanding their share of the global smart home market. A survey in the UK in July 2015 identified security as the second most important of five key drivers for the connected home, after smart energy. The BI Intelligence research company estimates that by 2019 home security systems will account for 38% of the connected home market.
Electricity drives everything
Message from Frans Vreeswijk, IEC General Secretary & CEOIEC work continues to grow in importance. Today, electricity drives everything. It is unseen but indispensable. So normal that many of us never think about it.
Share your work in 2016
We need your storiesWith 166 countries in the IEC family, more than 15 000 technical experts who work in standards development, hundreds of CBs (Certification Bodies) and TLs (Test Laboratories) in the IEC CA (Conformity Assessment) Systems, there is no shortage of stories to be told within the IEC community. In 2016, as in previous years, the e-tech editorial team will be reaching out to you to get your story.
Smart, smarter, smartest
Why it is essential for cities and energy to become smarterTo deliver services and maintain an acceptable quality of life for their citizens, cities need to get smarter and make more efficient use of resources.
Smart oil and gas
Ex-tremely safe Big DataBig Data is set to change the way we work by improving operations and allowing faster, more accurate analyses which lead to more informed decisions being made. Confident decision-making could in turn lead to greater efficiency, reduced risks and cost savings. While the oil and gas sector hasn’t really embraced the concept yet, it could derive huge benefit from it.