Archive for the ‘Pre-Deployment’ Category

A process involving building a business case, justifying cost, vendor selection and implementation of planning

Pepco and DC Water to Serve as Utility Hosts and Featured Speakers at Autovation 2011

Posted by Utilimetrics on March 22, 2011

Utilimetrics is pleased to announce that Pepco and DC Water will serve as host utilities for Autovation 2011.

Joseph M. Rigby, chairman of the board, president and CEO of Pepco Holdings, Inc. (PHI) and George S. Hawkins, general manager of DC Water will be keynote speakers at the Opening General Session, Monday, September 26.

Rigby has worked in the electric utility industry since 1979. He was elected PHI president and chief executive officer effective March 1, 2009, and was elected chairman of the board May 15, 2009.

PHI provides utility service to approximately 1.9 million customers. Its service territory includes Washington, DC and suburban Maryland, the Delmarva Peninsula, including Delaware, and southern New Jersey.

Rigby serves on a number of boards, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, EEI and Energy Insurance Mutual. He was recently elected secretary of the Greater Washington Board of Trade.

Rigby earned a B.S. in Accounting from Rutgers University and an MBA from Monmouth University.

George S. Hawkins was named to the general manager post September 3, 2009 by the DC Water board of directors. With an operating and capital budget of nearly $800 million dollars, DC Water provides drinking water delivery and wastewater collection and treatment for a population of more than 600,000 in DC, as well as the millions of people who work in or visit the District. DC Water also treats wastewater for a population of 1.6 million in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in Maryland, and Fairfax and Loudoun counties in Virginia.

Prior to joining DC Water Hawkins served as director of the District Department of the Environment (DDOE). He held senior positions with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and served Vice President Gore on the National Performance Review.

Hawkins graduated Summa Cum Laude from Princeton University and Cum Laude from Harvard Law School.

“This is a year of firsts for Autovation,” said Joel Hoiland, Utilimetrics CEO. “It’s the first time Autovation has had two utility hosts, and the first time it has had a water utility serve as a host,” he said. “We’re very pleased to have these innovative utilities involved in Autovation 2011. Their willingness to share experiences, lessons learned and best practices will enhance our already exceptional education programming for electric, water and gas utilities,” he continued.

Autovation 2011 is Sept. 25-28 at the Gaylord National Resort and Conference Center.

An Early Announcement will be sent to all members in late-March and information will be available on the Utilimetrics website soon.

Posted in Autovation, Clean Technology, Cybersecurity Issues, Demand Response, Deployment, Education, Emerging Technology, Home Area Networks, Meter Data Management, Pre-Deployment, Project Management, Public Policy, SCADA, Smart Grid, Smart Meters, Standards, Transmission and Distribution Technologies, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

Autovation 2011 Courses Announced

Posted by Utilimetrics on March 22, 2011

Autovation Courses Announced

Autovation kicks off September 25 with 23 pre-Autovation courses. Courses are four hours each and cover the AMR/AMI lifecycle from pre-deployment to post-deployment. Courses will be led by subject matter experts who are known and respected throughout the industry. Courses are designed for electric, gas and water utility professionals from investor owned utilities (IOUs), cooperative utilities and municipal utilities.

Morning Courses

Course 1 Real-World Lessons in Project Management, Deployment and Operation of Your MDM

Course 2 The People and Processes Needed to Make Your Smart Grid Deployment Work

Course 3 The Intersection of AMI and OMS

Course 4 From Concept to Approval: Creating an Achievable Smart Grid Plan

Course 5 The IT Project Hidden Within Your Smart Grid Initiative

Course 6 All the Things You Wish You Knew Before You Selected and Deployed Smart Meters

Afternoon Courses

Course 7 Smart Grid Engineering & Operations Strategy and Implementation

Course 8 MDM: What is it? How do I use it?

Course 9 AMI Communication Options

Course 10 Effective Smart Grid Project Management

Course 11 How to Manage a Successful Water AMI Project

Course 12 Evaluating the Opportunity for Utility Demand Response

Autovation 2011 will be held Sept. 25-28 at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Washington, DC.

Save the date and plan to attend. Online registration opens April 1.

Posted in Autovation, Cybersecurity Issues, Demand Response, Deployment, Education, Emerging Technology, Meter Data Management, Pre-Deployment, Project Management, SCADA, Smart Grid, Smart Meters, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

January Webinar Provides New Insights into an Old Problem

Posted by Rachel Gunderson on January 19, 2010

The questions raised in response to the Bakersfield area smart grid installation are of tremendous significance to an energy industry on the verge of large scale rollouts on a global basis. What, for example, should utilities do to gain customer buy-in prior to smart meter deployments? Are there proven methods for gaining consumer confidence and compliance? How should you structure your communication strategy and mitigate your communication risks prior to an automated meter rollout?

These questions, however, are nothing new. They have been an important part of meter pre-deployment strategy from the outset of the automatic meter reading industry. This issue was in fact covered in an article written by Donald Schlenger from R.W. Beck in the very first issue of the Utilimetrics (then AMRA) Newsletter in January 1988.

In 1988 most AMR systems were telephone based, but consumer concerns were the same; privacy, security, and reliability. Schlenger wrote, ”One of the worst things that can happen is for automatic meter reading to become a political issue, for then it will be distorted in rhetoric,” as was the case with Philadelphia Gas Works in the late 80′s. Schlenger’s article lists 11 public relations guidelines to be followed leading up to and during a smart meter deployment, many of which are still applicable today. You can read the full article here – January 1988 – Automatic Meter Reading and Public Relations.

For more information on current communication trends, consider attending our January 28 webinar, Smart Meters and the Smart Grid: Methods for Averting a Public Relations Nightmare. In this 60-minute webinar, Bernie Bujnowksi, of BJB Consulting, discusses the significance of communication strategies and risk management for successful deployments, while Dave Watts, Communication Lead at HydroOne, and Chuck Caisley, Senior Director of Public Affairs at Kansas City Power & Light, describe their strategies and processes for achieving deployment objectives and customer satisfaction goals. Registration is now open.

Posted in Pre-Deployment, Smart Grid, Smart Meters | Leave a Comment »

Informing Consumers – An Important Step in New Deployments

Posted by Rachel Gunderson on November 10, 2009

I talk about the smart grid often at work, but now I’m starting to hear about it at home as well. Last week, Al Gore was interviewed on The Daily Show with John Stewart, and discussed the benefits of the smart grid, or the “super grid” as he called it.

The ideas and technologies that we have been discussing for years are starting to take center stage in the mainstream media. Hundreds of utilities across the continent are set to make improvements to their existing systems in the next year. How will they prepare their consumers for the impact of these new technologies?

As we saw during last month’s backlash against the installment of PG&E’s smart meters, any adverse changes in consumer rates can cause a situation where the new technology becomes a scapegoat. In the case of PG&E , while the new meters are still being retested , it is believed that bill increases were likely caused by a combination of a rate increases approved by the state Public Utilities Commission in March and above average summer temperatures. Could this mess have been avoided with better consumer communication? Utilities should keep in mind that empowering consumers with strong, clear communication is an important step toward a successful deployment.

How is your company helping to keep consumers informed about upcoming changes?

Posted in Clean Technology, Deployment, Grants, Pre-Deployment, Smart Grid, Smart Meters | Leave a Comment »

Smart Grid & Speed

Posted by Utilimetrics on November 6, 2009

Word has it that utilities who were awarded stimulus funds are going to be working at an incredible speed.

Get good ideas for your own efforts by learning from some winners of stimulus funding.

We come right to you with a Nov. 23 webinar for anyone involved in Smart Grid development.

Featured speakers will be Bob Sitkauskas of DTE Energy, Jeff Nichols of Sempra Energy Utilities San Diego Gas & Electric, and Kenny Mercado, CenterPoint Energy. These grant award winners will discuss the implications of the smart energy grid award program for the utility sector, their technology service providers and consumers.

Click here to learn more and Register for this webinar.

Posted in Deployment, Education, Grants, Pre-Deployment, Project Management, Smart Grid, Smart Meters | Leave a Comment »

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