http://gigaom.com/cleantech/xcel%e2%80%99s-smartgridcity-can-thank-fiber-for-ballooning-costs/ Sat, 11 Feb 2012 02:07:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ http://gigaom.com/cleantech/xcel%e2%80%99s-smartgridcity-can-thank-fiber-for-ballooning-costs/#comment-30479 Wed, 04 Aug 2010 16:35:30 +0000 http://earth2tech.com/?p=51048#comment-30479 [...] the showcase smart grid project from utility Xcel Energy, has gone way over budget. As we noted back in February the latest estimate for a project that was projected to cost $15.3 million, has risen to an [...]

]]> http://gigaom.com/cleantech/xcel%e2%80%99s-smartgridcity-can-thank-fiber-for-ballooning-costs/#comment-30478 Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:07:31 +0000 http://earth2tech.com/?p=51048#comment-30478 According to public testimony submitted to the CPUC non-fiber related IT was $16.7M of the $29.4M increase. $13.5M of that was just software purchase and integration. Why are we blaming fiber? Over 50% of this increase was because of poor IT project management. Classic stuff. I think the fiber is a not such a bad thing. Much less bad than poor partner coordination and requirements planning.

]]> http://gigaom.com/cleantech/xcel%e2%80%99s-smartgridcity-can-thank-fiber-for-ballooning-costs/#comment-30477 Tue, 30 Mar 2010 05:12:39 +0000 http://earth2tech.com/?p=51048#comment-30477 Yeah… sounds way too expensive to me. What’s the point, honestly? Will the fiber optics projects really bring a good ROI to those putting money into this research? Is it really a good time in this market economy?

]]> http://gigaom.com/cleantech/xcel%e2%80%99s-smartgridcity-can-thank-fiber-for-ballooning-costs/#comment-30476 Wed, 24 Mar 2010 02:07:10 +0000 http://earth2tech.com/?p=51048#comment-30476 [...] the richly-funded smart grid software maker that’s working on Xcel Energy’s showcase SmartGridCity project in Boulder, Colo., already has its own home energy management system courtesy of its acquisition of [...]

]]> http://gigaom.com/cleantech/xcel%e2%80%99s-smartgridcity-can-thank-fiber-for-ballooning-costs/#comment-30475 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 20:05:34 +0000 http://earth2tech.com/?p=51048#comment-30475 [...] The problem with fiber for the smart grid to date is that the infrastructure has been too expensive for utilities. Xcel Energy’s showcase smart grid project in Boulder, Colo. has cost a lot more than originally expected, and the Colorado Public Utility Commission says fiber is one of the main culprits for the cost overruns. [...]

]]> http://gigaom.com/cleantech/xcel%e2%80%99s-smartgridcity-can-thank-fiber-for-ballooning-costs/#comment-30474 Fri, 19 Feb 2010 19:08:23 +0000 http://earth2tech.com/?p=51048#comment-30474 [...] project has been hit by cost overruns, which, according to Jeff St. John at Earth2Tech, can be blamed on the rising cost of fiber optics. St. John wonders whether the cost overruns in Boulder will be emblematic of other smart grid [...]

]]> http://gigaom.com/cleantech/xcel%e2%80%99s-smartgridcity-can-thank-fiber-for-ballooning-costs/#comment-30473 Tue, 16 Feb 2010 05:02:45 +0000 http://earth2tech.com/?p=51048#comment-30473 Not surprising. Building a seperate fiber network is complete overkill for the data demands of a real time, two way smart grid communications system. Ask any cable company about the cost to lay fiber deep into its system; there is a reason most subscribers continue to have coaxial cable drops into their homes. In the planning stage, someone at Xcel must have decided to build an over-engineered solution rather than a cost-effective one. IMO either the utillity regulators lacked the skill to manage the process or Xcel did. As a project, it will help other utilities better plan their future efforts, but Colorado ratepayers are getting a bad deal. Silverspring is rumored to have the opposite problem, its mesh network is not delivering enough effective bandwidth in the field to enable real time two-way communication so at least Xcel dodged that bullet.

]]> http://gigaom.com/cleantech/xcel%e2%80%99s-smartgridcity-can-thank-fiber-for-ballooning-costs/#comment-30472 Sun, 14 Feb 2010 16:26:44 +0000 http://earth2tech.com/?p=51048#comment-30472 [...] Xcel’s SmartGridCity Can Thank Fiber For Ballooning Costs: Xcel Energy’s showcase smart grid project in Boulder, Colo. has cost a lot more than originally expected, and the Colorado Public Utility Commission is now asking the utility to prove why it needs its Colorado customers to foot part of the bill. The main culprit for the cost overruns? — fiber. [...]

]]> http://gigaom.com/cleantech/xcel%e2%80%99s-smartgridcity-can-thank-fiber-for-ballooning-costs/#comment-30471 Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:03:09 +0000 http://earth2tech.com/?p=51048#comment-30471 [...] SmartGridCity Can Thank Fiber For Ballooning Costs By Jeff St. John http://earth2tech.com/2010/02/09/xcel%E2%80%99s-smartgridcity-can-thank-fiber-for-ballooning-costs/ Earth2tech.com http://earth2tech.com February 9, [...]

]]> http://gigaom.com/cleantech/xcel%e2%80%99s-smartgridcity-can-thank-fiber-for-ballooning-costs/#comment-30470 Tue, 09 Feb 2010 22:07:58 +0000 http://earth2tech.com/?p=51048#comment-30470 I doubt anyone will EVER create a credible “Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity” for this kind of stuff.

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