Frost & Sullivan Honours Cyan Technology for Developing a Smart Metering Technology for the Power Sector in Emerging Economies

LONDON, Aug. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Based on its recent analysis of the smart metering market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes Cyan Technology (“Cyan”) with the 2014 Europe Frost & Sullivan Award for Technology Innovation Leadership. Cyan collaborates with utilities, system integrators and meter manufacturers across the globe to develop cost-effective smart metering technologies that will aid energy providers and consumers alike. Its smart metering technology provides a feasible upgrade from automated meter reading (“AMR”), offering benefits such as collection of data through radio from walk-by devices, to full-scale advanced metering infrastructure (“AMI”).

CyLec®, the standards-based smart metering solution developed by Cyan, is a highly efficient communication and control platform. The system enables secure two-way communication with significant range and penetration, and is equipped with data concentrator units with embedded software for the remote management and control of multiple meters.

CyLec® helps the utility to read each and every meter, ensuring the timely dispatch of bills, which translates to cost savings. CyLec® also aids timely fault detection and prevention, and allows utilities to disconnect meters from remote locations in cases of theft. Additionally, CyLec® facilitates the shifting of loads between industrial and domestic consumers during peak hours with the help of tools such as real-time Time of Use tariffs and incentives.

“CyLec® has already demonstrated its practicality in India and Brazil, and has proven to be compatible with the existing static meters in these countries,” said Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Avimanyu Basu. “The retrofitting is achieved with the help of a compact retrofit module that connects with the existing communications interface on the meter.”

In countries such as India, 25 percent to 30 percent of the generated power is lost during transmission and distribution, so optimizing the system by reducing losses can provide a significant boost to the economy. It will also allow utility companies to invest in the improvement of infrastructure, which will bring the outlying areas that are without service into the grid network. The company envisions that in the next five years, smart grid technology will help to address aggregate technical and commercial (AT&C) losses and completely eliminate load shedding.

Cyan is part of a consortium that provides the manufacturing and supply of 5,000 retrofit modules to Essel Utilities in India, each containing Cyan’s CyLec® 865MHz RF device. Along with this, Cyan offers additional software and hardware support such as Data Concentrator Units, custom antennas, CyLec® Head End Server software licenses and onsite software implementation services. A similar consortium, led by Larsen & Toubro, has also been selected by Tata Power for the deployment of a Cyan based smart metering solution to 5,000 homes in Mumbai. These programmes will give significant impetus to the goal of deploying 130 million smart meters across India by 2021.

In the meter manufacturer market in various emerging economies, systems with incongruent communication protocols are not appropriate for data transmission through a wireless network. In this scenario, Cyan’s smart metering technology is a welcome tool. It supports interoperability by enabling meters from various manufacturers and suppliers to be integrated into an ‘open system’. The Open Meter Protocol can be customized to the requirements of the local utilities and support real-time monitoring through wireless mesh networks.

“The company has directed its efforts toward providing solutions in the most cost-effective way, with the help of effectual demand forecasting, demand-side management and accurate billing,” noted Basu. “Cyan’s efforts will go a long way in helping end users accrue cost savings through its meter retrofit solution, and utilities reduce AT&C losses.”

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has demonstrated uniqueness in developing and leveraging new technologies, which significantly impacts both the functionality and the customer value of the new products and applications. The award lauds the high R&D spend towards innovation, its relevance to the industry and the positive impact on brand perception.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.

About Cyan
Cyan is an integrated system design company based in Cambridge, UK. It provides a communication platform that enables the measurement and control of energy consumption for the metering and lighting markets, helping to reduce energy losses. Cyan’s wireless mesh networking platform offers ‘last mile’ connectivity between millions of devices and enterprise software, supporting bilateral communications with the end customer. For more information, please visit www.cyantechnology.com.

About CyLec®

CyLec is a complete control and communication network for electricity metering. CyLec uses wireless technology to enable the collection and delivery of data from and to a meter, such as energy profiles, instant readings and the sending of tariff updates. Priority data can also be sent back to the utilities such as information regarding tampering enabling the utility to take action immediately.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today’s market participants.

Our “Growth Partnership” supports clients by addressing these opportunities and incorporating two key elements driving visionary innovation: The Integrated Value Proposition and The Partnership Infrastructure.

  • The Integrated Value Proposition provides support to our clients throughout all phases of their journey to visionary innovation including: research, analysis, strategy, vision, innovation and implementation.
  • The Partnership Infrastructure is entirely unique as it constructs the foundation upon which visionary innovation becomes possible. This includes our 360 degree research, comprehensive industry coverage, career best practices as well as our global footprint of more than 40 offices.

For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Is your organization prepared for the next profound wave of industry convergence, disruptive technologies, increasing competitive intensity, Mega Trends, breakthrough best practices, changing customer dynamics and emerging economies?

Contact Us:     Start the discussion

Join Us:           Join our community

Subscribe:       Newsletter on “the next big thing”

Register:         Gain access to visionary innovation

Contact:

Melanie Parkinson
Best Practices, Frost & Sullivan

E: melanie.parkinson@frost.com
P: +44 (0) 207 915 7867
www.awards.frost.com

Frost & Sullivan presents San Carlos Solar Energy with 2014 Philippines Solar Photovoltaic System Integrator of the Year award

MANILA, Philippines, July 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — San Carlos Solar Energy, Inc. was recently presented with the 2014 Philippines Solar Photovoltaic (PV) System Integrator of the Year award at the 2014 Frost & Sullivan Philippines Excellence Awards held on 17 July 2014 at the Makati Shangri-la Hotel, Manila. This award is presented to the company that has demonstrated excellence in the three key areas of demand generation, brand development and competitive positioning.

Currently, the Philippines has the fifth highest electricity tariff in the world today and the second in Asia, as the country still suffers from frequent blackouts. Due to the high electricity rates in the country, exploration and development of new alternative energy resources such as solar power has been accelerated in order to reduce the country’s dependence on imported fossil fuels. This thereby correlates the growing power demand in the country with alternative power resources that are sustainable, reliable and more cost-effective.

Although the conditions for solar projects in the Philippines are very positive, there has been a scarcity of investments in solar projects. While many renewable energy system integrators in the Philippines are actively engaged in developing off-grid solar PV systems and roof-top systems, none of them have ventured into developing large-scale solar plants following the introduction of the feed-in-tariff policy.

“Realizing the country’s critical demand for electricity, San Carlos Solar Energy is credited with taking a pioneering initiative to develop the country’s first and largest utility scale solar power plant – SaCaSol, a feat which is commendable in a nascent but high growth oriented solar power market,” said Ms. Suchitra Sriram, Program Manager for Energy & Power Systems, Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific.

She continued, “Within a short span of time, the company has strengthened its core services portfolio, collaborated well with product vendors, and have capitalized on opportunities as the market gets ready to adopt solar power. It is well positioned to build a sound track record of projects and set a high benchmark in the industry.”

“In recognition of its commitment toward engineering excellence, project management capabilities and prompt service in the high growth solar power market, Frost & Sullivan is pleased to present San Carlos Solar Energy with this award,” she added.

The Frost & Sullivan Philippines Excellence Awards is now in its third consecutive year and seeks to recognize companies and individuals that have pushed the boundaries of excellence, rising above the competition and demonstrating outstanding performance in the Philippines market.

First founded in 2012, the Philippines Awards program began by showcasing outstanding IT and Telecommunications companies in the local market. This year, the Awards program expanded to also include other prominent companies in the Philippines from other sectors like Building, Energy, and Environment.

The awards are based on extensive market engineering tools evolved by Frost & Sullivan. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research in order to identify best practices in the industry.

For more details on the 2014 Philippines Excellence Awards log-in to http://frost-apac.com/philippinesawards/.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Carrie Low
Corporate Communications — Asia Pacific
E: carrie.low@frost.com
P: +603-6204-5910

Facilities Management Solutions Save the Environment and Your Budget

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., July 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Implementing strategies for energy efficiency in commercial and industrial buildings not only lowers operating costs but has clear benefits for the environment. As 39 percent of electricity is generated by coal, a reduction in energy use in commercial and industrial buildings can substantially reduce carbon emissions.

Frost & Sullivan
Frost & Sullivan

“Electricity waste adds to operating costs while contributing unnecessary carbon emissions to the environment,” noted Frost & Sullivan Principal Consultant Farah Saeed. “In some facilities, electricity can account for more than 20 percent of overall operating costs equaling up to $240,000 a year for a single site.”

This discovery is signaling a new trend in facilities management. Frost & Sullivan details solutions for energy efficiency in a new article with FMLink, an internet-based facilities management publication.

To view the full Frost & Sullivan feature on energy efficiency in commercial and industrial buildings, please visit: http://bit.ly/1m1bnz7.

“Commercial and industrial organizations face mounting pressure to control operating costs and minimize harm to the environment,” said Saeed. “By utilizing these strategies, facilities managers can mitigate environmental concerns while combating the rising costs of energy.” 

Frost & Sullivan and FMLink, a reputable source for a gamut of topics ranging from information technology to energy efficiency in relation to facilities management, collaborate to provide valuable, data packed insights via a newly formed partnership.

“FMLink is particularly excited to add this special Frost & Sullivan section of FMLink, which is dedicated to providing FMLink’s facilities management readership original research to help them in their quest to address the challenges they face to help their facilities perform more effectively in this rapidly changing global marketplace,” exclaimed Peter S. Kimmel, IFMA Fellow and Publisher of FMLink. The new feature section is named “Analyst Insights.”

The partnership with FMLink is part of Frost & Sullivan’s Environment & Building Technologies (environment.frost.com) program. Connect with Frost & Sullivan on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, SlideShare, and LinkedIn, for the latest news and updates.

About FMLink

FMLink is a comprehensive, online facilities management publication; it includes over 17,000 pages of news and featured articles, including survey and benchmarking data, events calendars, recent and pending regulations, analyst insights, sustainability articles, how-to checklists, articles from many FM publications, case studies, industry resources, discussion forums, vendor directories, and much more to support facilities professionals in their jobs. Free access and e-newsletters through http://www.fmlink.com.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today’s market participants. For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Contact us: Start the discussion

Contact Frost & Sullivan:
Ariel Brown
Corporate Communications
P: 210.247.2481
E: ariel.brown@frost.com 

http://www.frost.com 
Twitter: @Frost_Sullivan 
Facebook: Frost & Sullivan 
Join our Forum on LinkedIn: The Future of Energy

Contact FMLink:
Peter Kimmel, IFMA Fellow
Publisher
P: 301.365.1600
E: peterk@fmlink.com 

Twitter: @FMLinkGroupLLC 
Facebook: FMLink Group LLC 
Join our FMLink Group 

Logo – http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20140723/8521404172

POSCO E&C Initiates Carmichael Mine Development in Australia

SEOUL, South Korea, July 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — POSCO Engineering & Construction (CEO: Tae-Hyun Hwang) announced on July 18th that the company has signed an MOU on the 11th with India’s Adani Mining for the construction of standard-gauge heavy haul rail line that is to be used for the coal mining project in Galilee Basin Queensland, Australia.

POSCO E&C Initiates Carmichael Mine Development in Australia
POSCO E&C Initiates Carmichael Mine Development in Australia

Upon signing this MOU, POSCO E&C has become the priority bidder for the EPC of a 388km standard gauge rail, which is a project carried out by Adani Mining to connect Carmichael mine with Abbot Point export port, in Queensland.

Construction will begin in the first half of next year, after Adani Mining signing the final contract for EPC with POSCO E&C within this year. The completion of this railway will enable transport of 60 million tons of coal per year.

Adani Group, the parent company of Adani Mining and India’s largest integrated private power, port and infrastructure developer, currently operates power generating facilities with a total size of 9,240MW. It also owns Mundra Port in India, which is the biggest port of entry for coal in the world.

The area in which this railway will be constructed expects to create jobs for at least 10,000 people, and the state government of Queensland designated the target area as “strategic development area.” Since the route is designed for many parties including other mine developers to use the railway, this project matches the state government’s strategic infrastructure policies. Moreover, it is also expected to contribute greatly to the industrial development of Australia, which is the world’s biggest exporter of iron ore and coal.

Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani said, “The rail project will lead to the opening of the Carmichael mine project which will deliver, in excess of 10,000 jobs, and will also provide vital opportunities for Australian Infrastructure development and contribute to energy security of India by lighting the lives of millions of Indians.”

Adani Mining CEO Jeyakumar Janakaraj said:  “I am delighted with the way the two teams worked together in a collaborative manner to get this binding agreement signed in a record time. This is the first major step towards finalising the Project’s construction contracts and we are proud to be associating with a partner of POSCO’s E&C standing. The binding agreement will enable us to develop a cost efficient rail solution and this relationship gives Adani access to Korean market, POSCO’s expertise and capital.”

“We’re happy to be participating in the rail infrastructure development project with Adani, and I’m sure we’ll produce excellent results if both companies display all the abilities to the utmost,” said POSCO E&C CEO Tae-Hyun Hwang. “This will be the biggest EPC project among the infrastructure projects we’re conducting in Australia. We’ll complete this project successfully by pulling together all our competences in construction, financing and procurement.”

POSCO E&C has experiences in many railway construction projects including the Busan-Gimhae Light Rail Transit and AREX (Incheon International Airport Railroad). The company’s participation in this project will further expand the opportunity for POSCO E&C to participate in upcoming projects by Adani Group as well as other railway projects in Australia.

Photo – http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20140721/8521404114

 

POSCO E&C Begins Construction of Nam Lik1 Hydroelectric Power Plant in Laos

SEOUL, South Korea, July 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — POSCO Engineering & Construction (CEO: Tae-Hyun Hwang) announced on July 9 that it held a groundbreaking ceremony to build a hydroelectric power plant in the Phonhong District, 90 kilometers north of Vientiane, the capital of Laos.

POSCO E&C Begins Construction of Nam Lik1 Hydroelectric Power Plant in Laos
POSCO E&C Begins Construction of Nam Lik1 Hydroelectric Power Plant in Laos

This project is a product of joint investment among Krungthai Bank PCL (KTB), Export-Import Bank of Thailand, and NL1PC. It will be operated in the form of a BOT (build, operate, transfer) project for 30 years. With the capacity of 65MW, the power plant is expected to contribute to the economic development of Laos.

NL1PC is a joint venture established by Thailand’s state-operated investor PTT, hydroelectric power generation company HEC (Hydro Engineering Company), Laos’s state-operated EDL (Electricite du Laos), and the constructor POSCO Engineering & Construction. With a 10% stake in NL1PC, POSCO E&C will act as the prime contractor after commencement for the next 39 months.

Over 170 people attended the event that day, including Laos Vice Minister of Energy and Mines Sinnava Souphanouvong, Vientiane Governor Khammeug Thongthady, central government officials, councilors from the Korean embassy in Laos, NL1PC(Nam Lik1 Power Company) CEO Kowit Chuengsatiansup, HEC CEO Chinda Hongkajorn, and POSCO E&C Southeast Asia Business Unit Director Shi-Sung Park.

This is POSCO E&C’s first instance to participate as both investor and constructor, and the company will be in charge of design, procurement and construction in the form of EPC turnkey. POSCO E&C has received good reputation from the Laotian government, clients and local partners for its transparent operating practices based on outstanding quality and ethical management in South Korea as well as overseas markets, especially Southeast Asia.

Laos is one of the countries with the biggest potential for economic growth in Southeast Asia, with particularly active business in hydroelectric power generation. POSCO E&C will use this project to further develop its technological skills in hydroelectric power in Southeast Asia. It expects that this project will be helpful for the company to win contracts for hydroelectric power generation projects in Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam as well.

“We’re pleased to be able to participate in the important hydroelectric power plant project of the Laotian government as the constructor,” said POSCO E&C Southeast Asia Business Unit Director Shi-Sung Park. “We expect the Nam Lik1 Hydroelectric Power Plant to contribute greatly to the economic development of Laos.”

Since establishing a local corporation and main office in Vietnam in 1995, POSCO E&C has expanded its scope of business to neighboring Southeast Asian countries such as Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. The company is securing its place as a renowned constructor in Indochina based on its cost competitiveness and excellent quality acquired from many years of experience.

Photo – http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20140718/8521404099  

 

Peabody Energy: Australia’s Repeal of the Carbon Tax Rejects Policy That Makes Energy Scarce and Expensive

ST. LOUIS, July 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Peabody Energy (NYSE: BTU) today praised the action of Australia’s Parliament and Prime Minister in repealing the carbon tax, which has hurt consumers via high electricity costs and damaged the economy.

“The Australia Government’s reversal of the carbon tax is a lesson in leadership for the modern world,” said Peabody Energy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Gregory H. Boyce.  “We encourage U.S. policymakers to take the same path and reject the Administration’s costly proposed rules on power plants.  Technology, not caps and taxes, is the key to long-term improvement in carbon emissions.”

In turning around the carbon tax, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said: “Today, the tax that you voted to get rid of is finally gone. A useless, destructive tax which damaged jobs, which hurt families’ cost of living and which didn’t actually help the environment is finally gone.”  The government has estimated that the repeal would save families A$550 per year.

Australia elected a new government last year with a mandate to repeal the carbon tax, which has caused an estimated $15 billion in economic impact in its first two years of implementation, according to government estimates.

Nations continue to push back against onerous carbon legislation and renewable mandates that exacerbate energy inequality, raise electricity costs and reduce economic growth.  Europe’s renewable strategy is being pared back, the continent is threatened by Russia’s energy security challenge, nations such as Japan are using significantly more coal, and multiple nations lead the world in economic growth using coal-fueled electricity.

Peabody believes that U.S. leaders can learn valuable lessons in rejecting defacto carbon taxes and onerous renewable standards. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimates that the Administration’s proposed U.S. carbon regulations would cost the economy $50 billion per year.

The proposed rules would significantly increase power prices, costing each American household thousands of dollars over time. A Heritage Foundation study reports the cost to an average family of four at $1,200 per year of lower income and spending power. Low-cost electricity is essential at a time when a record 115 million Americans qualify for energy assistance and 48 million live in energy poverty.

Coal fuels the lowest cost electricity in the United States: The states that don’t use coal wrestle with electricity costs that are nearly twice as much as the states that predominantly use coal for electricity. Coal is the world’s fastest-growing major fuel set to surpass oil as the world’s largest global energy source in coming years.

Peabody Energy is the world’s largest private-sector coal company and a global leader in sustainable mining, energy access and clean coal solutions. For further information, visit PeabodyEnergy.com and AdvancedEnergyForLife.com.

Logo – http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120724/CG44353LOGO

CONTACT:
Beth Sutton
+1-928-699-8243

AVEVA and ETAP Sign Agreement to Deliver Industry First for Electrical Engineers

CAMBRIDGE, England, July 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ —

AVEVA and ETAP’s collaboration provides the first single round-tripping environment for complete data validation including 3D visualisation 

AVEVA and ETAP have signed a partnership agreement under which both companies will jointly develop a software interface between AVEVA Electrical and ETAP’s enterprise solution for electrical power systems. The new interface will provide for the first time electrical engineers with a single round-tripping environment for complete data validation from design and network validation to 3D visualisation. The interface will deliver capabilities for efficient design, development and production for the most complex electrical installations in all types of process and power plants, ships and offshore facilities.

     (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120619/538079 )

     (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140715/696601 )

The collaboration means that engineers will be able to introduce an iterative approach to electrical data changes. They can now seamlessly round-trip data between AVEVA Electrical and ETAP as many times as necessary and can use shared data to visualise and perform accurate cable routing in AVEVA Everything3D through an unbroken workflow.

“Last month customers from around the world gathered to test a pre-release version of the new software interface,” said Shervin Shokooh, Chief Operating Officer, ETAP. “The response was overwhelmingly positive. The interface is helping engineers and designers to repeatedly check the validity of electrical engineering plant design and ensure compliance with relevant industry standards.”

“We have been working with ETAP for many years so it is very rewarding to formalise our partnership with such an important project,” said Dave Wheeldon, Chief Technology Officer, AVEVA. “The interface, which can be easily and quickly introduced at any stage of a project, offers a unique opportunity for electrical engineers to take designs from Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) to detailed design and construction and all the way to operations. The benefits are not just realised during design, it allows electrical validation to continue throughout the life cycle of plant.”

AVEVA Electrical is feature-rich software for electrical engineering and design in plant and marine projects. Its advanced graphical user interfaces, advanced cable routing capabilities, use of design rules and catalogues for data creation offer maximum workflow flexibility, improving project productivity and design quality. AVEVA Electrical is also part of AVEVA’s Integrated Engineering and Design solution that includes AVEVA Everything3D (AVEVA E3D), which handles routing and cable segregation in the 3D model. Via a two-way interface, this seamlessly integrates 3D model to create accurate design information.

ETAP is the global market and technology leader in electrical power system modeling, design, analysis, optimization, and predictive real-time solutions. The Company’s software technologies ensure that power systems are designed for optimal reliability, safety, and energy efficiency; when deployed in real-time mode, they enable organizations to manage energy as a strategic asset, maximize system utilization, lower costs, and achieve higher levels of financial stability. Visit http://www.etap.com for more information.

Follow AVEVA on twitter @avevagroup

Watch AVEVA on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/avevagroup

For customer success stories read AVEVA World Magazine at http://www.aveva.com/Media-Centre/AWM