Archived Utility Notes
Published in 2013
Permanent URLAnalytics lessons from telecom—What utilities can learn from telecom analytics
by H. Christine Richards
As utilities frequently tell us, their companies often lag behind other industries in terms of analytics use and innovation. However, there some benefits to this approach, such as opportunities to learn from the other industries that have already gone through the pains of trying things out first. To learn more about what utilities could learn from examples in the telecom industry, I recently spoke with Paul Moon, vice president, GridMaven, who spent much of his career in telecom before focusing on the utility industry.
Paul began by noting the parallels with the infrastructure modernization efforts for both industries. “Utilities are making strategic decisions around how to modernize technologies and business processes, similar to what telecom companies had to do years ago with their communications networks. A good example of this modernization for utilities is moving from traditional meters to smart meters. As they’re rolling out these smart meters, utilities must manage many new different types of networks to ensure they’re accurately capturing the data from their smart meters. They may have meters that operate on a radio frequency mesh network that gets backhauled to a public cellular infrastructure that then gets routed to fiber and finally to the utility’s back office. Knowing what happens at each stage, and being able to ensure the integrity of the data and reliability of the networks is increasingly difficult in such a complex environment, where different business units or even other companies, may have ownership of those networks.
“Utilities haven’t traditionally had to manage multiple network environments where they’re looking at the transmission of data from one network to another to another, but the telecom industry actually does this quite efficiently and, after decades of operating in this environment, has developed some best practices.”
This infrastructure modernization has unleashed huge volumes of data for both industries -- and created huge changes for them. “Much like the telecom industry, utilities are dealing with a growing mountain of data; they’re not only looking at the volume but the variety of data as well,” Paul noted. “Processing that growing volume and variety of data and finding what’s operationally important is the real challenge. continued…
first published week of: 04/08/2013
Permanent URLArcGIS Online Configuration for Water Utilities & Water Utility Apps
by howard crothers
Over the past year we’ve been working with water, sewer and storm water utilities to learn how they are deploying ArcGIS Online, organizing their content, creating maps, managing hosted feature services and using it to serve the needs of their utility. We’ve captured best practices from successful ArcGIS Online subscriptions and created a “model” ArcGIS Online Organization Configuration for Water Utilities.
Our model ArcGIS Online Organization Configuration for Water Utilities is essentially instructions you can follow to quickly configure an ArcGIS Online subscription for a water, sewer or storm water utility. Utilizing our configuration will significantly accelerate the task of setting up your ArcGIS Online subscription and make it immediately organized, familiar and useful to water utility staff.
Our model ArcGIS Online Configuration for Water Utilities includes:
- Instructions to set up your landing page
- Foundational groups to support organization of GIS content and services
- Functional groups to facilitate sharing and collaboration among water utility departments and enable cross-departmental workflows
- Instructions on authoring and sharing geographic content
- Icons and a templates for making landing page banners and thumbnails
New Water Utility Apps Configurations
We’ve also recently created a series of new app configurations for water utilities. These new app configurations are essentially recipes to configure the ArcGIS Platform to support water utility workflows (inspect a fire hydrant, notify stakeholders of a sewer overflow, etc.) or enable a capability (deploy a web map of your utility networks that can work on any device). These new configurations leverage the sharing capabilities of your ArcGIS Online subscription.
The configurations we just released are:
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first published week of: 07/22/2013
Permanent URLArmed With Lots Of Lasers, American Researchers Just Got Another Step Closer To Fusion Power
by jeff spross
In late September, American scientists got more energy out of a fusion reaction than the fuel absorbed in igniting it — the first time that’s been achieved by researchers anywhere in the world. The research team that pulled it off is based at the National Ignition Facility (NIF), in Livermore, California. And in a bitter twist, they were furloughed just days afterward by the government shutdown.
Traditional nuclear power is achieved through controlled fission reactions, which involve firing particles into a fuel made of a heavy element. That sets of a chain reaction as atoms in the fuel split, sending out more particles that in turn split more atoms. Fusion reactions, by contrast, are achieved by, well, fusing two light atoms — usually hydrogen — into a heavier element. As with fission, the fusion reactions release a large amount of energy, which is used to heat water into steam and drive a turbine, generating electricity.
But fusion reactions require a tremendous amount of power to set off. Consider that the fusion reactions powering the sun are ignited by the sheer scale of the gravitational pressure at the star’s core. That’s why getting more energy out of a fusion reaction than is put into setting it off would be such a big deal. But it’s also why technologically and economically feasible fusion-based nuclear power remains so elusive, despite the decades we’ve already sunk into research without producing a commercially viable energy source.
According to the BBC, the NIF team didn’t quite reach that milestone, because “known ‘inefficiencies’ in different parts of the system mean not all the energy supplied through the laser is delivered to the fuel.” So the system, taken holistically, isn’t yet generating an energy gain on net. But the fact that the fuel’s reaction itself resulted in a net gain is still a major step forward.
The team’s methodology used “192 beams from the world’s most powerful laser to heat and compress a small pellet of hydrogen fuel to the point where nuclear fusion reactions take place.” continued…
first published week of: 10/14/2013
Permanent URLAssembly bill threatens to fry solar movement
by steve scauzillo
What do Linda Hecht of Redlands, Laureen Pittman of Riverside and Joy Brown Meredith of Palm Springs have in common?
Nothing, really. Except that they are the first three people to invest in PBS food show host Cliff Young's latest project, a solar- powered ice cream truck called SoCal Scoops.
Launched on the crowd funding website RocketHub.com, SoCal Scoops is looking for $17,500 to kick start this green venture. While it may be only 1 percent funded, the idea is representative of the growing trend of small solar projects sweeping across the Sun Belt.
Some call it green going small.
You may have heard of those large solar panel installations being built in the California desert? If not, I'll list a few: There's Copper Mountain (150 megawatts) in Nevada; the Ivanpah solar plant (392 MW) under construction near Las Vegas; the Mojave Solar Project (280 MW) under construction near Barstow. continued…
first published week of: 08/19/2013
Permanent URLAudubon Society rethinking turbine plan
by Mary Ann Bragg
The Massachusetts Audubon Society has decided to rethink its strategy for raising a wind turbine at the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary on Route 6 after hearing many concerns from townspeople about the plans, sanctuary director Robert Prescott said Wednesday.
The Audubon Society has requested that a zoning board of appeals hearing that had been scheduled for Thursday on the proposed wind turbine be postponed until Nov. 21, according to town records. The society will likely request that the Nov. 21 hearing be continued as well, to allow sanctuary staff to figure out the best way to move forward, Prescott said. The sanctuary is at 291 Route 6.
In mid-June the Audubon Society applied for two variances to the town’s zoning bylaws for the installation of a Gaia-Wind 133 wind turbine that would be placed on a 120-foot monopole tower, according to town records. The turbine has two blades and is typically used on farms or by small businesses or community projects. The society was seeking permission for the turbine as part of its commitment to use more renewable energy systems and conserve more energy. The variances requested were for tower height and diameter of the rotor.
The tight timetable for the project and the request for zoning variances seemed to have raised concerns, Prescott said. continued…
first published week of: 09/23/2013
Permanent URLAustin Energy Goes Live With AutoGrid Demand Response Platform
Texas-based utility Austin Energy has successfully conducted back-to-back demand response events with the Demand Response Optimization and Management System (DROMS), a cloud-based platform from AutoGrid Systems.
Under Austin Energy's demand response initiative, consumers are allowed to select their own thermostat from a number of different manufacturers, including ecobee. The program also covers electric vehicle (EV) charging stations from ChargePoint. Consumers are free to opt out of individual events.
Using AutoGrid's DROMS platform, Austin Energy was able to plan and declare demand response events on July 11, 12, 25, 31 and Aug. 1.
According to AutoGrid, some of the highlights of the Austin Energy program include the following:
- Austin Energy was able to notify customers via email in addition to direct communication across different devices and channels of communication for automated participation in events.
- On the demand response event for July 11, 85% of the available ChargePoint EV charging stations and 80% of customers with ecobee thermostats enrolled in the program participated in the event.
- On July 12, 100% of ChargePoint stations participated and 90% of ecobee customers participated. The remaining 10% of the customers opted out through the thermostat portal.
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first published week of: 08/12/2013
Permanent URLBack to Basics Video: What Is Geothermal Energy Anyway?
by jennifer runyon
Geothermal energy is the Earth’s own renewable energy. All other renewables and in fact, all other forms of energy, hinge on the sun: wind power, solar power, even fossil fuels wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the sun. (And neither would we, of course.)
If you are even slightly knowledgeable about geothermal energy, you probably understand that it uses high temperature water and steam found deep underneath the earth’s surface to make power. To oversimplify the process, first geologists determine that an area of high temperature exists underground. Second drillers bore into the earth in order to better assess and tap into the resource. If the resource proves to be viable enough, a power plant can be constructed on top of it. Hot water that is converted to steam is then used to drive turbines to make electricity.
A tiny country in the North Atlantic Ocean has perfected the art of geothermal discovery, drilling and utilization. Iceland currently derives 25 percent of its electrical power from geothermal energy and the resource also provides more than 90 percent of the country’s heat and hot water. continued…
first published week of: 04/15/2013
Permanent URLBattery project on Scottish island may solve energy riddle
by taipeitimes.com
The Scottish island of Gigha is to be the focus of a £2.5 million (US$4 million) experiment aimed at solving a major technological problem: How to store energy generated by wind, tide and wave power plants.
The project, which will involve building giant batteries from 75,000 liters of sulphuric acid mixed with vanadium pentoxide, is intended to allow power generated by the island’s wind turbines to be stored for later use.
At present, while Gigha’s turbines are running, their power is used to run households on the island and excess is transmitted by cable to the mainland electricity grid. When winds are low and Gigha’s turbines do not turn, the grid feeds power to the island. However, the cable link has an upper power limit. As a result, much of the island’s excess power cannot be transmitted to the mainland and is wasted. continued…
first published week of: 11/11/2013
Permanent URLBe energy efficient in the office: simple ways to save money
by energyswitcheroo.com
An office houses a magnitude of electrical equipment that if not turned off properly will waste electricity and waste money. By following simple things you can do at your own desk and in the workplace, you will benefit the environment and fundamentally companies’ energy bills could save up to 20%, according to the Carbon Trust.
Energy Suppliers – By changing energy suppliers’ average utility bills could drastically be cut. Energy Switcheroo offers easy switching for commercial use as well as domestic.
- Heating and Cooling – Switch off the heating when the office is empty.
- Reduce the heating to areas that aren’t used often
- Ensure windows are closed when the heating is on to keep heating efficient.
- Lighting – Use natural light whenever possible
- Energy efficient light bulbs may be more expensive but will save in the long run.
- Switch Off – ensure lights are turned off when you leave a room
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first published week of: 10/07/2013
Permanent URLBelkin Gadget Will Reveal How Much Energy Your Devices Use
by rachel metz
If you use a credit card or a cell phone, chances are you get a monthly statement detailing each purchase or call. This may soon expand to your utility bills, too: a project in the works at electronics company Belkin makes it possible to see how much electricity you’re spending on everything from the TV in your living room to the washing machine in your basement.
Called Belkin Echo Electricity, it’s a small device that connects to your utility meter and pays attention to the electromagnetic interference, or “noise,” emitted by electrical appliances plugged in to wall outlets. It is currently being tested in a handful of U.S. homes, and Belkin plans to install 10,000 of them over the next year in places ranging from military housing to apartments to hotels. Eventually, utilities could build the device into home meters or you could simply plug one into an outlet in your house. continued…
first published week of: 08/05/2013
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