Major Challenges for all the Utilities & Energy
Companies
AMI (Automated Metering
infrastructure)
Advanced Metering infrastructure
provides benefits with increased efficiencies, outage
detection, tamper notification and reduced labor cost as a
result of automating reads, connections and disconnects for
utilities, retail providers and customers will be recognized
by the utilities. Retail Providers will be able to offer new
innovative products in addition to customizing packages for
their customers. In addition, with the meter data being
readily available, more flexible billing cycles would be
available to their customers instead of following the standard
utility read cycles. With timely usage information available
to the customer, benefits will be seen through opportunities
to manage their energy consumption Automated Metering
Initiative is going on in the Industry in terms of replacing
the Manual Mechanical Energy Meters at the Residential
facilities with Digital Automated Meters, which can
communicate in Two Way Mechanism via the same Power Lines. So,
this reduces the Man Power Costs drastically who were taking
the readings manually and entering in to the Utility Billing
Systems.
EBPP (Electronic Bill Payment
presentment)
Electronic bill payment and
presentment (EBPP) includes an electronic bill payment system
(EBPS). Electronic bill payment and presentment is "the
electronic bill presentment to the consumer and the electronic
initiation of payment by the consumer" This was done
completely by postal mail before the internet. Sending bills
electronically via the internet is much faster and cheaper. To
automate some of the Manual Intensive processes like Helping
the Builders applying and getting the required Permits for New
/ Upgrade Construction Activities, Reacting to Weather Changes
and handling the Power Outages, Proactive Monitoring of the
Grid with Manual Intervention, Weather Forecast driven Energy
Trading with Integration to the Power Generation / Power
Consumtion Information.
V2G (Vehicle to Grid)
Vehicle to Grid provides power to
help balance loads by "valley filling" (charging at night when
demand is low) and "peak shaving" (sending power back to the
grid when demand is high). It can enable utilities new ways to
provide regulation services and provide spinning reserves. In
future development, it has been proposed that such use of
electric vehicles could buffer renewable power sources such as
wind power, for example, by storing excess energy produced
during windy periods and providing it back to the grid during
high load periods, thus effectively stabilizing the unreliable
nature of wind power. vehicle-to-grid technology is a
renewable energy approach that can penetrate the baseline
electric market. It has been proposed that public utilities
would not have to build as many natural gas or coal-fired
power plants to meet peak demand or as an insurance policy
against blackouts Since demand can be measured locally by a
simple frequency measurement, dynamic load leveling can be
provided as needed.
VMS (Vegetation Management Solutions)
Utility Vegetation Management
programs represent as one of the largest recurring maintenance
expenses for electric utility companies in North America.
Keeping trees and vegetation from conflicting with overhead
conductors is a critical and expensive responsibility of all
utility companies concerned about electric service reliability
and fire mitigation. The vast majority of work in this
multi-billion-dollar-a-year industry is not performed by
utility personnel, but rather outsourced to specialized tree
and vegetation management contractors. These contractors
typically work under the direction of a utility company
Arborist or Forester who is charged with overall management of
the UVM program.
UVM program can include all of the following activities like
Tree pruning and removal ,Vegetation control around poles,
substations, and other electric facilities , Manual,
mechanical, or chemical control of vegetation along
rights-of-way ,Pre- and post inspections of required work ,
Tree planting and transplanting , Research and development
,Public education ,Tree inventories, work management systems,
and sundry computerized functions .
While this industry has been around in some form or another
since the first tree caused an outage on overhead lines, it is
still relatively immature in many respects. There are many
utilities that have comprehensive, well-funded, and very
effective programs. Conversely, there still remain utilities
that pay little attention to this important activity. They opt
instead to look at UVM as a function best handled by the
contractors.
Broadband Over Power lines
An emerging technology may be the
newest heavy hitter in the competitive world of broadband
Internet service. It offers high-speed access to your home
through the most unlikely path a common electrical outlet.
With broadband over power lines, or BPL, you can plug your
computer into any electrical outlet in your home and instantly
have access to high-speed Internet. By combining the
technological principles of radio, wireless networking, and
modems, developers have created a way to send data over power
lines and into homes at speeds between 500 kilobits and 3
megabits per second (equivalent to DSL and cable). Despite the
proliferation of broadband technology in the last few years,
there are still huge parts of the world that don't have access
to high-speed Internet. When weighed against the relatively
small number of customers Internet providers would gain, the
cost of laying cable and building the necessary infrastructure
to provide DSL or cable in rural areas is too great. But if
broadband could be served through power lines, there would be
no need to build a new infrastructure. Anywhere there is
electricity there could be broadband.
Smart Grid / Intelligent Grid
Smart Grid a reality by aligning
the interests of electric utilities, consumers and the
environment. Smart grid platform empowers utilities to
optimize electrical grid management, achieve business
objectives, increase grid reliability, promote environmental
stewardship and fuel the adoption of renewable energy
sources.However, intelligent grids require much more than
next-generation distribution management systems, system
protection and distribution automation technologies. They must
also present end users with smart appliance and energy
technology options and opportunities to integrate them into
energy markets.
Field Service Automation / BPM
based Process Automation
There is significant investments
being made by Utilities in this area. This is to automate some
of the Manual Intensive processes like Helping the Builders
applying and getting the required Permits for New / Upgrade
Construction Activities, Reacting to Weather Changes and
handling the Power Outages, Proactive Monitoring of the Grid
with Manual Intervention, Weather Forecast driven Energy
Trading with Integration to the Power Generation / Power
Consumtion Information.
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