Archive for the ‘Services’ Category

People at IBM and industry experts are trying to use new technology to improve the existing grid. With smart devices placed all over the grid, sending consumption- and production data to a centralized management system, utilities are able to monitor what is happening in the grid and make adjustments on remote control to optimize the system. When you get the full picture it’s easier to get in control and make the right decisions faster.

Watch this information video for more information:

For more information from IBM on Smart Grid, click here!

About the product
Google PowerMeter™ is a free tool from Google that allows utility customers and private customers with a smart meter installed to access their electricity usage data and other information from their utility company on the Internet. The information is presented on their personal iGoogle homepage but only if they sign up for the Google PowerMeter™ gadget. The gadget uses the information from the smart meter and provides the utility customer with tools to analyse the usage. There will be a tight connection between Google and the utility provider with a logotype and link directly to the utility company website. As a utility provider you can send messages directly to your customers’ iGoogle PowerMeter™ gadget. This could open all kinds of possibilities and strengthen the relationship with your customers.

How to be able to use it?
Well there are actually some things that need to be done before your can start analysing your electricity usage in iGoogle! 🙂
First you need to become a partner with Google within the Google PowerMeter™ project. There are just a few companies that are involved in this project at the moment but Google announces that they would like to add more companies. You can inform Google about your interest as a utility company by using the form provided at this link:
https://services.google.com/fb/forms/powerreaderutility/

When you or your utility company becomes partner with Google PowerMeter™ you need to connect to Google’s PowerMeter™ data repository over the Internet and send electricity usage information from your meter or meter data repository. Google has created a step-by-step guide for the configuration and integration process. The information is stored securely inside Google’s data centers. Google PowerMeter™ doesn’t request information from outside; it just receives data that is sent to it. The format should be in XML based on the open Google Data API.
http://code.google.com/apis/gdata/overview.html.
It must be sent via a secured Hypertext Transfer Protocol. It’s more known as HTTPS.

The customer and user must sign up to participate with the Google PowerMeter™ program to be able to use the gadget that is provided by Google. It’s not possible for a utility provider to upload data if their customer hasn’t signed up yet. The data will be rejected.

What do I gain as a customer?
By accessing the information from my smart meter I will be able to easily understand and reduce my energy bill. The information will make me more aware of the situation and it will also help me to be more interested in how I use energy. By changing small things and become more energy efficient I can save money and also the environment.
There are a number of features developed. For example you can compare your consumption against benchmarks. You can use the Budget Tracker to compare the consumption with historical data from your meter. The Google PowerMeter™ gadget presents your usage in a diagram. The resolution depends on the reading frequency provided by your utility company. There will probably be more functionality developed in the future.

Why should utility companies send information to Google PowerMeter™?
A lot of people have already signed up for an iGoogle account and they login to their account on a daily basis. How often do they login to your utility website?
If there is a possibility to not develop these features on your company website but still provide your customers with the information they wish for it could save you a lot of money.

I hope that we will be able to present more information about the Google PowerMeter™ later.

Here are links to my sources:

http://www.google.org/powermeter/index.html
http://www.google.org/powermeter/docs/powermeter-overview-for-utilities.pdf

There are companies that can turn your house into a Smart Home. In a Smart Home you can interact with all connected electrical devices and be in charge of almost everything on remote by pressing a display button or using your cell phone or the Internet.

Smart Homes and energy
Some utility companies have installed devices which enable them to monitor the consumption in real time and their customers can analyze its consumption by using custom-made software on their computer that is connected to the Internet. So far so good, but what I would like to see is exactly what devices in my home that uses how much electricity and when.

IPv6 and NAT
A couple of years ago I read a lot about the new Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6). With IPv6 the amount of IP addresses would get enormous (5^1028) which would make it possible to set an IP number to every electrical device that’s in you home.
For example the TV, DVD, Phones, Home entertainment system, Oven, Refrigerator, Microwave Oven, Lights in every room, Home security alarm system, Carport or anything you could think of. With a connection to each and every one of these devices you will be able to control everything AND maybe also measure it!
The changeover from IPv4 to IPv6 did stagnate because of the development of a new technique making it possible to create several private IP addresses by using a router in a local area network. The router is only using one public address. The technique is called NAT (Network Address Translation).

What I am interested in is also the possibility to measure the consumption used by every unique electrical device in a home and be able to analyse the information. I am certain that it will become real in every home. The question is when? I think within 10 years as standard in new homes.

I will end this post by putting in a commercial video from Houselogix that shows some possibilities for a Smart home. There are several companies on the market. Make a comment to provide us with more links!

http://www.tessco.com

StreamServe can convert almost any document format to another. With StreamServe you will be able to choose what channel you want to distribute the document in. Print, SMS, E-mail, Archive or Fax etc. StreamServe consists of a lot of separate modules that adds features to the installation.
By using your registered customer information you can personalize all documents which increase the customer loyalty and may improve customer response. It’s also great for creating documents that always is up to date with your company’s graphical design. It is managed by using centralized templates for each document type. The information in a document can be created by adding rules to the document input parameters.

StreamServe can be used for creating the utility customer bill. With information about the customer usage history, StreamServe creates a diagram over the past year or whatever you choose and adds it to the invoice. By using segmentation it is possible to fill the bill (or any other document) with information that is or could be of interest for the specific customer.

I have worked with StreamServes products in my profession and I think that it is a great product. I haven’t seen all modules in operation yet but I know that it is a very competent system. The only problem that I have come across is that there are too many modules available which make it difficult to know which one you need for creating certain functions. To be able to use everything that StreamServe can offer you need a lot of education from StreamServe or a good consultant.

A consultant firm with a lot of experience in StreamServe is KnowIT in Umeå for the Nordic countries.
www.knowit.se/en/Umea

Here comes a video presentation from Mike Balin, Senior Director at StreamServe

Visit StreamServe website
www.streamserve.com/industries/utilities/

MECOMS offers a metering and contract management system with a lot of features. Planning, Analysis, Contract & Billing, CRM (Customer Relationship Management), Messaging module for functionality related to EDI, Forecasting, Settlement, Meter Data Collection, Finance and more.

Visit their website for more information
www.mecoms.com

If you are a MECOMS user or developer, sign in and tell us more about it!

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Fident AS provides IT solutions for the optimization of business processes in the energy market.

Fident AS implement and adapt IT-systems solutions so that they can support efficient business processes to power suppliers and network owners in the Nordic energy market.

Fident AS is a solid partner who can help with qualified advice and competent performance in all types of IT systems project.

Fident AS is focused on being a loyal and objective resource for you and your energy company.

 Fident AS offers:

• Project management and coordination.
• Consulting.
• Development and operation adaptation of the IT system solutions throughout the value chain for power and network company.
• Broad expertise and experience in Advanced Measurement, Control systems and processes.
• Competent evaluation of IT systems.
• Support to the evaluation of requirements documents and good supply agreements.

 More information is available at www.fident.no