Energy industries

Energy players: our best front line soldiers in the energy management

For energy players, the current period is of major importance. With the sudden increase in energy costs, all consumers are looking for solutions to see their bills drop and very often, this starts with considering changing suppliers. Whether you are directly an energy producer of any kind, distributor, an ESCO (Energy Service Company), a public service or private player, the challenge remains the same: to ensure the best service, to offer total cost transparency in order not to lose users or even gain new ones. Of course, smart meters make it possible to develop better pricing models by identifying the biggest consumers, the periods of peak consumption and proposing offers to encourage consumption in off-peak periods, but often the age of the installations makes them complex and slow the installation of these new generations of meters.
As climate change paints an uncertain future for us, energy suppliers are on the front line to deal with the necessary transformation of our energy sources and the decarbonization of production and distribution by going more and more towards renewable energies and the saving of resources such as water, for example.
Energy efficiency is clearly the vector that must predominate in all sectors of activity of producers and distributors as the most pressing challenges facing energy players today include:
– Decarbonization: As concerns over climate change continue to grow, many energy players are under increasing pressure to reduce their carbon footprint and transition towards cleaner, more sustainable energy sources.
– Energy Security: Ensuring the security of energy supply is critical for energy players, as interruptions in supply can lead to significant economic and social disruption.
– Digitalization: The energy industry is undergoing a digital transformation, which presents both opportunities and challenges. Energy players need to adapt to new technologies and data analytics to optimize their operations, increase efficiency, and remain competitive.
– Regulatory Uncertainty: The energy industry is heavily regulated, and changes in government policies and regulations can have a significant impact on energy players’ operations and profitability.
– Market Volatility: Energy prices can be highly volatile, driven by a range of factors such as geopolitical tensions, weather events, and supply and demand imbalances. This can make it challenging for energy players to plan and manage their businesses effectively.
Overall, energy players face a range of complex and interrelated challenges, which require careful management and strategic planning to navigate successfully

e3m technology is here to help

Enable digital transformation

For electricity, connected meters have become the norm (80% of French households are equipped with the Linky meter) but under-metering equipment is still too rare even in industry.
For water, metering is technically more complex (measurement of flow and pressure) and installations are often very old. However, it is in this area that finding leaks or unbilled distributions is an immediate source of profitability.
Hydrocarbons are more controlled in view of their dangerousness and can be measured by monitoring the invoicing of deliveries. On the other hand, local area or equipment meters are even less present than for electricity.
We can cite the DELOITTE report “Digital utility asset management: building the backbone of the energy transition”
Digital innovation plays a key role in transforming production and distribution asset management. This can be particularly valuable as the industry moves towards cleaner energy sources, including integrating intermittent wind and solar power plants and harder-to-reach offshore wind farms. Digital asset management can improve performance by informing plant design and enabling health monitoring; reduce operating and maintenance (O&M) costs; and improving reliability, availability and profitability.

Connected meters, manual reading and IoT sensors: your choice

The commercial pressure on energy players is associated with the digital transformation of installations, which must also be carried out head-on. The installations are often old, with little or no connection and constantly under construction. It often takes years to be able to evolve a distribution network and the challenge is the same for all forms of energy.
Installing connected meters is a project that can take several years and represent colossal costs. The installation of the Linky connected meter in France began in 2015 and by the end of 2022, 80% of households are equipped, i.e. approximately 30 million meters.
For the water distribution networks, it is not simpler: the city of Lyon has planned an 8-year plan to equip the 400,000 meters with a radio module allowing remote meter reading.
These installations only concern the delivery points and often the analysis will require more precise data going downstream from the delivery points to identify the consumption of different equipment.
So do we have to wait for the end of the deployment of the connected meters to have data?
With SILENO e3m, you have a scalable solution that will allow you to support the change phase thanks to:
– The ability to connect to any delivery point either directly or through the centralized remote metering system
– The smart phone application that allows manual reading of meters and direct integration of data into the e3m portal
– The management of IOT-type meters on the LORA WAN, SIGFOX, NB IOT or other network which allows the easy, wireless installation of all types of energy meters
Thanks to the combination of these tools, e3m provides you with a complete solution that can easily evolve according to your needs.

Data is key in today's world

Data is key in today’s world, and it is transforming the way businesses operate across all industries, including the energy sector. The energy industry is generating vast amounts of data from sensors, smart grids, and other sources, which can be used to optimize operations, improve efficiency, and reduce costs.

e3m is designed for analyzing large datasets and for piloting their installations. Energy companies can identify trends and patterns, which can help them to anticipate and respond to changes in demand, improve asset utilization, and optimize their supply chains.

Data can also help energy players to better understand their customers’ needs and preferences. By analyzing customer data, energy companies can tailor their products and services to meet their customers’ specific needs, which can help to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Another important use of data in the energy industry is to improve safety and reliability. By monitoring equipment and assets in real-time, energy companies can identify potential issues before they become major problems, reducing the risk of equipment failures, outages, and other safety issues.