Ecologic Analytics Meter Data Management System

At Ecologic Analytics, we understand that a utility's Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) system is more than just a productivity tool. In an increasingly competitive environment, utility companies around the globe are searching for a competitive edge. Having the right information in the right place at the right time can provide an edge, allowing a utility to react quickly to new opportunities or solve critical business issues rapidly. It also allows a utility to drive its business proactively.

By supporting and augmenting an AMI deployment, the Ecologic Analytics Meter Data Management System (MDMS) gives a utility new insight into its business, thereby enabling improvements in leak and outage detection, reductions in service theft, accurate and efficient sizing for transformers, providing detailed support for rate cases, and many other uses.

The Ecologic Analytics MDMS is comprised of a series of integrated modular engines designed to deliver critical data to business users across the enterprise, as illustrated below.

(For a larger view of this diagram in a separate window, click here.)

The Ecologic Analytics MDMS Suite of Software Solutions

The diagram above is a capsule summary of the robust suite of advanced MDMS business intelligence software that is both AMI-neutral and CIS-neutral. The MDMS is designed to integrate with a wide range of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) systems and customer information systems (CIS) to save money and improve business processes.

The Ecologic Analytics MDMS consolidates many streams of data into a manageable flow of information. Unified by the Ecologic Analytics Navigator, a single user interface, all information stakeholders within the enterprise can access the entire Ecologic Analytics solution, which consists of 12 integrated modules:

Meter Data Repository 

Provides the foundation to publish and distribute quality AMI data across the utility enterprise. A single repository that ensures a consistent source for validated usage and operational data, supporting a variety of business functions and systems.

Gateways

Decreases integration costs by standardizing the loading of AMI data from any source. These standard interfaces retrieve and load meter readings, alerts and flags, notifications, and outage event data from any AMI vendor or other meter reading source.

Data Synchronization Engine (DSE) 

Ensures the integrity and accuracy of the data by automatically synchronizing core customer and account information as well as point-of-delivery data stored in the Meter Data Repository with master utility databases.

WAVE™ 

Ensures that every meter has appropriate consumption information required for business processes such as billing. This automated validation engine applies complex, rule-based validation, estimation and editing (VEE) algorithms which certify daily meter reads (consumption, demand, and time-of-use), regardless of deployed AMI technology.

iWAVE™ 

Ensures that meters collecting interval data have appropriate data required for business processes such as billing and load research. This automated validation engine applies complex, rule-based validation, estimation and editing (VEE) algorithms which certify interval meter data (at any interval size) regardless of deployed AMI technology.

Network Performance Module & Reporting Engine (NPM) 

Identifies irregular alerts, consumption, alarms, and other abnormal activity and proactively generates the necessary reports, service orders, or any user defined actions, resulting in operational efficiencies.

Meter Read Manager (MRM) 

Discovers and returns, using rules-based business logic, the best available billing determinants, readings, or usage for any number of given devices, locations or accounts for various requested purposes (i.e. billing, tenant change, etc).

Meter Reading Analytics (MRA) 

Uses advanced algorithms to estimate and validate historical usage of similar customers defined by rate, geography, or other variables to support more accurate estimates when data is missing.

Service Order Engine (SOE) 

Automates the generation of service orders for AMI devices and dispatches the orders to the field order management system for dispatch. Further monitors the progress of the order, processes updates, and closes the orders.

Real Time Outage Validation and Restoration Engine (OVE/RE) 

Displays real-time, verified outage events and restoration information using proprietary business logic. OVE/RE provides cleansed data that enables utilities to integrate meter data with outage management systems for systematic responses to unforeseen events.

On-Demand Engine (ODE) 

Intelligently sends real-time requests for information to the appropriate AMI technology, enabling rapid access to energy usage data for critical decisions. Examples that are supported include on-demand reads, power status checks, and remote connects or disconnects.

Virtual Metering & Aggregation Engine (VME) 

Processes, aggregates and frames data into larger intervals or time-of-use periods to fulfill various billing determinant requirements for given rates and tariffs. Also, allows the summarization or aggregation of usage from any number of meters from various specified accounts to allow for flexible billing analysis and capacity planning.