Nation-E
 | |
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Energy ICT company |
| Founded | 2010 |
| Founder(s) | Daniel Jammer |
| Headquarters | Herzliya, Israel |
| Key people |
Daniel Jammer (Founder, CEO) Andreas Stamatiou (CEO Europe) Dr. Gal Luft (Chairman of the Board) |
| Products |
Energy Cerebrum Bank of Energy Software Angel System |
| Website | Nation-E.com |
Nation-E is a privately owned international ICT company specializing in developing energy solutions. Nation-E was founded in 2010 and is currently being directed from Israel, where owner and founder Daniel Jammer, a German-Israeli business man, resides, in addition to branches in Germany, USA and Poland.[1] In 2014 Mr. Daniel Jammer was dubbed one of the leading cyber security figures in Israel by Globes, Israel’s leading business magazine.[2]
History
Nation-E started its journey as an energy storage solutions provider, originally developing fast charging solutions, both stationary and mobile, with the growing deployment of renewable energies and the need to integrate them into the existing power grid.
Description
As an energy security firm, Nation-E manufactures and develops ICT systems, enabling continuous, secure, reliable power supply and efficient energy management. The ICT platform is protected by a security layer, offering advanced solutions for continuous power supply and demand-response services.[3]
The company's focus is on energy cyber security, demand/response and energy risk management solutions. Nation-E’s core software technologies and systems comply with military standards, featuring over 40 energy communication protocols with the ability to aggregate distributed energy generation and storage assets via TCP/IP, GSM or satellite into an “energy cloud”, forming a virtual power plant that can provide for the organization’s energy needs on or off-grid.
The company's efforts conveyed to the fields of energy security and energy risk management, including the development of microgrid topologies and island methodologies that optimize the energy production and consumption in an organization.[4]
Security services
Nation-E’s solutions focus on stabilizing and securing uninterrupted energy supply for the organizations even when power grids are compromise, as in the past decade, energy assets have transformed from simple standalone appliances into networked communicating devices. One of the inherent challenges when developing this energy communication network is securing it from cyber threats.
Nation-E identifies energy and communication as the two major factors that must be protected to ensure cyber security. By securing the energy supply, the company provides organizations with business continuity management solutions that are implemented into existing energy and communication infrastructure.
Nation-E treats energy as a commodity that must be secured in order to assure business continuity. While the loss of data is protected by means, such as installing a UPS, backing up the data on external media or using firewalls to prevent external penetration, there is no actual protection against continuous power failures. The company's solutions define the loss of energy as a risk that must be managed. Their prevention methodology covers the physical layer of power loss (i.e. grid supply interruption) and factors in potential cyber attacks on the facility.
Nation-E has developed risk management software based on IT methodologies and introduced these practices into the realm of energy communication. Automated workflows, document management and creation, reports and dashboards, smartphone and web-based data-capture and email notifications, specifically made to fit the needs of energy risk management. Early alerts and automatic responses are keys to mitigate the damages incurred as a result of power losses, which can be caused by natural causes, failure of the system or an external cyber attack. Therefore Nation-E's primary objective is to protect the uninterrupted energy supply.
The initial layer of Nation-E's protection is the facility’s installed firewall. Behind it lays a network of smart meters that communicate via a hybrid mesh communication system. These hybrid mesh networks use redundant connections to provide alternating data pathways. Utilizing hybrid mesh systems enhances communication security behind the existing firewall, adding an additional barrier between the outside world and the internal energy communication network.
Nation-E’s solutions offer additional layers of protection by adding port firewalls to each of its devices as well as an additional undetectable line of communication. The port firewalls are configured to limit the access to the devices and permit authorized communication only, adding yet another barrier that the attackers must overcome.
The undetectable line of communication assuring that the devices are never offline or inaccessible. The company’s solutions take into consideration the potential threat of having the communication lines within the organization attacked and potentially compromised. When the software recognizes that a certain line of communication is being attacked (whether it is a regular TCP/IP line, GSM or satellite communication), such line is automatically abandoned and other communication protocols, which were dormant until this stage, are prioritized and utilized as the main line of communication.
In addition to the protection of the energy data transfer by securing the communication lines, Nation-E’s solutions also enable organizations to island energy supply and go off-grid at will. To accomplish this, several installed energy storage or generation assets are needed other than the power grid, such as PV, wind turbines, fuel cells or generators.
Self-sufficient energy consumer’s reliance on energy coming from external sources is reduced and exposure to disruptions due to energy losses is mitigated. In the event of a cyber attack along the power supply chain, The company’s software will instantly identify power loss and automatically initiate islanding procedure. Using islanding methodology, a "healthy" energy communication network is guaranteed. When islanded, consumers operate within their own virtual grid, sustaining a state of “business as usual” rather than having operations and security measures compromised.
Products
Bank of Energy Software
Nation-E’s Bank of Energy software allows organizations to “deposit” and “withdraw” energy based on demand response and Time-of-Use schemes that are growing popular with the roll out of smart meters.
The software is capable of communicating with energy protocols of almost any energy asset (Battery, Power electronics, PV and Wind generation assets, fuel cells, smart meters, the grid, etc.).
The end user can choose to utilize the energy produced from the PV installation, consume the power stored in the battery or storage device, or consume energy from the utility grid. These choices can be executed either manually by the user, or via an automated profile, that either factors the current “last mile” energy parameters or is programmed to execute certain protocols at certain designated times.
This tool allows utilities to charge batteries and storage devices during the night when energy prices are low but consumption is even lower, and can get relief during peak hours by encouraging users to consume energy from different assets other than the grid.[5]
Energy Cerebrum
"Cerebrum" (Latin for brain) is an intelligent gateway to the entire span of energy sources, enabling ultra-secure real-time energy management and cloud operations, automated processing and remote control. This is the first platform that can both communicate and manage any kind of generation assets and integrate energy storages into networks. Cerebrum works on existing infrastructures, thus improving their profitability and network security dramatically.
Nation-E's Cerebrum brings total transparency to the distribution networks and also offers monitoring, management and emergency operations in a cyber-secure environment, creating a communication backbone between different energy generation assets.
The Energy Cerebrum, which can be thought of as the “master unit”, sits next to the concentrator and communicates with locally installed “slave” units on a secure third line – one of Nation-E’s patented cyber solutions. The local units communicate with the connected generation and consumption assets via ultra-secure mesh technology and create total transparency within the linked assets. The related energy flows are at the same time combined into a local cloud. Additionally, these units allow control functions and the execution of commands.
These technological capabilities enable the Energy Cerebrum to “island” grids at any time. This means, all assets connected to the gateway can be disconnected from the public network instantaneously whereas the Energy Cerebrum operates as an energy intranet, in which the available energy can be distributed according to user defined algorithms.
The Energy Cerebrum is the brain managing the “last mile”, constantly collecting the information of all connected units in real-time and creating at any point in time an energy balance sheet on-the-fly. If the system senses imbalances, it is capable to allocate energy according to defined priority rules.
The Energy Cerebrum “translates” all information into decipherable understandable data detailed on a graphics user interface. In addition, the Energy Cerebrum records abnormal events and thus acts like a “black box” which is common in the aviation industry. This feature allows in disaster circumstances an easier error tracking.
The Energy Cerebrum communicates bi-directionally with any physical energy asset such as: energy storage systems, smart meters, utility grid, UPS, generators, BMS, PV, Wind, Fossil Fuel Generators, EVs, Fuel cells, etc. It can be installed in different network topologies, allowing remote centralized and local access to each unit, enabling higher levels of security and communication to the energy assets in case of power failures or cyber attacks.[6]
The Angel System
The Nation-E's Angel Car system is a portable unit containing a lithium-ion battery that stores energy and is used as an emergency power charger for electric cars that run out of power. According to the company's publicity, it provides fast charging services for all known Evs equipped with a fast-charging socket, including hybrid cars and also Better Place's car, the Renault Fluence Z.E.[7]
The Angel System concept designed to be a key solution to “range anxiety” in converting e-mobility into a reality even without the huge deployments of new infrastructures. The car mobile service unit equipped with an On-board 230V charger that is capable to charge a stranded vehicle in less than 15 minutes with 2-3 kWh of, enabling 30–50 km of additional autonomy.[8]
The Angel System using Nation-E’s ICT software with the Energy Cerebrum as the energy communication hub. The Angel System fast-charging outputs are compliant and certified for the three leading fast-charging standards: IEC 62196, SAE J-1772 and CHAdeMO. It contains energy storage, power supply units and power electronics capable of converting power bi-directionally from AC to DC.
The Angel System offers an open source platform with 38 layers of communication and 41 communication protocols, offering vehicle to grid communication, AC-DC power conversion, AC-AC and DC-DC fast charging and continuous power supply from leading energy solutions manufacturers – including Saft,Schneider Electric, GE, Honeywell and other energy industry leaders.
It has a patented management system and C4 levels of security and offers a backup energy source, generating energy when it is needed.
The Angel System can be configured as a stationary or can be installed on a wide variety of transporting carriers. Management software and communication protocols enable the Angel Car to adjust the power level according to the vehicle type, as well as select the optimal charging procedure to transfer the necessary amount of energy to the vehicle. Apart from the physical installation, no integration is required.
References
- ↑ "Smart Battery Stores Energy When It's Cheap". Scientific American.
- ↑ "השיחה". Globes. 2014-01-28.
- ↑ "Protecting the electrical supply grid". beforeitsnews.com. 2013-04-25.
- ↑ "Cooperation Between Rafael and Nation-E". IsraelDefense. 2012-11-27.
- ↑ "Nation-E announces new ICT tool". prlog. 2013-09-17.
- ↑ "Cerebrum-Protecting the electrical supply grid". HLS. 2013-04-25.
- ↑ "Nation-E Going the Distance". EV Industry.
- ↑ "Angel Car mobile charger rescues stranded electric cars". Cnet.