Paris, France --- (METERING.COM) --- June 8, 2011 - The French government has issued a call for expressions of interest in smart grid projects, with funding of €250 million ($364 million) being made available for this purpose.

Projects will be required to take into account some or all of the following issues:

• Better integration of renewable energy resources in the network
• The control and management of electricity demand to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and improve energy efficiency purposes
• New developments related to power grids such as the arrival of positive energy buildings, smart meters or electric vehicles and /or plug-in hybrids
• New business models through synergy between players in the energy and other sectors such as telecommunications, equipment, etc.
• The creation of a local industry for the development and export of smart grid technology.

Emphasis will be placed on projects that improve automation and network monitoring, while ensuring greater security and resilience. The development of technologies to improve energy efficiency of the network (DC components, power electronics, etc.) will also be supported. Finally, consideration of interoperability solutions and their standardization is eagerly awaited.

The call is presented in two phases. The first, which is open to October 1, 2011, aims to fund projects through the development of new equipment or services that will remove the technological barriers. The second, which is open to December 15, 2011, funds demonstrator projects of larger scale to test the real impact of the technologies and new business models on the overall network efficiency.

Developers are invited to submit projects for new technology by October 1 and large-scale demonstration projects by December 15.