The Intelligence in the Internet of Things

INTERNET OF THINGS:
ENERGY USE CASE
Smart IoT devices will manage the distribution of energy based
on real-time data and situational awareness, as opposed to
historical data patterns.
Predictive maintenance capabilities will alert operators when
a component needs attention or repair, reducing the need for
ongoing inspections.
Adaptive analytics will enable systems to automatically balance
energy loads to reduce stress and prevent overheating.
Intelligent energy distribution also pays an environmental dividend.
Connected devices can perform power management tasks with finer
precision and faster response times than manual, human-dependent
Wind turbines can autonomously detect maintenance needs and
reduce mechanical load to extend lifespan

An estimated 70% of the energy grid is more than 30 years old,

making it prone to stress and failure, requiring high maintenance,

systems, thereby saving energy, prioritizing usage, and setting policies for response to outages.

ADDRESSING CHALLENGES
Realizing this vision faces four major challenges:

and posing environmental risks. There is widespread agreement

Securing the grid from hackers and acts of cyber-sabotage:

that the ways in which the world has traditionally produced, distrib-

The ability for devices to communicate over wired or wireless

uted, and consumed energy must change, for both environmental

networks makes the grid vulnerable. According to the U.S.

and economic reasons.

Department of Homeland Security, energy systems are under

Fossil fuels still account for more than 80% of global energy production, but renewable sources are gaining ground year after year, now
approaching 10% of total generated power. The distribution system
will need to accommodate energy from an array of sourceswind,
solar, hydro, wave, and geothermalin addition to coal-fired generators. Moreover, energy from natural processes is unpredictable.
Providers will need to be able to plan for variability of supply.
The smart energy gridwhich is somewhere between vision and
realitypromises to address these issues.

virtually constant attack. This requires a comprehensive security

approach from the boundaries of the Internet to the device level.
Security needs to be built into every device starting at the base
of the software stack.
Connecting and protecting legacy brownfield systems
the older, aging parts of the existing energy infrastructure:
This can be accomplished by building secure Internet gateways
that enable cloud-based central control systems to collect local
intelligence data from the systems while blocking attacks.
Building intelligence into greenfield systems out of the

It will integrate traditional and emerging power sources and

box: New systems and devices built for the smart grid must

make the delivery of energy cleaner, safer, and more economical.

deliver manageability, security, and connectivity. Smart systems

Operators will have the transparency and visibility to monitor

should be able to perform more tasks with fewer devices, driving

and analyze the flow of energy, and two-way communication with

consumers smart meters to analyze consumption patterns.

down the cost of development and deployment.

Protecting the privacy of energy consumers: The data gener-

Intelligent devices that collect and analyze massive volumes of

ated from smart metering has the potential to expose sensitive

data will enable operators to plan for contingencies for variable

customer information. The same security principals that apply to

resources.

the energy enterprise must also be applied at the consumer level.

The Intelligence in the Internet of Things

WIND RIVER SOLUTIONS

Wind River Intelligent Device Platform enables developers of smart

Few companies are as well equipped as Wind River to help

energy applications to jump-start development, with pre-configured

organizations determine how to leverage the Internet of Things (IoT)

software components that leverage Wind River Linux and incorporate

today. In fact, Wind River has been delivering solutions that power

security features.

interconnected, automated systems for decades. With more than

Wind River has substantial experience in upgrading legacy systems

30 years of embedded leadership and innovation, our technology is

and connecting them with smart networks. We help customers expand

at the heart of more than 1.5 billion embedded computing devices

capabilities, maximize existing infrastructure, and manage risk as

around the world.

they identify the best and fastest path to value. By helping convert

Wind River has translated that unmatched embedded experience

data into actionable insight, Wind River is helping enterprises realize

into deep expertise in the energy sector, making us a trusted partner

the promise of IoT. Together with our partner companies, Intel

for power providers. We combine superior embedded technology

and McAfee, we provide comprehensive solutions for connectivity,

with professional design services to develop end-to-end solutions

manageability, and security in the smart grid.

that unlock new business potential and unleash productivity.

A global leader in embedded technology, Wind River provides
the operating systems and software that deliver the underlying
intelligenceincluding

security

functionalitythat

enables

smart grid networks and devices to perform safely and reliably.

Smart Grid Protocols

UPSTREAM ENERGY (SUBSTATION AUTOMATION PROTOCOL)

61850
DNP3

FROM CONTROL SYSTEMS TO SCADA

OPC
OPC/UA

DOWNSTREAM ENERGY (DRIVES AND AUTOMATION)

Real-time Ethernet
PROFINET/PROFIsafe as a safety layer
Ethernet/IP/CIP Safety as a safety layer
Sercos III/CIP Safety or openSAFETY as a safety layer
EtherCAT/Safety over EtherCAT as a safety layer
POWERLINK/openSAFETY as a safety layer
TT-Ethernet

LEGACY WIRED AND WIRELESS FIELD BUS PROTOCOLS

WirelessHART
CANopen
Profibus
Modbus

TO THE CLOUD

MQTT
XMPP
DDS

Wind River is a world leader in embedded software for intelligent connected systems. The company has been pioneering computing inside embedded devices since 1981, and its technology is
found in more than 1 billion products. To learn more, visit Wind River at www.windriver.com
2014 Wind River Systems, Inc. The Wind River logo is a trademark of Wind River Systems, Inc., and Wind River and VxWorks are registered trademarks of Wind River Systems, Inc. Rev. 02/2014