NetSquared enables social benefit organizations to leverage the tools of the social web.
net2 local
Net Tuesdays or Net2 Local gatherings provide a chance to connect locally with all those interested in the intersection of social technologies and social change. There are new groups forming every week: Join in!
net2 updates
The first wave of the NetSquared.org makeover is now live! There's more improvements to come, but in the meantime we'd love to hear what you think.
SurePower - Utilising Mobile communications to optimise Utility distribution
Mobile phones are commonly referred to as "Africa's Computer". The power of this service, is the sharing of real-time information to mobile users, of electricity power disruptions forecasts, that will enable the user to participate effectively in ratiolizing the use of alternative energy sources, avoid huge consequential losses,that will not be possible otherwise More than 70% of economically active inhabitants in South Africa use mobile phones, and apply SMS communications as an alternative to voice. SurePower provide an effective mobile communication service for the Electrical Power Distributors. An advice relating to their neighborhood of an impending power load shedding is provided JUST IN TIME by quality messaging to participating consumers. Power Distributors are now enabled by the SurePower(SP) service to ascertain in which geographical area the affected electricity user is.
SP conducts an effective survey by ringfencing all the participating mobile users who would be affected by a specific circuit break. This conceptualized PowerCell would be the definition of the group of interested mobile users, that need to be advised during a specific timeslot in a day. SurePower also makes possible the complementary benefit, where a Power Distributor can confer with partnering users on how to cooperate in using the limited power resources.
What are the SurePower features:
• Send power interruptions predictions to mobile users relating only to their suburb via cost-effective SMS alerts.
• Access a mobile WAP internet website for members of the participating group.
• The Utility company benefits from the PowerCell survey for planning purposes
• The facility provides the capacity of conducting various PR interactions with Mobile user involvement.
Who is behind SurePower:
The team is lead by Pieter Henning; who is a Telecom Engineer with 30 years experience, based in Johannesburg, South Africa.
When are the Power Distributor and the mobile Users involved in the service? The Power Distributor would advertise in the local media that interested users must SMS their Postal code when they experience the next triggered power outage. The SMS information received in the 30 minute window period would be sufficient for SP to calculate the Powercell
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on March 3, 2009 - 9:45am.
I sit on a committee on Reliable Electricity in the third world with IEEE which is working with the UN Humanitarn strategy which sees that reliable, clean and cost effective energy to consumers a important infrastructure service necessary for rectifying historical and economic injustice.
It is significant that the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers acknowledges that a most important driver to ensure reliable electricity, would be to share advices on expected shortages by mobile communications, since the channel is omnipresent, inexpensive and a fair method to advise all electricity users that are concerned to take pre-emptive actions in partnership with the utility company and thus avoid gross consequential losses.
Submitted by beyersh on December 14, 2008 - 7:14am.
The SurePower group of patriticipants may use the same channel to communicate and report problems in their area that needs attention and where other neighbours should be aware of of may help to solve. Problems with water pipe bursts, stray animals or people in distress can now be solved by the community.
Submitted by JWW (not verified) on December 5, 2008 - 12:06pm.
As South Africans learned during last winter, we will have to live with the disruption of power cuts in the future. Sure Power can greatly assist in informing the general public in this regard.
The interesting part with a shortage in Electricity reserves, is the fact that Load Shedding is required in summer time when Power Plants need to be shut for critical maintenance and when the coal supply is wet in the rainy season
It would be good if the public can be provided with sound advice on ways to use the scarce utilities they need more economically.
Where the local Utility Agency do not provide a dynamic Public Relations service, the Community can use SurePower as a cost-effective comms channel to share energy savings tips and report service problems they experience in their area, much the same as the Internet service http://www.fixmystreet.com
By feeding the community problems back to the Utility Agency, from members whilst mobile, is a great advantage of SurePower.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 26, 2008 - 1:23pm.
The use of Mobile SMS communication to change people's consumer habits at times of power distruption has a long lasting impression leading to a conserver society.
An idea is to provide streaming video or compressed Mobile conserver episodes providing daily tips and techniques to engage and educate the consumer on how they can alter their lifestyle so that energy demand is reduced which lessens the demand for bringing more energy supply.
The Utility Company will improve the Public Relations by providing power saving information in various ways to the participating users relating to the specific situation in the area.
At the same time the participation of users in shifting the demand for electricity will enable the Utility Company to reduce the Electricity reserve capacity with big environmental and cost saving to the public.
The complementary WAP portal http://www.iwe.param.mobi/ allows the discerning public member to report or share any utility service solutions with the Utility Providers as well as concerned members in their neighborhood, online whilst on the move.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 26, 2008 - 6:42am.
Mobile tech is the way to go. And to be able to use it as a warning device that your home or business is going to be without power in an estimated time is great. This will enable myself and other to prepare for the power cuts in the future.
Whilst the Load Shedding SMS advices empowers the mobile user to make alternative lifestyle and business arrangements, the public member can also use the available SurePower internet and WAP portal to offer help, advice and reporting of calamities they have become aware of in the precinct. Swift solutions can be effected for burst water pipes, fires, stolen vehicles, traffic light, road damage or delinquent pets and other emergency incidents. By sharing mobile information between the public and utility providers the quality of life can be vastly improved.
Submitted by venzen on November 21, 2008 - 6:07am.
This idea is very innovative and is a two-edged sword for the South African energy present and future. The problem of electrical load shedding and the disruption it has brought to South African consumers and businesses alike means that this kind of technological solution is just what is needed. I am eager to participate in this initiative, since it gives me, an accidental consumer of SA's only electricity provider, the opportunity to be heard and for civil society to participate in the direction and management of our utilities future. Wonderful idea.
Thx Venzen, for your interest to participate in making a difference in the using energy efficiently.
Not only paying accountholders of the utility usually distributed in a monopolistic manner will be afforded this SurePower channel to share information.
Commuters will also register the timeslot and area for which the applicable information must be offered to them. It means that a motorist may register a profile applicable to his work period or visiting area and another profile when at home or on holiday.
The information will allow the participant to be able to make alternative arrangements to reduce the consequential effect of the disruption of electricity and manage planned business at hand.
Let us assist Utility companies providing us with the basic resources on this globe by using applying the best (mobile) communications channels.
The willingness of public users like Venzen to assist with initiatives to conserve electricity is marvellous. The SurePower service provides a great tool for the Utility company to converse with interested members as a group, sharing ideas with every opportunity to advise on supply problems, making it possible for users to make plans of using energy differently and at the same time facilitating good PR. The Utility company will now be in a better position to manage with lower reserve margins.
Submitted by Joankerr on November 20, 2008 - 8:06pm.
If I could suggest that SP which is SurePower is clearly defined at the begining of the document.
The Sure Power project lets citizens know of an impending brownout/blackout. As energy increases, and the grid becomes overloaded, been informed of the brownout/blackout will help them cope.
As this problem is becoming more frequent worldwide Sure Power can have local and international applications.
Thanks for the suggestion. At the beginning, when I was upset that as a paying user of a basic resource, that the user is always shocked with a disruption of a utility, where the distributor usually had information that they could share with interested users. I then designed SurePower to be a conversing service where users can participate in the effective distribution of any utility (electricity causing most of a crises), customized to the style of service of the Utility Company that wants to buy the SurePower Solution. Modern mobile services are now possible, allowing the sharing of two way communication. Utility companies should only embrace a paradigm shift, that they cannot only use communication channels to advise users what an when to pay, but also survey the way users suggest to apply the utility and uphold good public relations to use the available energy resource effectively. Yes, the incidence of overloading will occur more frequently, since Utility company cannot generate more power to cater only for the peak periods, and whilst they are under no legal liability for providing forecasted notifications, participating users will cope better with any information shared with them. True, this is a global phenomenon and will be applicable for the distribution of any utility, in the style that will suffice for their local situation. Pieter Henning
Thanks for the suggestion. At the beginning, when I was upset that as a paying user of a basic resource, that the user is always shocked with a disruption of a utility, where the distributor usually had information that they could share with interested users. I then designed SurePower to be a conversing service where users can participate in the effective distribution of any utility (electricity causing most of a crises), customized to the style of service of the Utility Company that wants to buy the SurePower Solution. Modern mobile services are now possible, allowing the sharing of two way communication. Utility companies should only embrace a paradigm shift, that they cannot only use communication channels to advise users what an when to pay, but also survey the way users suggest to apply the utility and uphold good public relations to use the available energy resource effectively. Yes, the incidence of overloading will occur more frequently, since Utility company cannot generate more power to cater only for the peak periods, and whilst they are under no legal liability for providing forecasted notifications, participating users will cope better with any information shared with them. True, this is a global phenomenon and will be applicable for the distribution of any utility, in the style that will suffice for their local situation.
Submitted by dwyka on November 22, 2008 - 12:31am.
It is important for all countries to consider the importance of Demand Side Management to reduce energy consumption rather than assuming that more electrical supply is the solution. The use of mobile communication can play a significant role in Social Marketing the idea of energy conservation. It provides the end user with an opportunity to take personal responsibility.
SurePower offers the opportunity for the Utilility company not only to inform electricity users of the new capital spent on DSM apparatus like smart-metering. geyser ripple control, solar heater but will allow the participating users to voice their ideas and contributions to the needed energy conservation plan from a mobile user's perspective.
I understand that power rates will double in 2009 which will be a second shock to the public after the rotating loadshedding.
Reliable Energy
I sit on a committee on Reliable Electricity in the third world with IEEE which is working with the UN Humanitarn strategy which sees that reliable, clean and cost effective energy to consumers a important infrastructure service necessary for rectifying historical and economic injustice.
This is an innovative strategy.
Reply to Reliable Energy;
It is significant that the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers acknowledges that a most important driver to ensure reliable electricity, would be to share advices on expected shortages by mobile communications, since the channel is omnipresent, inexpensive and a fair method to advise all electricity users that are concerned to take pre-emptive actions in partnership with the utility company and thus avoid gross consequential losses.
Pieter Henning
Community Participation
The SurePower group of patriticipants may use the same channel to communicate and report problems in their area that needs attention and where other neighbours should be aware of of may help to solve. Problems with water pipe bursts, stray animals or people in distress can now be solved by the community.
Sure Power
As South Africans learned during last winter, we will have to live with the disruption of power cuts in the future. Sure Power can greatly assist in informing the general public in this regard.
Reply to Disruptions in Winter:
The interesting part with a shortage in Electricity reserves, is the fact that Load Shedding is required in summer time when Power Plants need to be shut for critical maintenance and when the coal supply is wet in the rainy season
Pieter Henning
Reporting of all Utility problems
It would be good if the public can be provided with sound advice on ways to use the scarce utilities they need more economically.
Where the local Utility Agency do not provide a dynamic Public Relations service, the Community can use SurePower as a cost-effective comms channel to share energy savings tips and report service problems they experience in their area, much the same as the Internet service http://www.fixmystreet.com
By feeding the community problems back to the Utility Agency, from members whilst mobile, is a great advantage of SurePower.
.
SurePower
Ecellent idea! We really need something like this in a developing country like South Africa.
Mobile Communication as a Medium for Changing Behaviour
The use of Mobile SMS communication to change people's consumer habits at times of power distruption has a long lasting impression leading to a conserver society.
An idea is to provide streaming video or compressed Mobile conserver episodes providing daily tips and techniques to engage and educate the consumer on how they can alter their lifestyle so that energy demand is reduced which lessens the demand for bringing more energy supply.
Reply to Medium for changing behavior:
The Utility Company will improve the Public Relations by providing power saving information in various ways to the participating users relating to the specific situation in the area.
At the same time the participation of users in shifting the demand for electricity will enable the Utility Company to reduce the Electricity reserve capacity with big environmental and cost saving to the public.
The complementary WAP portal http://www.iwe.param.mobi/ allows the discerning public member to report or share any utility service solutions with the Utility Providers as well as concerned members in their neighborhood, online whilst on the move.
Pieter Henning
Mobile tech is the way to
Mobile tech is the way to go. And to be able to use it as a warning device that your home or business is going to be without power in an estimated time is great. This will enable myself and other to prepare for the power cuts in the future.
Reply to Mobile tech :
Whilst the Load Shedding SMS advices empowers the mobile user to make alternative lifestyle and business arrangements, the public member can also use the available SurePower internet and WAP portal to offer help, advice and reporting of calamities they have become aware of in the precinct. Swift solutions can be effected for burst water pipes, fires, stolen vehicles, traffic light, road damage or delinquent pets and other emergency incidents. By sharing mobile information between the public and utility providers the quality of life can be vastly improved.
Pieter Henning
This idea is what South Africans need
This idea is very innovative and is a two-edged sword for the South African energy present and future. The problem of electrical load shedding and the disruption it has brought to South African consumers and businesses alike means that this kind of technological solution is just what is needed. I am eager to participate in this initiative, since it gives me, an accidental consumer of SA's only electricity provider, the opportunity to be heard and for civil society to participate in the direction and management of our utilities future. Wonderful idea.
Reply to: This Idea
Thx Venzen, for your interest to participate in making a difference in the using energy efficiently.
Not only paying accountholders of the utility usually distributed in a monopolistic manner will be afforded this SurePower channel to share information.
Commuters will also register the timeslot and area for which the applicable information must be offered to them. It means that a motorist may register a profile applicable to his work period or visiting area and another profile when at home or on holiday.
The information will allow the participant to be able to make alternative arrangements to reduce the consequential effect of the disruption of electricity and manage planned business at hand.
Let us assist Utility companies providing us with the basic resources on this globe by using applying the best (mobile) communications channels.
Reducing the Carbon Emission Footprint
The willingness of public users like Venzen to assist with initiatives to conserve electricity is marvellous.
The SurePower service provides a great tool for the Utility company to converse with interested members as a group, sharing ideas with every opportunity to advise on supply problems, making it possible for users to make plans of using energy differently and at the same time facilitating good PR. The Utility company will now be in a better position to manage with lower reserve margins.
Sure Power
If I could suggest that SP which is SurePower is clearly defined at the begining of the document.
The Sure Power project lets citizens know of an impending brownout/blackout. As energy increases, and the grid becomes overloaded, been informed of the brownout/blackout will help them cope.
As this problem is becoming more frequent worldwide Sure Power can have local and international applications.
Reply to: International Applications
Thanks for the suggestion. At the beginning, when I was upset that as a paying user of a basic resource, that the user is always shocked with a disruption of a utility, where the distributor usually had information that they could share with interested users. I then designed SurePower to be a conversing service where users can participate in the effective distribution of any utility (electricity causing most of a crises), customized to the style of service of the Utility Company that wants to buy the SurePower Solution. Modern mobile services are now possible, allowing the sharing of two way communication. Utility companies should only embrace a paradigm shift, that they cannot only use communication channels to advise users what an when to pay, but also survey the way users suggest to apply the utility and uphold good public relations to use the available energy resource effectively. Yes, the incidence of overloading will occur more frequently, since Utility company cannot generate more power to cater only for the peak periods, and whilst they are under no legal liability for providing forecasted notifications, participating users will cope better with any information shared with them. True, this is a global phenomenon and will be applicable for the distribution of any utility, in the style that will suffice for their local situation. Pieter Henning
SP can be used to optimize the distribution of any Utility
Thanks for the suggestion.
At the beginning, when I was upset that as a paying user of a basic resource, that the user is always shocked with a disruption of a utility, where the distributor usually had information that they could share with interested users.
I then designed SurePower to be a conversing service where users can participate in the effective distribution of any utility (electricity causing most of a crises), customized to the style of service of the Utility Company that wants to buy the SurePower Solution. Modern mobile services are now possible, allowing the sharing of two way communication.
Utility companies should only embrace a paradigm shift, that they cannot only use communication channels to advise users what an when to pay, but also survey the way users suggest to apply the utility and uphold good public relations to use the available energy resource effectively.
Yes, the incidence of overloading will occur more frequently, since Utility company cannot generate more power to cater only for the peak periods, and whilst they are under no legal liability for providing forecasted notifications, participating users will cope better with any information shared with them.
True, this is a global phenomenon and will be applicable for the distribution of any utility, in the style that will suffice for their local situation.
Proof of Concept: Demand Side Management using Mobiles
It is important for all countries to consider the importance of Demand Side Management to reduce energy consumption rather than assuming that more electrical supply is the solution. The use of mobile communication can play a significant role in Social Marketing the idea of energy conservation. It provides the end user with an opportunity to take personal responsibility.
SurePower offers the opportunity for the Utilility company not only to inform electricity users of the new capital spent on DSM apparatus like smart-metering. geyser ripple control, solar heater but will allow the participating users to voice their ideas and contributions to the needed energy conservation plan from a mobile user's perspective.
I understand that power rates will double in 2009 which will be a second shock to the public after the rotating loadshedding.
Thanks for the opportunity to participate!