Energetic efficiency, competitiveness, technology and smart meters

From the decade of the eighty some European countries have gone developing his own politics of support to the use of renewable energies like alternative source to the utilisation of fuels fossils, and at the same time like measure for the fight against the global warming. However, it has not been until the ninety and especially from the first decade of the 21st century, more specifically from the entrance in force of the euro, that the European Union has been able to develop and promulgar something more than mere recommendations. Since, they have sucedido several directives of forced fulfillment in this regard. The last directive of 2006/32/CE on efficiency in the final use of the power and energetic services included the forcing to present a second Plan of Action of energetic efficiency to the states members before 30 June of the past year. In Spain, said plan knows as 'Plan of Action of Saving and Energetic Efficiency 2011-2020' whose fundamental purpose is to reach the community common aim known as '20-20-20': reduction of broadcasts of gases of effect invernadero in 20%, reduce the primary consumption of power in 20% through the implantation of new measures of energetic efficiency, and finally reach a minimum contribution of 20% of renewable energies in the energetic consumption total before the 2020.

The factor that in good measure more contributes in the actuality to a gestión of efficient resources and in concrete to a greater reduction of costs of maintenance of equipments in buildings and sportive installations is without place to doubts the technology. No in vain they are the countries technologically more advanced those that reach greater levels of efficiency. Spain is not very very positioned in these appearances, as they indicate the values of energetic intensity of the last years.

A positive appearance is that in a lot of cases the necessary technology to go up the first levels of efficiency that need to reach is not neither expensive neither extraordinarily complex. It does not treat as to realise big investments but apply what already is in the market from does some years. The devices of which are speaking are the intelligent sensors, whose cost can be inferior to the 50 euros, and the prices of the hardware follow going down still –is indispensable to have the qualified personnel and with the necessary learning to be able to configure them properly. The exigencias come from as of the own personal qualification more than of his direct cost–.

From the technological punto the devices of sensorización and control are experiencing a fast and progressive evolution. Until it does some years the sensors, put for example, of temperature, humidity, etc., consisted merely in a specific sensor connected to a recorder constituted of with a high number of electronic components, being each one of them able to realise only the function for which had been designed. At present this no longer is like this. From it does years these devices build of way much more integrated cheese cheese and in the actuality are practically small computers, each one of them able to read a big number of different sensors and realise actions. This incredible versatilidad comports at the same time and inevitably to one increasingly high ‘softwarización' of the devices. The physical device in yes arrives to our hands with an immense potential but without hardly configuration, by what is necessary to adapt them specifically to our needs, that is to say, configure them by means of the introduction of software that transform it in the tool of precision that need.

The main characteristic of these devices are miscellaneous. In the first place, even the simplest have a capacity of equivalent or upper calculation to the first personal computers. They are therefore no only able of promediar, filter readings and autorecalibrarse, but they are also able to realise complex series of calculations with the data, detect patterns, etc. Second have of a high capacity of control being able to realise actions relatively complicated in function of the same. However, the characteristic that results perhaps more revolutionary is his high capacity and interconnection. The majority of them can communicate with other sensors, take decisions of conjoint way and transmit the data to the head office of autonomous way or even through other sensors. Besides, they can do it using protocols of current and standard communication, already was by wire (Ethernet) or by means of wireless technology (bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPRs, included 3G). At the same time, these protocols and his own characteristics of design allow them a bisteeringal communication so that they transmit data and the reconfiguran of remote form without need that a technician displace until the installations. The cost of these devices keeps on being relatively low (a modem 3G can cost less than 40 euros for putting an example, and his price will follow diminishing something more still). All these characteristics, between others, turn them into devices extraordinarily powerful that have to our disposal to realise functions that until does not do a lot resulted expensive and unsure.

However, there is not reason to throw the towel neither alarm in excess. The technology is a destined human creation to help us and do us the easiest life, but it is necessary to know use it and take him out the maximum party. All this to avoid that the current economic crisis finish cronificándose and turning into a crisis of competitiveness.