The electric energy industry is on the cusp of experiencing something that will revolutionize its business processes – machine-to-machine (M2M) technology.
So, what is M2M technology? It is a system that enables autonomous applications to "talk to," monitor and control intelligent machines that are connected to the physical world with data-collecting sensors and action-causing actuators. These central coordinating applications and talking intelligent machines form a "machine-net" similar to the Internet, which is, itself, a broad network of machines (computers). The radio frequency identification (RFID) tags discussed so much lately are a good example of an M2M technology, but they are just one facet of the technology.
The ramifications of a system that enables the world’s six billion intelligent machines to communicate and adjust automatically are astounding, but most readers here probably want to know how it’s going to change the electric energy industry.
M2M and GIS
There’s an ongoing effort underway for utilities to make services more efficient by monitoring and tracking vehicle location and dispatching them based on that location information. In addition, there are initiatives to have trouble tickets entered online. That will eliminate the waiting and
paperwork typically associated with filing trouble tickets. M2M technology can help these processes enormously.
Vehicle tracking for utilities involves geographic information systems (GIS). Remote assets are outfitted with a GPS device, sensors and some form of wireless transmission capability – most likely a telemetry device. The remote asset systems communicate with the GIS central information/
mapping portal. In many cases, a fleet manager monitors this portal and directs vehicles from location to location, depending on the proximity of a vehicle to a problem or incident site. In addition, utilities can display many static items in their GIS – transmission lines, depots, transformer stations, etc. Utilities can use all of this information to plan the management and maintenance of their distribution networks. With M2M, they now can also manage mobile assets and direct them to places that need service.
Because the fleet manager is able to view a screen with a map of the vehicles’ locations, he can route them efficiently. The only problem is that a fleet manager can’t spend all day in front of a screen. By automating the process, M2M technology can address that issue and improve business processes further. The following scenario illustrates how that works:
An outage occurs in a small section of a subdivision. Even before residents begin calling in to notify the utility company about the problem, a sensor on one of the transformers registers that a system failure has occurred. That information is relayed via telemetry to the utility company’s central information M2M portal. Based on a set of parameters entered into the portal, it accesses the GIS information on its fleet of repair crews. The M2M portal system locates the nearest available repair crew vehicle with the necessary tools and equipment to address the outage in the subdivision. The system then automatically files a trouble ticket and sends a pre-programmed text message via mobile phone to the crew in that vehicle. The crew receives the message, which offers details on the location of the outage and which component of which transformer has failed. This information will save the crew time in trying to identify the location or cause of the problem. The crew then heads over to start making repairs.
The entire above scenario, save for the actual repairs, is registered and managed automatically with an M2M system. The time saved through the use of an M2M system is significant, and the system is virtually unlimited in its potential to improve business processes. Going back to the scenario, the system could automatically order reserve replacement parts for those that had failed. Those parts can be on their way to the restocking warehouse before the repair truck even reaches the outage location.
Taking this even further, the M2M system can be set up so that equipment sensors detect broken components before a failure occurs. These sensors can trigger an alarm that updates the central
system that routes a repair crew to thwart an outage. The alarm message can be programmed so that it is sent via a chain of command to the appropriate individuals on a variety of receiving devices – everything from a mobile phone or laptop to a wirelessly enabled PDA.
These uses are merely those that have been thought of, at present. The beauty of an M2M system is that any machines that have data-collecting sensors can be integrated, and their data can be used to develop new and different applications that will govern the behavior of still more machines. At some point, it is feasible that any business process involving intelligent machines can be automated with an M2M system and managed from and by the portal.
Load Shedding and Automated Meter Reading
There are other more specific examples of M2M technology at use in the electrical energy industry. In particular, tasks such as load shedding and improved meter-reading procedures can be accomplished through the use of an M2M system.
The load-shedding service is becoming quite popular as an offering from many electric utility companies. While most do not have an in-house operation to handle load-shedding activities, they do contract with companies that can offer the service to their customers.
M2M technology can play a crucial role in the load shedding service. In a typical scenario, for example, in a large grocery store, the electric utility company will go into the store and set up devices that will measure the power consumption of individual machines or systems in various sections of the store. These devices will be set up on the freezers and refrigerators, HVAC systems and any other significant power consumption systems.
The monitoring equipment contains sensors that measure and collect data to determine the level of power consumed by each of the systems, at what times of day they are using the most power and how much they are contributing to the overall power consumption of the building. If the power company finds a machine that is a significant cause of the peak energy consumption or is a major cause of consumption during the most expensive rating period, the team can inform the store of the situation so the store can go in and adjust the operation of some of the units. This enables them to shed the load and cut some of the peak usage, which is good for everyone. Customers save the money they would have spent on peak charges, and the electric power company is not faced with the challenge of too much energy demand during peak hours.
Where M2M features prominently in the equation is in the collection of sensor data. With an M2M system in place, the power usage data collected from the machines is transmitted via telemetry to a central point, where it can be monitored through a portal. Depending on the sophistication of the system and the parameters set up by the electric company, if a machine begins to reach an excess level of power consumption, the M2M system can register that information and send out an alarm to a technician to address the situation. Or, if the system is advanced enough (featuring two-way units that can send alarms and receive commands), the M2M technology can make the adjustment to the machine based on the parameters outlined by the company.
A prime example of this technology in action would be sensing units installed on the freezer cases at the grocery store. The sensors monitor temperature and can help the store regulate the temperature so that less energy is used during peak power consumption time. With M2M, the entire process can be automated with a kind of "set it and forget it" mindset for the store. The M2M system monitors the temperature as well as the power consumption rates and adjusts the freezer temperature controls accordingly. A more traditional system might set the freezer units to cut back on power consumption at a specific time each day, but, because peak usage is variable, the M2M system helps the freezer units to adjust fluidly. That way, they remain cool, but they do not over tax the power supply for the store.
For automated meter reading, many utilities already have systems in place that conduct remote meter reading activities efficiently. Integrating this system with M2M technology would enable the power company to link meter reading with other business processes monitored by the M2M system. This could help to increase efficiencies further. Utility companies could find that an M2M system linked with meter reading capabilities for commercial industrial applications would be particularly effective. Because meter reading for such applications provides a near-constant stream of data, the monitoring capabilities of an M2M system could help to automate some peak usage management and load shedding initiatives for commercial industrial applications.
Endless Possibilities
The important thing for electric energy utilities and other companies to remember is that M2M technology has few limits. The applications that have been conceived to date for this technology are merely a drop in the bucket. M2M is designed to allow all intelligent machines to talk to each other and adjust themselves to improve efficiencies. The resulting improved business processes are not restricted to the utility industry. They cross
virtually all industries.
Eventually, it is feasible that M2M technology will filter down to the intelligent machines the average person uses on a daily basis. At that point, it will reach beyond business process improvement, and it will enter the realm of life improvement. True success in M2M will happen when it becomes pervasive – so pervasive and so integrated that people cease to notice that it’s even there. The possibilities opened up by this technology are endless, and it’s all being born and incubated in industries like electrical energy.
About SensorLogic
SensorLogic makes it easy for companies to develop what normally would be very complex machine-to-machine (M2M) applications. Based in Dallas, Texas, SensorLogic provides an integrated M2M solution that bundles all necessary components and device management capabilities with the most effective wireless data communications service. SensorLogic is the first provider that doesn’t force developers to spend huge amounts of capital or require a lengthy time-to-market to deploy private-label commercial-grade M2M services. More information on the company can be found at www.sensorlogic.com.
About Jeff Smith
Jeff Smith founded SensorLogic in 2002 to answer the question, "Can’t we all just get along?" Except that the "we" here is machines and the "getting along" is machine-to-machine (M2M) communication. After leading OnRamp Technologies, one of the industry’s first Internet service providers, to a $5 billion acquisition by NTT, Smith recognized a need in the marketplace to deliver M2M solutions that make telemetry easy.
So, what is M2M technology? It is a system that enables autonomous applications to "talk to," monitor and control intelligent machines that are connected to the physical world with data-collecting sensors and action-causing actuators. These central coordinating applications and talking intelligent machines form a "machine-net" similar to the Internet, which is, itself, a broad network of machines (computers). The radio frequency identification (RFID) tags discussed so much lately are a good example of an M2M technology, but they are just one facet of the technology.
The ramifications of a system that enables the world’s six billion intelligent machines to communicate and adjust automatically are astounding, but most readers here probably want to know how it’s going to change the electric energy industry.
M2M and GIS
There’s an ongoing effort underway for utilities to make services more efficient by monitoring and tracking vehicle location and dispatching them based on that location information. In addition, there are initiatives to have trouble tickets entered online. That will eliminate the waiting and
paperwork typically associated with filing trouble tickets. M2M technology can help these processes enormously.
Vehicle tracking for utilities involves geographic information systems (GIS). Remote assets are outfitted with a GPS device, sensors and some form of wireless transmission capability – most likely a telemetry device. The remote asset systems communicate with the GIS central information/
mapping portal. In many cases, a fleet manager monitors this portal and directs vehicles from location to location, depending on the proximity of a vehicle to a problem or incident site. In addition, utilities can display many static items in their GIS – transmission lines, depots, transformer stations, etc. Utilities can use all of this information to plan the management and maintenance of their distribution networks. With M2M, they now can also manage mobile assets and direct them to places that need service.
Because the fleet manager is able to view a screen with a map of the vehicles’ locations, he can route them efficiently. The only problem is that a fleet manager can’t spend all day in front of a screen. By automating the process, M2M technology can address that issue and improve business processes further. The following scenario illustrates how that works:
An outage occurs in a small section of a subdivision. Even before residents begin calling in to notify the utility company about the problem, a sensor on one of the transformers registers that a system failure has occurred. That information is relayed via telemetry to the utility company’s central information M2M portal. Based on a set of parameters entered into the portal, it accesses the GIS information on its fleet of repair crews. The M2M portal system locates the nearest available repair crew vehicle with the necessary tools and equipment to address the outage in the subdivision. The system then automatically files a trouble ticket and sends a pre-programmed text message via mobile phone to the crew in that vehicle. The crew receives the message, which offers details on the location of the outage and which component of which transformer has failed. This information will save the crew time in trying to identify the location or cause of the problem. The crew then heads over to start making repairs.
The entire above scenario, save for the actual repairs, is registered and managed automatically with an M2M system. The time saved through the use of an M2M system is significant, and the system is virtually unlimited in its potential to improve business processes. Going back to the scenario, the system could automatically order reserve replacement parts for those that had failed. Those parts can be on their way to the restocking warehouse before the repair truck even reaches the outage location.
Taking this even further, the M2M system can be set up so that equipment sensors detect broken components before a failure occurs. These sensors can trigger an alarm that updates the central
system that routes a repair crew to thwart an outage. The alarm message can be programmed so that it is sent via a chain of command to the appropriate individuals on a variety of receiving devices – everything from a mobile phone or laptop to a wirelessly enabled PDA.
These uses are merely those that have been thought of, at present. The beauty of an M2M system is that any machines that have data-collecting sensors can be integrated, and their data can be used to develop new and different applications that will govern the behavior of still more machines. At some point, it is feasible that any business process involving intelligent machines can be automated with an M2M system and managed from and by the portal.
Load Shedding and Automated Meter Reading
There are other more specific examples of M2M technology at use in the electrical energy industry. In particular, tasks such as load shedding and improved meter-reading procedures can be accomplished through the use of an M2M system.
The load-shedding service is becoming quite popular as an offering from many electric utility companies. While most do not have an in-house operation to handle load-shedding activities, they do contract with companies that can offer the service to their customers.
M2M technology can play a crucial role in the load shedding service. In a typical scenario, for example, in a large grocery store, the electric utility company will go into the store and set up devices that will measure the power consumption of individual machines or systems in various sections of the store. These devices will be set up on the freezers and refrigerators, HVAC systems and any other significant power consumption systems.
The monitoring equipment contains sensors that measure and collect data to determine the level of power consumed by each of the systems, at what times of day they are using the most power and how much they are contributing to the overall power consumption of the building. If the power company finds a machine that is a significant cause of the peak energy consumption or is a major cause of consumption during the most expensive rating period, the team can inform the store of the situation so the store can go in and adjust the operation of some of the units. This enables them to shed the load and cut some of the peak usage, which is good for everyone. Customers save the money they would have spent on peak charges, and the electric power company is not faced with the challenge of too much energy demand during peak hours.
Where M2M features prominently in the equation is in the collection of sensor data. With an M2M system in place, the power usage data collected from the machines is transmitted via telemetry to a central point, where it can be monitored through a portal. Depending on the sophistication of the system and the parameters set up by the electric company, if a machine begins to reach an excess level of power consumption, the M2M system can register that information and send out an alarm to a technician to address the situation. Or, if the system is advanced enough (featuring two-way units that can send alarms and receive commands), the M2M technology can make the adjustment to the machine based on the parameters outlined by the company.
A prime example of this technology in action would be sensing units installed on the freezer cases at the grocery store. The sensors monitor temperature and can help the store regulate the temperature so that less energy is used during peak power consumption time. With M2M, the entire process can be automated with a kind of "set it and forget it" mindset for the store. The M2M system monitors the temperature as well as the power consumption rates and adjusts the freezer temperature controls accordingly. A more traditional system might set the freezer units to cut back on power consumption at a specific time each day, but, because peak usage is variable, the M2M system helps the freezer units to adjust fluidly. That way, they remain cool, but they do not over tax the power supply for the store.
For automated meter reading, many utilities already have systems in place that conduct remote meter reading activities efficiently. Integrating this system with M2M technology would enable the power company to link meter reading with other business processes monitored by the M2M system. This could help to increase efficiencies further. Utility companies could find that an M2M system linked with meter reading capabilities for commercial industrial applications would be particularly effective. Because meter reading for such applications provides a near-constant stream of data, the monitoring capabilities of an M2M system could help to automate some peak usage management and load shedding initiatives for commercial industrial applications.
Endless Possibilities
The important thing for electric energy utilities and other companies to remember is that M2M technology has few limits. The applications that have been conceived to date for this technology are merely a drop in the bucket. M2M is designed to allow all intelligent machines to talk to each other and adjust themselves to improve efficiencies. The resulting improved business processes are not restricted to the utility industry. They cross
virtually all industries.
Eventually, it is feasible that M2M technology will filter down to the intelligent machines the average person uses on a daily basis. At that point, it will reach beyond business process improvement, and it will enter the realm of life improvement. True success in M2M will happen when it becomes pervasive – so pervasive and so integrated that people cease to notice that it’s even there. The possibilities opened up by this technology are endless, and it’s all being born and incubated in industries like electrical energy.
About SensorLogic
SensorLogic makes it easy for companies to develop what normally would be very complex machine-to-machine (M2M) applications. Based in Dallas, Texas, SensorLogic provides an integrated M2M solution that bundles all necessary components and device management capabilities with the most effective wireless data communications service. SensorLogic is the first provider that doesn’t force developers to spend huge amounts of capital or require a lengthy time-to-market to deploy private-label commercial-grade M2M services. More information on the company can be found at www.sensorlogic.com.
About Jeff Smith
Jeff Smith founded SensorLogic in 2002 to answer the question, "Can’t we all just get along?" Except that the "we" here is machines and the "getting along" is machine-to-machine (M2M) communication. After leading OnRamp Technologies, one of the industry’s first Internet service providers, to a $5 billion acquisition by NTT, Smith recognized a need in the marketplace to deliver M2M solutions that make telemetry easy.
