The U-SNAP Alliance – a group that want to make in-home energy management devices with communications that can be switched in and out as utility networks and technology advances demands – has just landed some pretty big partners to back up its idea.

The group announced this week that Google and General Electric have joined, along with a host of smart grid companies including Comverge, Trilliant, 4Home, LS Research and eRadio.

Also on board are utilities Alliant Energy, CLECO and Portland General Electric. Those three utilities are, perhaps not coincidentally, using smart meters from Sensus, which is a founding member of the alliance (see U-SNAP: Modular Home Energy Communications).

The other alliance founder is Radio Thermostat Co. of America, which makes smart thermostats that already come with a slot for the U-SNAP modules it would like to see made en masse to solve a thorny problem facing the home energy management industry.

That problem, in short, is what language those devices will speak – or rather, which communications standard they will use. There are many to choose from – ZigBee HomePlug, Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, WiMax, FM radio, powerline carrier, or one of the many proprietary wireless systems that range the electromagnetic spectrum (see The Smart Home, Part I).

Thus the U-SNAP Alliance, which has come up with the idea of making appliances, home energy sensors, etc. with slots that can fit communications modules that can be switched in and out, depending on which utility service territory they’re aimed at, or as technology brings about newer and better standards.

More here.