New Echelon ControlPoint Solution Simplifies Development of Intelligent Smart Grid DevicesEchelon Corporation today announced the availability of the NES ControlPoint, an embedded module that allows manufacturers to build intelligent smart grid devices based on the Open Smart Grid Protocol (OSGP) standard used by Echelon’s Networked Energy Services (NES) System, a market leading smart grid infrastructure.

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 © 2010 SmartGridNews

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Smart grid communications: Airspan and Grid Net to enable 4G smart grids for uilitiesAirspan Networks Inc., a leading provider of broadband wireless access networks, announced today that Grid Net a global leading provider of real-time, all-IP Smart Grid nd Smart Home software platforms for any device and any broadband technology, has completed a sccessful interoperability test with Airspan’s 4G wireless infrastructure solution.

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. The buzz in the industry is about the impending IPO of Elster, the smart grid company headquartered in Germany that makes meters and comms for electric, gas and water.

My question: Where’s the upside?.On the technical front, Elster is a middle-of-the-pack provider of quasi-proprietary meters and RF mesh communications. On the customer front, Elster has had only a few small wins recently in the U.S. It seems unlikely to unseat the front-runners for the next round of big deals at large investor-owned utilities. There may be some value in Elster’s “triple-play” of electric, gas and water. For those utilities that want smart meters for all three, a smart grid company that offers a single-source approach has its appeal. Elster’s exposure to gas and water should also smooth out some of the electric sector’s lumpiness. And there may also be value to Elster’s German roots as Europe accelerates its smart metering projects. But even taking those factors into account, it’s hard to see when and how Elster ever gets a big pop. Two years from now, Elster is likely to be a solid but unspectacular performer in a market that is clearly overcrowded. Despite Elster’s ho-hum long-term prospects, its IPO may do fine in the short term. Institutional investors are eager to find a way to participate in the smart grid’s growth, but there are only a few publicly traded smart grid companies that are “pure plays” (Itron, EnerNOC, Comverge). Perhaps this scarcity will benefit Elster’s stock. Especially since many investors are steering by looking in the rear-view mirror. If you are an SGN reader, then you already know that smart meters have done better than expected… but they will soon do worse. Stock traders – who often have to keep up to speed in many different sectors – may not realize what lies ahead. Use the Quick Poll to vote on Elster’s IPO prospects. And use the comment form below to give us your opinions of Elster’s upside potential. Stay connected with SGN … Smart grid discussions: Get LinkedIn with Jesse Join Smart Grid News on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Try our RSS feed Get our email digest
Elster has such issues with management and turn over. How do they expect to keep real talent. Elster has become a great training places for all other smart grid company's. Most former Elster sales people are at Itron or with start ups. Not really sure how and IPO is going to help other than raise cash for the ill faded EVO product investment.
Yeah, Itron and many others in the "Smart Meter" space have come to the market too late…All products have their issues ( some more than others), but if you think any of the other suppliers have any hand up…You haven't done your research….Or experienced the system in a production mode. Not that Elster is without issue, but they are solid. Many other systems have serious impacts on electronic equipment within the home or simply don't work….I have had an Elster system up and running with hourly reads since 2006….Now tell me who has experience in the market…..David Whitehouse – 09/23/2010 - 18:53
@David Whitehouse, I can tell that you must or are a loyal employee of Elster, this company is nothing but a joke, management, technology (total package) they buy their way into the market, see their report card in NA, ask any of they could not get any sales on the basis of their technology so they go out and buy their way into the customers thru acquisation. Then they want to shove their technology to the customers. The facts to prove it.

I am surprised Elster NA (previous ABB Metering) would have survived if it was not for Elster Europe, the management and the rest of the NA staff is nothing but a joke. I would not put a penny in this company just like what Jesse wrote, no long term strategy or vision.

Robby Coltran – 09/23/2010 - 20:18

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What is EVMS?

Earned Value Management Systems (EVMS) measure Planned Value (PV) (or Budgeted Cost of Work Scheduled (BCWS)) against Earned Value (EV) (or Budgeted Cost of Work Performed (BCWP)) and Actual Costs(AC) to determine if a project is under or over budget, relative to the amount of work accomplished, since the start of the project – an important distinction when evaluating the success of a project.  EVM guidelines are published under the American National Standards Institute document number 748 and have long been in use by federal agencies, especially military and energy related, as a required method of reporting project status.  

EVMS for Construction Projects

Less often seen is the application of EVMS to construction projects largely because it is viewed as being too cumbersome and having no value for construction projects.  However, as noted by Quentin Fleming and Joel Koppelman in “Earned Value Management: Mitigating the Risks Associated with Construction Projects,” (published in PM, March/April 2002, p 90-95), “earned value can be employed in a simple form on all projects, large or small, cost based or fixed price because the basic utility of Earned Value is to contain the cost risks associated with projects.  After all, bad news never gets better over time and the earlier you know you have a problem, the better chance you have to mitigate that problem.”  

Application of EVMS

For example, using an EVM application such as Oracle’s Primavera Earned Value Management, you can measure the planned value against the earned value and actual costs from project start.  Performance data (KPI’s) are easily presented with extensive reports and graphics and are designed to support government standards for project performance measurement.    The benefit to organizations in the construction industry is an easy to use system that you can integrate with your project schedule to measure your performance right from the get go.  This enables you to identify problems early before they become too big to correct and potentially costly.  

For more information about products, services, and training for Earned Value Management or other Oracle Primavera products, contact MSS at mss@midstatesolutions.com, visit us online MSS, Inc. or call us for more information: (800) 931-1582.

About the Author:

Tricia Kyzar has a Master's in International Business and a Minor in Urban and Regional Planning with extensive experience in Finance and project support in construction development.  Her passion is helping companies maximize their project portfolios through increased understanding of scheduling, risk analysis, earned value management, business intelligence, and reporting analytics.  She is currently a Senior Consultant for MSS, Inc providing Training and Support for Oracle Primavera Products, including EVMS. 

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Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative Launches Pioneering Qualitative Research InitiativeThe Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative (SGCC), an independent non-profit group working to foster mutual understanding between industry and consumers regarding the creation of a next-generation energy infrastructure, today announced the organization’s first qualitative research initiative. This research is focused on understanding how the electric industry and consumers can successfully communicate as smart meters and other smart grid products such as in-home displays are introduced.

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If you’ve read the recent Primavera Special Edition of the Oracle Profit Magazine you may have noticed the article by Carol Hildebrand on Project Green in which Shawn Pressley, vice president of project management systems and development at Hill International, talked to Profit about how going green affects project management.  Indeed it’s difficult to get away from all the talk about ‘Green’ and LEED projects these days.  As a LEED-AP myself I am often asked about the benefits of building LEED certified properties.  As Mr. Pressley noted “It’s not necessarily harder, but you do need to think ahead from the bidding process forward. For example, there are extra factors you need to consider when compiling a bid on a LEED or green building project.”

For example, LEED projects require certain testing to be done by an independent third party, such as Duct Blaster and Blower Door testing.  In other areas of a project, elements like site selection and recycled content may not have been given much consideration in the past but are now a critical component of the LEED process.  These types of items, especially, make planning and selecting projects a critical concern for organizations.

Rest assured, managing a LEED or green project does not have to be a herculean task.  The most important thing is Planning, Planning, Planning.  As Project Manager’s become more familiar with the LEED process this becomes easier and easier.  Just think of it as adopting new technology – there’s always a learning curve.  To make your life easier, be sure to use your tools appropriately.  You don’t need a power drill when a simple screwdriver will do.  A program such as Oracle’s Primavera P6 allows you to incorporate key tasks and milestones into your project schedule.  This keeps them on the mental horizon and helps prevent surprises.  Contract Management can help you maintain proper documentation, whether it’s purchase orders that document the appropriate materials and resources, or issues that document corrective actions.  And if you’re the organization that’s out there blazing new trails in green building (Thank you!), Portfolio Management can be a key aid to helping you track your success AND win you the bid on the next project.

Green building is an accomplishment to be proud of. The difference to projects should be viewed as similar to adopting any new technology – after all, the way we build now is not the same as the way we built then.  Progress is good and the water’s great!  Dive in!

For more information about products, services, and training for any Oracle Primavera's Suite of products, contact MSS, Inc. at mss@midstatesolutions.com, visit us online MSS, Inc. or call us for more information: (800) 931-1582.

Tricia Kyzar has a Master's in International Business and a Minor in Urban and Regional Planning with extensive experience in Finance and project support in construction development.  Her passion is helping companies maximize their project portfolios through increased understanding of scheduling, risk analysis, earned value management, business intelligence, and reporting analytics.  She is currently a Senior Consultant for providing Training and Support for Oracle Primavera Products.

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When Congress told the Department of Defense in 2007 to get a quarter of its energy from renewables, most observers probably wouldn't have expected the military's gung ho reaction. We've reported on  military initiatives before, such as its microgrid pilots and demonstration projects to help achieve energy security and independence. But it looks like the more the military got into it, the more the top brass got excited about going green. "Renewable sources make us less vulnerable. Our goal is to take advantage of all available resources," according to Joe Sikes, DoD Facilities Energy director who was quoted in a Renewable Energy World article. The military has focused on greenhouse gas emissions, waste management and energy efficiency in a big way, and has readily become the government's test bed for renewable technologies.  It's evaluating mobile solar and wind generators to replace fuel trucks in combat zones, has projects in various stages of development for hundreds of megawatts of renewable energy — and the Air Force is developing the biggest biomass plants in the country, one at Florida's Eglin Air Force Base and another at Georgia's Robins Air Force Base. Quick Take: We realize there are critics who say the military shouldn't get so involved in something it's not known for being terribly good at. But it appears to be doing just fine in its new role as a renewable energy leader. Stay connected with SGN … Smart grid discussions: Get LinkedIn with Jesse Join Smart Grid News on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Try our RSS feed Get our email digest

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In a unanimous vote the FCC this week opened up the unused television broadcast spectrum referred to as “white spaces” for wireless networking. White spaces are the broadcast channels not being used due to the switchover from analog to digital TV last year. Compared to standard wireless networks with limited range, PC World suggests white space networking is like “Wi-fi on steroids” with a range of several miles and the ability to travel through walls. We wrote not long ago about a trial using TV white spaces for smart grid technologies in northern California. With a service area that includes the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the Plumas-Sierra Rural Electric Cooperative teamed with Google and Spectrum Bridge to see if white spaces can help overcome technical challenges with wireless coverage to enable smart grid technologies.Quick Take: There’s reason for cheering, especially if you’re a utility in a rural area with challenging terrain. And even if that's not the case, white spaces provide utilities yet another option for smart grid communications … better too many choices than too few. Stay connected with SGN … Smart grid discussions: Get LinkedIn with Jesse Join Smart Grid News on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Try our RSS feed Get our email digest

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Happy New Year!  I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season. 

Are you back in the groove yet?  Well if you’re still trying to get back in the swing of things, let’s start with something simple.  How about a quick review of the current Oracle Primavera products offerings.  I’ve read through the Oracle Primavera data sheets and come up with this summary of the current Enterprise Project Portfolio Management software applications.  For more detailed information, visit Oracle's Primavera Resource Library but here’s the high level view.       

Primavera Products

• Primavera P6 Enterprise Project Portfolio Management, Primavera P6 Professional Project Management, and Primavera Contractor – all are project scheduling tools helping you get the project done right.  The major differences between these three Primavera products depends on your user needs, ie; stand-alone vs server, small projects vs large, project level vs portfolio level visibility.

• Primavera P6 Web– provides true enterprise wide visibility into your projects and project portfolio(s)with the ability and flexiblility to taylor functionality to all levels of the organization based on their specific needs.  Executive dashboards and Progress Reports opens communication channels thru collaboration and reporting anytime, anywhere.

• Primavera Contract Management – more than just document management, Primavera Contract Management enables users to generate and track an extensive collection of project contract documents from RFI’s to change orders to dunning letters and much more.  Project deliverable documents, such as drawings, are also recorded and tracked in Contract Management giving managers a one stop shop for all documentation and status in a project.

• Primavera Portfolio Management – works with P6 and other related Primavera products, Portfolio Management performs analysis on your portfolio of projects, including ‘what-if’ scenarios, and provides instant feedback, including Investor Maps and dashboards, helping you make informed decisions about prioritizing and selecting the right projects for your organization.

• Primavera Risk Analysis – works in tandem with your scheduling tool to model risks, identify cost and schedule impacts and easily pinpoint areas for mitigation and/or adjustment.  Managers can then view the risk adjusted scenarios for updated cost, schedule, and resource impacts and make informed decisions about the right course of action.

• Primavera Earned Value Management – rolling in the EVMS analysis and reporting requirements now required by many government agencies, the Primavera products designed for Earned Value Management measures and analyzes cost and schedule performance and provides comprehensive reporting to meet client requirements.

• Primavera P6 Analytics – is an analysis tool based on years of best-practice metrics, KPI’s, reports and scorecards used for reporting project status.  P6 Analytics provides early indication of problems and allows you drill down quickly and easily for corrective action before they get out of control.

• Primavera P6 Reporting Database – pulls data from various applications to enable users greater flexibility to create comprehensive and custom reports.

• Primavera Inspire for SAP – is the Primavera products integration tool that brings together an organizations resource, scheduling, materials, and financial systems to provide accurate and real-time performance visibility across all areas for projects and portfolios and through the asset lifecycle.  

Get More information about Primavera Products

Of course most of these Primavera products are designed to work together, and can also be integrated with many other applications not in the Oracle Primavera Suite.  For more information about products, services, and training, contact MSS at mss@midstatesolutions.com, visit us online MSS, Inc. or call us for more information about Primavera Products: (800) 931-1582.

Tricia Kyzar has a Master's in International Business and a Minor in Urban and Regional Planning with extensive experience in Finance and project support in construction development.  Her passion is helping companies maximize their project portfolios through increased understanding of scheduling, risk analysis, earned value management, business intelligence, and reporting analytics.  She is currently a Senior Consultant for MSS, Inc providing Training and Support for Oracle Primavera Products.

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