Version 2.0 - October 2014 NetVision Solution Datasheet NetVision: Smart Energy Smart Grids and Smart Meters - Towards Smarter Energy Management According to analyst firm Berg Insight, the installed base of smart electricity meters in Europe is forecast to grow with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.5 per cent between 2013 and 2019. By then, the installed base will have reached more than 170 million units. This is a direct consequence of a European Union directive that, in 2008, stipulated that 80% of homes must be able to monitor electricity consumption by 2020. The decade as nationwide rollouts in Spain and the UK are completed, while Germany s decision not to proceed with a rollout until 2020 will likely delay the widespread introduction of smart metering in the country until the mid-2020s (see Figure 1). In this context, with global energy demand set to double by 2050, a number of concerns, such as climate change, carbon emissions and security of supply, are driving new pressures for generators, distributors and suppliers in the utilities industry. Current legislation requires utilities to find ways to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, to lower energy consumption and to introduce alternative fuels. At the same time, enhancing operational efficiency is also a top priority for electricity generators and suppliers. They are confronted with ageing infrastructure, potential shortages of labour and increased competition due to open market regulation. What s more, increasing customer expectations mean utilities need to find ways to deliver better customer service. The deployment of smart grids associated with the related smart Meters, gives utilities the means to meet these operational challenges by, among other factors, leveraging remote data management and monitoring capabilities; increasing levels of automation and control; and the effective utilisation and safe management of transmission and distribution networks. The smart grid not only enables utilities to deliver electricity in a sustainable, economic, efficient and secure way, but it also opens up opportunities for the development of other new low-carbon technologies and initiatives such as electric vehicles, the smart home and smart cities. A key factor driving the success of smart energy systems is the correct management of the data collected and delivered across the grid and the meters used to gather behavioural information regarding energy consumption and distribution. It is necessary to ensure that the data transmitted across the grid and to and from meters is monitored, readily measurable, and observable. A smart energy system will need to handle large quantities of data generated from sensors and control devices situated across the electricity grid. Similarly, the
infrastructure that connects transmission networks with end users is of paramount importance to guarantee energy efficiency, distributed electric generation and storage, and electricity control. Increasing quantities of power obtained from renewable generation sources are expected to be delivered to the grid. Since many sources of renewable power offer intermittent or variable supply, they require complex management and monitoring. In addition, many consumers and businesses are expected to support or host renewable energy generation capabilities and mechanisms must be in place to enable electricity consumers to be prosumers and feed excess energy back to the grid. This requires a system to maintain a balance between energy production and consumption. As providers pay more attention to enhancing their user experience to aid retention and reduce costs, they will deploy increasingly sophisticated customer relationship management (CRM) systems. These must receive all relevant information regarding existing accounts together with all related events and activities. These complex systems and data integration challenges offer significant opportunities, but also require thoughtfully designed technologies that can manage and deal with a growing number of stakeholders in an increasingly complex ecosystem. The Smart Energy ecosystem The smart energy ecosystem is complex and includes, among others, devices such as smart meters and smart grids performing necessary measurements and providing data output; a telecommunications network that performs data transfer; IT providers that collate, enrich and interpret data collected from the different platforms deployed (such as Advanced Metering Infrastructure [AMI], Automatic Meter Reading [AMR], and Meter Data Management [MDM]) and provide further actions; and finally, the utilities able to deliver or collect the desired amount of energy. In this context, the term Smart Energy comprises the following stakeholders (Figure 2): Smart meters and smart grids CSPs (fixed and/or mobile) or Private Network operators Platforms (AMI, AMR, MDM) Information technology providers Utility Providers End-user (residential or business) The presence of a partner with proven expertise in service management, delivery and assurance is absolutely essential to the success of the process. Fig,1 Installed based of smart meters in Europe - Berg Insights 2014 Millions of Units 200 150 Smart electricity meters Smart gas meters 100 50 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Fig 2.Smart Energy Stakeholder Ecosystem Pre-requisites for successful Smart Energy Service Delivery Demand Response Home Appliances HAN Gateway Smart Meter The delivery of a smart energy service is complex and encompasses a number of areas. It requires interoperability between the different stakeholders, as well as a management system that controls and monitors the transmission of the data collected from the smart grid and smart meter to the utility back-office and to the platforms deployed (AMR, AMI, MDM). The key needs are standardisation and interoperability to improve operational efficiency and performance. Smart Thermostats Home Area Network EV Charging Neighbourhood Area Network In-home display The most important requirements for a smart energy ecosystem can be defined as follows: Systems Interoperability To provide a smart energy solution, the data collected must travel from smart grids and smart meters to multiple providers and end-users. The different platforms of each must also interoperate effectively. Complex Network Collection Different data types generated by multiple devices delivered through various networks need to be collected, aggregated and monitored. Multi Provider Environment Data Concentrator A smart energy solution is comprised of multiple providers, each with its own platform that needs to seamlessly interoperate and interact to deliver the expected service. Wide Area Network Head End System Software GPRS Data Analysis Smart energy services generate data that must be managed, aggregated and analysed separately or in combination with data from other sources. Operations Dashboards must be presented to utility back offices and end-users in order to allow them to take actions and view alarms that result from analysis of data collected. Meter Data Management Utility Enterprise
ISPM in Smart Energy ISPM, a leading vendor of flexible service assurance, orchestration and management solutions for communications service providers and large corporations is an active player in the TM Forum s standardisation process. ISPM solves the challenge of interoperability between stakeholders in the smart energy market through the use of the Standards Information (SID) and Integration (TIP) capabilities of Frameworx. Crucially, the same procedures used in the telecoms industry are reused for smart energy procedures with very little adaptation. ISPM, through its NetVision solution (Figure 3), is responsible for the implementation of Service Assurance and Orchestration capabilities, managing quality levels both among each of the partners individually as well as for service as a whole. NetVision provides a complete solution for the delivery of service assurance for smart grid and other M2M services. It enables interoperability and orchestration between the elements that comprise the end-to-end solutions that are involved in any given service. In particular, Service Assurance and Orchestration capabilities in smart energy applications are essential for: Monitoring and assuring the performance and quality of the network used by the smart metering and smart grid devices to guarantee that the data they generate reaches the desired platform Viewing all data collected in a consolidated manner organised with an overall view of the complete service offer, while at the same time enabling visibility of the perspective of individual consumers and generators The capacity to rapidly identify the root causes of problem at any point in the infrastructure, integrating and correlating all events and measurements from devices, network and platforms Creation of an overview of the transmission network to reveal its overall capacity and provide trend analysis regarding capacity demands Automation of the most common and critical processes in service assurance, including: customer problem management, service problem management, resource problem management, resource performance, service quality, and customer quality The creation of a proactive environment capable of reacting before service degradation End-to-end orchestration of the different entities involved in service delivery and for specific services. For orchestration, ISPM supports and controls M2M processes in smart grids, across the complete lifecycle, from quote to cash, including installation, provisioning, Service Assurance requirements (alarms, events and management reports), complaints and input to billing The control of different processes, such as installation, provisioning, service assurance (alarms, events and management reports), customer care and complaints and delivery of information to support billing NetVision s Capabilities in the Smart Energy ecosystem The NetVision solution is responsible for the implementation of Service Assurance and Orchestration capabilities. These can be enabled across the entire smart energy ecosystem relating to the delivery of associated services and bring many important benefits to the different stakeholders (see Figure 2). CSPs can leverage the following NetVision capabilities for the delivery of smart energy services to their customers: Systems Interoperability Systems integration and orchestration for the complete service life-cycle Quotation, installation, provisioning, activation, service assurance Customer care, billing management TM Forum standards compliant interfaces Process management integrated through a single service desk Remote and automated initiation of system functions activated by processes, events or performance thresholds Data Collection from Complex Networks Data aggregation gateway architecture Multi technology data collection Configurable measurement and event types Event correlation from different sources Direct handling of SNMP traps or other protocols Active and passive data collection: polling Multiple Provider Environment SLA management for network and platforms Integrated service management Consolidated service performance
Fig 3. NetVision Solution Focus Devices Telecom Platforms Stakeholders - Smart Meters - Power Sensors - Plant Sensors - Others... - Data Transfer - Mobile - Broadband - WiMax - AMR - AMI - MDM - Others... - Utilities - Home Consumer - Industry Consumer - Others... Performance Assurance Network Assurance NETVISION TOTAL Control Service Assurance Service Desk Dashboards Holistic service problem analysis SLA management for suppliers and partners E2E solution assurance Data Analysis Unified data consolidation across all systems E2E solution dashboard and reports Management information for SLA Operational information for service desks Consolidated data sources The capabilities offered by NetVision also deliver significant features to other stakeholders: Utilities providers Receive dashboards with integrated plant measurements Receive notifications for events and problems Analysis of consumer behavior and pattern analysis Spike anticipation and planning supply More efficient back office operations thanks to the reduction of the number of customer service calls and complaints Opportunity to tailor customer offers in an increasingly competitive market Residential and industrial end users Access to power consumption dashboard with realtime and historical data Analysis of energy usage profiles Opportunity to identify high-price periods and adjust consumption accordingly: real-time adaptive pricing Opportunity to sell back to the grid self-generated excess power Communication Service Providers Global M2M service orchestration and assurance benefits Systems integration and orchestration for the complete service life-cycle Quotation, installation, provisioning, activation, service assurance Customer care, billing management Monitor and ensure the performance and quality of their network Fast identification of the causes of problems at any point of the M2M infrastructure, Integration and correlation of all events and measurements from devices, networks and platforms Overview of the global transmission network in terms of capacity and trend analysis Reduction of the need for costly on-site visits
The benefits of NetVision in the smart energy ecosystem The benefits deriving from the adoption of NetVision platform as a provider of service assurance and orchestration services can easily be identified across the entire ecosystem. Utilities Providers Cost reduction due to automated processes Enhanced customer experience Communication Service Providers Single, consolidated solution for the collection of different data types from devices, networks and software platforms An integrated environment to manage multiple providers Powerful APIs to facilitate intelligent data exchange Information consolidation from multiple platforms Integrated problem management to provide proactive and predictive operations Residential and industrial end users Capability to self Manage their own Consumption Expenses Reduction Conclusion With global energy demand set to double by 2050, inter-governmental regulation and concerns about climate change, carbon emissions and security of supply, the utilities industry is confronted with a number of new and emerging challenges. At the same time, operational efficiency enhancements are becoming increasingly critical as infrastructure matures and ages, uncertainty surrounds profits and employers confront potential shortages of labour. New development projects are being undertaken to enable the more effective management of network dynamics; to offset voltage fluctuations and safeguard voltage quality; to stabilize the grid; and for the use of software and hardware modules that can balance demand and supply and maintain the stability of the grid. This requires an increasing quantity of data to be collected and managed. It demands greater data processing capabilities and greater levels of accuracy in order to solve the challenging problems of the grid at the distribution network level. In a context in which Italy and Sweden have already completed smart meter installations, while Finland, Norway, and Denmark will achieve their targets by 2016, meter data management is essential for the implementation of better, more effective demand response and to increase the value of the offered services. And, as the installation of hardware does not generate or guarantee a constant stream of revenue, future margins and revenues are expected to increasingly be derived from the provision of value-added services, in particular with regard to improving communication as well as the handling of data concerning production, consumption, and alarms. In order to successfully deliver such services, Communications Service Providers (CSPs) must be able to manage complex ecosystems, shaped by a multitude of actors: devices, networks, platforms, residential and commercial end-users ISPM is the ideal partner to connect, monitor and troubleshoot all the different devices, platforms and networks involved, and to ensure the smooth and efficient flow of data between them, while reporting the correct status of data CSPs, utilities, end-users and all stakeholders in the ecosystem. ISPM, through its NetVision solution, is able to implement Service Assurance and Orchestration capabilities, managing quality levels between each of the partners individually as well as for service as a whole. For orchestration, ISPM supports and controls M2M processes in smart grids, across the complete life-cycle, from quote to cash, including installation, provisioning, Service Assurance requirements (alarms, events and management reports), complaints and input to billing. Contact ISPM to discuss how a successful application of familiar concepts and processes from the telecoms industry can help evolve your network and introduce offerings for a new and critical market segment: Smart Energy