BOSTON AUDIO SOCIETY
Date: Sunday, September 28, 2014, 6:00 PM

Place: First Parish Church in Waltham, 50 Church Street, Waltham, MA 02452.
(Please note meeting location)

Topic/Activity: This presentation will provide an overview of the electricity industry, the transformation toward smart grids, and the push for more customer involvement

Dr. Wacks has been a pioneer in establishing the home systems industry and a management advisor to more than 150 clients worldwide. His business includes home and building systems, utility customer services, and digital entertainment networks (including HDTV and IPTV). He was appointed by the United States Department of Energy to the 13-member “GridWise Architecture Council” to develop smart grid strategies for reliable, cost-effective, and efficient distribution of electricity. He chairs the energy management standards committee at the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and the ISO/IEC international standards committee for home and building automation. He has a PhD from MIT, and he has written and delivered more than 200 papers and presentations. Dr. Wacks authored the book “Home Automation and Utility Customer Services.”

Website: www.kenwacks.com

The focus of his talk will be the electric power industry, a key engine in the growth of the U.S. economy since the late 1800s. He will talk about the how the industry is responding to societal changes and technological advances. The industry is under increasing pressures to upgrade the power grid to accommodate environmental concerns, supply limitations, increasing costs, and the emergence of renewables (wind and solar) plus energy storage.

Refreshments will be available at 5:30 PM. Guests are welcome.