Miracle Software Systems

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.