OpenPDC - Open Source Data Router of the Smartgrid

This is pretty awesome. For those unaware of happenings in Smart Grid space here is a quick synopsis of why this is a big deal. First some background:

A PDC is software/device that collects PMU data. A PMU is a device that takes high precision measurements of Voltage, Current, Phase angle, etc at intervals and keeps a GPS timestamp with each data measurement. Enough of this data allows for some very cool analysis of the power grid, finding inefficiencies, detecting problems before they become blackouts, fine tuning various bits of equipment, etc.

So why is this particular project awesome?

OpenPDC also helps researchers, in several ways. First, it provides working implementations of protocols actually being used, which makes simulation and emulation of SmartGrid networks much easier. Second, it allows for researchers to access and use data from many sources via a common API, allowing them to focus on the real problems. Finally it provides an easy way for researchers to get their results to others, via a common code base. Oh yeah, finally + 1, it includes Hadoop code, allowing easy parallel processing of large piles of data produced by PMUs.

The above opens up another point as well. There currently exist only closed, proprietary implementations of standard protocols. There are many known incompatibilities between these implementations, so OpenPDC allows for these to be documented in code, as well as for the vendors to have a nice reference implementation. The existence of such also makes market entry a bit easier for new companies selling products in the Power Grid space, and competition is good.

Another very cool aspect of this, as someone else pointed out, is that it is the Government open sourcing their software. This is a very nice step in a good direction -- I like the results of my tax dollars being available to me.

The fact that our government is moving towards Open Source to power not only the "Smart Grid", but the lifeblood of our country, is huge. It took some ballsy, persistent work to get this done.