Operator interfaces providenetwork management functions

Tag : Energy Power Meter
Alcatel-Lucent is offering a new phone-based "smart"metering system to utilities customers. The company say itstechnology will make it possible for utilities to provide consumerswith detailed, near real-time information about their personalenergy consumption, giving them the knowledge they need to useelectricity more efficiently and reduce their energy costs andcarbon footprints.
The real-time data processing system, based on Alcatel-Lucent'sOpen Service Platform (OSP), offers meter reading, metermanagement, infrastructure and data management capabilities. Thecompany says its technology, which is scalable, is capable ofgathering call data from hundreds of millions of meter-generatedphone calls. The smart-metering OSP adapts the system to therequirements of utility providers, counting kilowatt-hours orgallons per minute instead of call minutes.
The system's Web interface is designed to provide consumers withdetailed information on their total power consumption. Theinterface makes it possible for utilities to help their customersbe more efficient in their energy use and to offer discounts onenergy consumption that takes place outside of peak usage hours.Information provided by the system enables consumers to reducetheir monthly bills by taking simple steps, such as washing clothesin the evening or reducing air conditioner use during peak hours.
"Smart metering will help the utilities sector address some ofthe most difficult challenges it faces today, including how to makebetter use of the existing infrastructure and help consumers getthe most out of their energy use," says Michel Fabian,president of Alcatel-Lucent's industry and public sector businessunit. "Smart metering will take center stage for powerutilities in particular as they respond to increasing pressure toprovide improved monitoring of energy demand, and enable consumersto better control their energy use by providing more accurate andtimely feedback."
Besides data gathering and processing capabilities, the solutionprovides numerous features and add-ons. Operator interfaces providenetwork management functions, such as alarm handling, monitoringand configuration, as well as the provisioning of consumer datasuch as name, address, tariffs and meter identities. Data forconsumer billing is sent via an interface to the energy provider'ssystems.
The system enables utility providers and consumers to have a nearreal-time view of energy consumption. The technology isn't onlylimited to monitoring electrical energy usage, says Alcatel-Lucent,since the system can be adapted to intelligently monitor anyelectronic meter, including water and gas meters.