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After Smart Meters: What’s Next? You Will Find Out at the Smart Grid Electronics Forum

October 12, 2011 by Jeff Shepard

Smart Meters are currently being installed by the millions around the world: what’s the next step in the development of the Smart Grid? As a delegate at the second-annual Smart Grid Electronics Forum (SGEF ’11), at the Crowne Plaza Hotel San Jose – Silicon Valley on October 24 & 25, you will hear a roundtable discussion about the future direction of Smart Grid developments. To be sure, smart electronic equipment (Communications, Computing & Storage, Consumer, Power Conversion, Automotive, Alternative Energy, Industrial, Medical, and so on) will be required to get the maximum benefit from the Smart Grid. At SGEF ’11 you will learn how the smart grid will change the design of all types of electronic equipment.

To be co-hosted by Darnell Group and Hearst Electronics Group, SGEF ’11 features an expanded schedule with sessions on Smart Meters & Energy Measurement, Communications & Security, Integrating Dispersed Energy Resources, Applications and Case Studies, Home Automation Networks, Industrial Applications, and more. In addition to a strong focus on today’s "best practices," SGEF ’11 will look forward toward next-generation design solutions for electronic equipment. The program is here:.

To effectively connect and interact with the Smart Grid, electronic devices will need to incorporate Energy Measurement, be able to Communicate that information and be able to Respond to commands from the Smart Grid. Energy Measurement, Communications and Control provide the focus at SGEF ’11. Early Registration here

The Plenary Session at the 2011 Smart Grid Electronics Forum will feature senior executives from 3eTI, Fairchild Semiconductor, FreeWave Technologies, Marvell Technology, Qualcomm Atheros, Redpine Signals, TDI Power, and Viridity Energy. Plenary session topics will include: challenges of home area networks, innovative semiconductor solutions for smart-grid connected electronics, using Wi-Fi embedded chipsets, optimization of smart grid communications, assimilating EV/PHEV power plants into the smart grid, increasing the functionality of photovoltaic generation with local energy storage, and more.

"The Smart Grid Electronics Forum is the only conference on the Smart Grid to meet the specific needs and interests of electronic system design engineers. The focus will include the Smart Meter and extend through the building and into the end-use equipment," stated Jeff Shepard, President of Darnell Group. "We are excited about the expanded breadth of practical leading-edge Smart Grid technology developments that will be presented at SGEF," Shepard concluded.

Mouser Electronics is the Marquee Sponsor and Fairchild Semiconductor is the Platinum sponsor for this year’s SGEF. EMerge Alliance is a supporting sponsor and Hearst’s Electronic Products Magazine and Darnell’s PowerPulse.net and SmartGridElectronics.net are the media sponsors for this important event.

Complete information on the first annual Smart Grid Electronics Forum is available at:

Hearst Electronics Group is the largest publisher of product information to the electronics industry. Its directories, e-newsletters, web sites, magazines, webcasts, inventory access tools, and databases are invaluable resources for engineers involved in product design. Hearst Electronics Group is part of Hearst Business Media (HBM), an operating group of the Hearst Corporation. For additional information about Electronic Products Magazine and the Hearst Electronics Group, please visit:

More news and information regarding the latest developments in Smart Grid electronics can be found at Darnell’s SmartGridElectronics.Net.