Honeywell to implement China's smart grid project for buildings

Honeywell will develop and implement China's first smart grid pilot project and feasibility study for managing energy use in commercial buildings.

Known as demand-side management, the project is part of a grant agreement signed today between the U.S. Trade and Development Agency and State Grid Electric Power Research Institute, sponsor of the project and a subsidiary of State Grid Corp. of China.

The pilot will center on Honeywell's smart grid technology and expertise, including automated demand response, advanced energy management and submetering. The company will help connect State Grid and its customers to manage energy supply and demand, automatically adjusting electricity consumption and reducing strain on China's utility infrastructure. This is especially important in commercial and industrial facilities, which account for 70 percent of worldwide electricity use.

The demonstration will allow SGEPRI to assess the feasibility of broader deployment of smart grid solutions, and support the development of standards and regulations. The institute will also examine the opportunities and challenges businesses face in linking their energy- and demand-management efforts with an increasingly dynamic electrical grid.