As energy utilities look to shave costs in as many areas as possible, a new software development agreement between SAP and Landis+Gyr could boost access to cost-saving energy data. At the same time, other companies are developing tech that minimizes energy costs in the data center.
Utility companies worldwide have found themselves in a bit of
a squeeze, as factors ranging from the need for electrical-grid modernization to
the fluctuating cost of fuel have weighed down on their bottom lines.
These utilities could soon find a little relief via a new
software development cooperation agreement between
SAP and Landis+Gyr.
According to the two companies' Feb. 2 announcement,
Landis+Gyr's advanced metering infrastructure will be integrated into the SAP
for Utilities solution portfolio, which in turn could allow utilities to operate
with increased system transparency and availability of energy
data.
SAP has operated for three decades in the utilities market,
using its business-software platforms to drive efficiencies and incorporate new
technology into energy production.
In
the past year, the company has made similar moves to incorporate advanced
metering technology with their enterprise applications.
Landis+Gyr provides energy-management solutions to 30
countries, with particular focus on the electricity-metering industry and the
development of a
smart
grid.
The new system produced under the agreement, known as MDUS
(Meter Data Unification and Synchronization), will incorporate Landis+Gyr
systems, in particular the company's Advanced Metering Management (AMM) along
with SAP's business software for utilities, which includes their billing- and
customer-relation management solutions. MDUS is highly scalable, and allows
bi-directional flow of information and control.
"The increased focus on energy efficiency and the
introduction of smart meters mark a paradigm shift for utilities, requiring
interoperability of technical metering systems and commercial solutions," Stefan
Engelhardt, head of Utilities Industry Business Unit, SAP AG, said in a
statement. "The integration of Landis+Gyr's MDUS with SAP for Utilities,
including SAP AMI Integration for Utilities, will enable our joint customers to
bridge this gap effectively and increase their return on investment
significantly."
The quest for energy efficiency has also taken on a new
dimension on the client side, with the Jan. 28 announcement by Sentilla that the
company has developed a system, known as the Sentilla Energy Manager, that
monitors electricity consumption in the data center.
At the Energy Manager's core is a computer the size of a
postage stamp, which analyzes data center equipment's energy consumption and
then sends that information wirelessly to a human monitor, who in turn can
compare devices' consumption profiles, see how power levels change with various
loads, and other functions.
The
technology comes at a moment when a number of companies are wrestling with how
to best cut back on the rising energy costs of running a data center.
"A problem of this scope will be addressed by other players
in market from the position of their strength," Bob Davis, CEO of Sentilla, said
in an interview. "Cisco will do it from the perspective of their switches, for
example. But we're the only ones attacking the problem from the power cord
perspective."
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