At the heart of every utility is the customer — not regulators, not governments and not even shareholders. Without a happy customer, shareholder value is hard to sustain. And yet with so much change on the agenda at most utility companies, it is easy to lose sight of the ultimate impact on the customer. We Continue reading →
In apparent effort to allow the state’s utility company Enemalta to improve its cash flow position, 24,000 new smart meters will be installed in households and businesses and radically improve readings of energy consumption. The government has also reorganized ARMS Ltd. to issue electricity and water bills on a regular basis, something which seems to Continue reading →
Willett Kempton had an idea way back in 1997 about an electric car that would do more than just allow an owner to commute to work without using a drop of gas. The University of Delaware professor wanted that same vehicle to store power and be able to pump it back onto the utility grid, Continue reading →
On Christmas night, Maja Bendtsen and her husband were curled up on the couch watching TV in their cozy house on the Danish island of Bornholm. Suddenly the house lost power. “The lights flickered briefly and then everything went black,” Bendtsen recalls. Peeking out the window, they saw that the whole neighborhood was dark. A Continue reading →
Earlier this month I had the opportunity to attend Doble Engineering’s 80th International User’s Conference in Boston, in which 1300 utility executives from 35 countries gathered to trade experiences, attend workshops, and see the newest utility testing gear from Doble (A subsidiary of ESCO Technologies). This was a good opportunity for me to talk to Continue reading →
Toshiba Corp. has announced that it will work with Tokyo Electric Power Co. to create a communication system for the utility’s smart meter rollout of 27 million units in the next decade. via Renew Grid: Content / New & Noteworthy / Toshiba Supplying Communication System For 27 Million Smart Meters.
Because of its vastness, complexity, and indispensability, the American power grid presents a number of different challenges to state utility commissions, legislators, energy utilities and researchers who wish to study and improve it. As part of this effort, states and the electric utility industry are working to incorporate a greater percentage of clean energy resources Continue reading →
The first comprehensive and large scale smart grid is now operating. The $800 million project, built in Florida, has made power outages shorter and less frequent, and helped some customers save money, according to the utility that operates it. Smart grids should be far more resilient than conventional grids, which is important for surviving storms, Continue reading →
Orga Systems this week announced it is joining the eMeter Alliance Program as an Integration, Technology and Developer Partner. Together, Orga Systems and eMeter, A Siemens Business, will collectively develop and sell integrated products for utility smart grid systems. via Orga Systems joins Siemens’ eMeter initiative.
It took four years and more than $800 million, but Florida Power & Light has become one of the first utility companies in the country to complete installation of its smart-grid system. Florida’s largest utility marked completion of the massive project — nine months ahead of schedule — during a ceremony Wednesday in Palm Beach Continue reading →
Should we be talking to consumers about smart homes instead of smart meters? That’s what a new study out of the UK seems to suggest. Scroll down for a quick peek at that report and three more we think you’ll find as interesting as we did. via Smart Grid: 4 reports in 4 minutes: smart meters, Continue reading →
A full, two-way advanced metering solution delivers benefits for utilities and consumers, including more efficient outage management, improved load optimization and demand response, automated remote disconnect and access to information critical for managing energy usage. Although advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) is a key enabler for meeting present and future demands on the electrical grid, justifying Continue reading →
Because of smart grid expansion and advanced meter infrastructure, many utilities are replacing existing electricity meters with new solid-state smart meters and two-way communication devices. These new systems offer significant new benefits to the consumer and utility (electricity service provider). For the first time, these new meters will allow the consumers to adjust their electricity Continue reading →
No one’s home and your air conditioner thinks it shouldn’t have to work so hard. Your oven’s pretty sure you’re not going to use it until dinner time so it wants to go to sleep. And when the power goes out in your neighborhood, the utility crew doesn’t have to play an educated guessing game Continue reading →
When Sandy battered the Northeast – the super storm knocked out power to as many as 10 million people in 21 states. It was by far the biggest utility disruption in U.S. history. And it got the attention of those trying to upgrade the power grid. Smart switch at S&C Electric On Chicago’s North Side, Continue reading →
A couple of big players got tapped to supply the full-meal deal after running successful utility pilots. A company in India landed a $60 million contract to build substations in Iraq. Scroll down and over to page 2 for details on those deals and the rest of this week’s roster of smart grid wins. via Continue reading →
The Utility Analytics Institute has launched a new Web-based platform that promotes dialogue, research and strategy among utility analytics professionals. The site provides unbiased utility analytics research and information, and promotes the sharing of strategies, time-saving measures, best practices, cost efficiencies and lessons learned. via Renew Grid: Content / FYI / Utility Analytics Institute Debuts Continue reading →
The Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative (SGCC) recently selected San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) as one of four utilities to appear as a smart grid success case study in its 2013 State of the Consumer Report. I recently discussed in more detail the specifics of the utility’s approach with SDG&E’s Director of Customer Programs and Continue reading →
San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has recently earned two national recognitions that demonstrate the utility’s momentum in developing a smart grid for the benefit of the region. SDG&E received the “Top Ten Best North American Utilities” award for smart grid development from Greentech Media, which is one of the nation’s leading cleantech news and research websites. SDG&E Continue reading →
